Westone guitars

[Anders]

2 days ago I bought a Westone guitar instead of a Vester or a Charvette. It's a "Spectrum Series II". I got it quite cheap. I put 013-056's on it and tuned down to B! [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

I actually think it's pretty good for a budget guitar. It has a comfortable neck, nicely fitted frets, Gotoh tuners and body binding. The trem sucks, but it's blocked so it won't bother me! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] It's some kind of crappy single locking "Bendmaster Deluxe"! Hehe [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

I'll try to take some pics of it and post them here if anyone is interested, but it will take at least a week before I have them.

I'm gonna change the bridge pickup to an EMG-81.

Has anyone else had a Westone?

Anders

[Accept2]

Re: Westone guitars

I've owned many Westones. Please dont put up a pic, I really dont like looking at Spectrums. They look too ickky............

[charvelguy]

Re: Westone guitars

Yeah, I have a X199. It's basically a Spectrum...a set neck model made in a crossover like '84 year as it has both Westone and Electra logo names on the headstock. It's also fully scalloped, from the factory it seems as the inlays are not diminished in size. It came with Bill Lawrence 500's in both positions and a washburn roller trem. It's still a beast, but not bad for 80.00 including original case. Old Washburns are great budget/beginner/intermediate guitars.

[ January 31, 2003, 09:20 AM: Message edited by: charvelguy ]

[grandpa]

Re: Westone guitars

One of the best guitars that I have heard is the Westone XA-1630, even with the cheesy trem. I think this the last model they made.

[Accept2]

Re: Westone guitars

Last model?!? Theyre new guitars are great, but in North America you just dont see them......I imagine a few people on the JCF in the UK have seen them...........

[SARJ]

Re: Westone guitars

I got a Westone for graduation from my mom back in 89. It had a superstrat type body, 2 humbuckers, 22 medium frets and a reverse headstock. It was pearl white. It had chrome hardware including a single locking Floyd copy. It got the blood grphic at my grandpas custom shop in the basement. He had some blood red enamel and I stripped all the hardware and electronics and dripped away. I let it dry for about a week and put it together. It was one of the most popular guitars in the hood. I noticed the pickups had the computer ribbon type connections for the pickups and the toggle switch. It was weird. I put a DiMarzio of some kind in it and it served it's purpose. I also had another Westone from around that same time that was an HSS config and had the same hardware, neck etc., but it had a strange body kind of like a Specter. It was bright red. It was a nice axe too.

[lerxstcat]

Re: Westone guitars

I have a Westone Paduak I I bought at a salvage center in 1982. It's an oddly shrunken Strat body variant, but with very short horns. One Gotoh distortion HB
with coil tap, and an onboard boost preamp. Came with vintage trem but I put
a Rockinger on it. Maple neck and board,
22 medium frets and a body that's light
like alder or maple but with very thick growth rings, and a re-stained beveled paduak top. For the low $ I spent it's
quite nice and fun to play.

[lerxstcat]

Re: Westone guitars

I have a Westone Paduak I I bought at a salvage center in 1982. It's an oddly shrunken Strat body variant, but with very short horns. One Gotoh distortion HB
with coil tap, and an onboard boost preamp. Came with vintage trem but I put
a Rockinger on it. Maple neck and board,
22 medium frets and a body that's light
like alder or maple but with very thick growth rings, and a re-stained beveled paduak top. For the low $ I spent it's
quite nice and fun to play.

[Mr White]

Re: Westone guitars

Yeah Ive seen a few here. Mainly Spectrums. Im sorry, but theyre bloody awful [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
Like a bastardised Strat-SG thing.
Hehe,

James

[Firebird V]

Re: Westone guitars

I had one of these back in the 80's.... First guitar. Sold my Supergoose BMX bike to get it! LOL

[pro-fusion]

Re: Westone guitars

I've long been curious about the Westone Pantera neck-thrus from the mid-late '80s. They can't have been that bad--Trevor Rabin not only endorsed them, but actually used them onstage and in the studio. Still does, apparently.

[grandpa]

Re: Westone guitars

1987 was the last year for the Japanese Westone, the factory was bought by Singer and guitar production stopped.
The name was purchased and I think they are now produced in Ireland.

[charvelguy]

Re: Westone guitars

I think some models of the Pantera are a great deal... they can be had pretty cheap nowadays.

[Accept2]

Re: Westone guitars

Actually after the sale, they continued production in Korea until 1991, then stopped. In 1995, Korean production began again, and about two years later, the UK production began.

Panteras are nice, but the last 2 on Ebay went for too high a price. $600 is too much those. Rabin used Corsairs, Thunders, and Panteras........

[charvelguy]

Re: Westone guitars

I wish I had one to sell.. I've seen em go for 300's and I thought that was high, depends on the model. Ebay is a rediculous market sometimes.
You used to be able buy those Optek fretlights for a solid 250.00 on excite in '97-'98, then they started going for 300.00-500.00 on eBay.. just totally jacked up the market price. I seen people get as much as 1200.00 for a basic black FG-200, and a guy actually paid it!