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Washburn Sonamaster Elite is a double cutaway solid body electric guitar with a flame maple top over an okoume body, a roasted maple neck and fingerboard, a 25.5 inch scale and an H-S-S layout of one Washburn humbucker and two single coils, all direct mounted with no pickguard. It has a tremolo bridge, one volume, one tone, a 5-way switch and a mini toggle that sends the pickups straight to the output jack, for players stepping up from a first guitar who want a fast neck and a wide range of sounds. This listing is the SE3FBLB in Flame Blue Burst.
A flame maple top with nothing covering it, and pickups mounted straight into the wood.
Washburn left the pickguard off the Sonamaster Elite so the flame maple top shows across the whole body. The pickups are mounted directly to the body rather than hung from a guard, which Washburn says adds definition and attack, so the guitar sounds tighter and cuts through a band or a mix more easily.
The neck and fingerboard are roasted maple. Roasting dries the wood out, which helps the neck stay stable through humidity changes, a real concern in South Florida, and gives it a smooth, fast feel under the hand. The mini toggle is a blower switch: flip it and the signal goes straight from the pickup to the jack, bypassing the volume and tone controls for the loudest, most direct sound the guitar can make.
At a Glance
| Brand | Washburn |
|---|---|
| Model | Sonamaster Elite SE3FBLB |
| Body | Okoume with flame maple top |
| Neck | Roasted maple |
| Fingerboard | Roasted maple |
| Scale Length | 25.5 in |
| Pickups | H-S-S, 1 Washburn humbucker and 2 single coils |
| Bridge | Tremolo |
| Color | Flame Blue Burst, gloss |
| Warranty | Washburn manufacturer warranty |
Who Is the Washburn Sonamaster Elite For?
Players moving up from a first electric who want a guitar that looks and plays a step above a starter, and working players who need one guitar to cover clean, crunch and high gain sounds at church, at gigs or in the studio.
What Does the Mini Toggle on the Sonamaster Elite Do?
It is a blower switch. With it engaged, the pickup signal goes directly to the output jack and skips the volume and tone controls, which gives a hotter, more direct sound for leads and heavier parts. Flip it back for normal use of the 5-way switch, volume and tone.
Does the Sonamaster Elite Have a Pickguard?
No. It is a pickguard free design, so the flame maple top is visible across the whole body and the pickups are mounted directly into the body.
Does the Sonamaster Elite Have a Tremolo?
Yes. Washburn lists it as a double cutaway HSS with tremolo, so the bridge takes a whammy bar for vibrato and pitch bends.
Specifications
| Body Wood | Okoume |
|---|---|
| Top Wood | Flame maple |
| Shape | Sonamaster Series double cutaway |
| Neck Wood | Roasted maple |
| Fingerboard | Roasted maple |
| Inlays | Black dots |
| Scale Length | 25.5 in |
| Pickup Configuration | H-S-S |
| Pickups | 1 Washburn humbucker, 2 single coils, direct mount |
| Pickup Selector | 5-way switch |
| Controls | 1 volume, 1 tone, 5-way switch, mini toggle |
| Additional | Direct to jack blower switch on the mini toggle |
| Bridge | Tremolo |
| Color | Flame Blue Burst |
| Finish | Gloss |
Why Washburn
Washburn has made fretted instruments since 1883, when the brand started in Chicago, which makes it one of the oldest names in American guitar making. The Sonamaster Elite is the top of its Sonamaster electric line, with a flame maple top, roasted maple neck and direct mount pickups.