Quote Originally Posted by TS808
Washburn has been around a long time and has a reputation for putting out quality instruments.
Washburn HAS been around a long time but their reputation is not all virginal.
In 2000, after a 5-year investigation, Washburn pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud, sentenced to five years probation, and ordered to pay a $1,000,000 fine. They were caught in the act of directing their employees to systematically remove the "Made in Korea" labels from instruments, which were then repackaged and relabeled to indicate that they were made in the United States.
http://www.cbp.gov/custoday/nov2000/tye2.htm
Just because a company has been around a long time doesn't mean they automatically deserve your implicit trust.