Washburn Review: STHM2 Dimebag Signature

History:

Purchase: I paid 600$ new at Alva Instruments in seattle. I am a huge fan of dimebag darrel as well as the entire shred metal technique. I wanted a guitar with a tremendous amount of attitude as well as something that could handle the abuse and to me this was the toughest looking mother available.

What I Like About This Washburn STHM2 Dimebag Signature: Its got killer looks for sure. This one is black with a silver stripe outlining the body. On this model the floyd rose is different. The strings go through the back instead of you having to clip them off (as that can be a pain) The wood is lighter than you would expect a guitar with that amount of wood to feel like. I guess thats ok. The tuners are excellent.

What I Do NOT Like About The Washburn STHM2 Dimebag Signature: The first thing I noticed was the paint quality is not so good. It chips off fairly easily. Mainly around the edges but thats understandable .The pickups that come stock with it are passive so there really is no dime signature sound available yet. The rosewood fingerboard is ok although it kind of seems like it doesn't fit the guitar well. Mother of pearl dots are a nice touch however..

Washburn STHM2 Dimebag Signature Quality Rating: It has only 2 bolts on the bolt on model. It feels sturdy so thats no big deal. The fingerboard feels really good to play.The neck is just about perfect with a decent set up it is designed to be played fast. The wood though is my main complaint. I srewed in strap locks even though I used the same screws twice they came loose. So beware. Its not expensive wood.

Review Summary: I took my guitar back to Norm Rivers at Alva instruments and I had EMG 81 and an 85 put in. as well as I put a new original floyd rose in there. It sounds just as good as the 2000$ model with slight modifications.(money well spent) The action is good and if you are careful around corners, the paint shouldn't chip. I wouldn't recomend throwing this one up in the air onestage as it's likely you will poke an eye out.

Rating of this Washburn product: 4

This Washburn STHM2 Dimebag Signature Electric Guitars Review Submitted By: wolfgang

Review Date: 2003-07-18