Most famous Westone

I think Trevor Rabin is the biggest name to use a Westone and his 390 is the most 'famous' Westone. From what I have found on this forum, it was given to him by Mr Presley.
At some point Trevor wiped the Westone logo on the headstock, Alvarez was put on the headstock and the Pantera logo on the body was smudged out (Rabin's instuctional video shows his Westone 390 and Trevor explains how he got the guitar from Presley. It had the Alvarez logo on the headstock and the Pantera body logo looked to be painted over quite sloppily).

This video has the 'smudge' covered by some graphic that appears to match his shirt (kinda funny) but in the long run, I think this is one of the original 390's and maybe the most 'famous' example of a westone.

Saw this video and thought I'd share the link as it really is a great piece of playing on a great sounding guitar (I need to find one...ugh) and also wonders where the heck is this video from? I want the whole show!
https://www.youtube.com/user/PilotCessna208#p/u/22/5fuUIIPI_TM

Hey thanks for that link sarcaster!
Yeah that's some tasty stuff for sure. I wonder what the reason was for obliterating the Westone reference? Some sort of endorsement conflict maybe? Presley also did work for Alvarez, so there's some sort of connection there methinks.

But I was somewhat distracted by the guy in white in the background. I think he was trying to signal the Mother Ship with his tambourine.
Then there's the guy in the Pirate boots...

sarcaster wrote:I think Trevor Rabin is the biggest name to use a Westone and his 390 is the most 'famous' Westone. From what I have found on this forum, it was given to him by Mr Presley.
At some point Trevor wiped the Westone logo on the headstock, Alvarez was put on the headstock and the Pantera logo on the body was smudged out (Rabin's instuctional video shows his Westone 390 and Trevor explains how he got the guitar from Presley. It had the Alvarez logo on the headstock and the Pantera body logo looked to be painted over quite sloppily).

This video has the 'smudge' covered by some graphic that appears to match his shirt (kinda funny) but in the long run, I think this is one of the original 390's and maybe the most 'famous' example of a westone.

Saw this video and thought I'd share the link as it really is a great piece of playing on a great sounding guitar (I need to find one...ugh) and also wonders where the heck is this video from? I want the whole show!
https://www.youtube.com/user/PilotCessna208#p/u/22/5fuUIIPI_TM

What about Leslie West? or that guy from INXS Kirk Pengilly..and of course me.

The Alvarez name is owned by St. Louis Music (SLM), former employer of Mr. Presley, and former importer of Westone guitars in the US. The connection is that Rabin and Chris Squire both endorsed various SLM products like Ampeg Amps, Alvarez guitars, etc.

I suggest everyone purchase the Master Licks/Star Sessions Trevor Rabin instructional video. It is now available on DVD and you can pick it up pretty cheap on Ebay. You will see some other Westones in the background in Rabin's studio, as I recall a Rainbow and maybe a Spectrum or two.

As for the whole show - you are watching the 1994 Yes Talk tour show from Chile (Mapocho (sp?) station I believe). This is available in bootleg form on DVD, and it is pro-shot. This video may have been televised when new. Of course I have many Yes bootlegs with Trevor on guitar. You should check out www.yesfans.com and look at the 'weeds' forum and you will find these things available in weed form. There are a couple of shows from the 1991 Union tour featuring Rabin with the X390 and the Alvarez DY-88 that he also endorsed. Rabin and Steve Howe perform on the same stage in these shows.

There is a good Trevor Rabin forum on that site as well. My username there is '86WestonePantera. Imagine that!

Rabin fans should also purchase the 9012Live DVD - the newer release with all of the backstage footage. This version is a must for Rabin fans. But there are no Westones featured as this concert was from 1983-84.

I have never seen any high quality video footage from the Yes Big Generator tour. I have one 3rd gen VHS copy from a handheld camera in Miami in about 1987 but it's poor quality.

Dave Brock. Hawkwind. Spectrum LX. Still using it today.

Dave has used a variety of guitars over the years, but has steadfastly used Westone (guitars) for over 25 years. A Westone Spectrum LX since 1985 (custom painted by Alan Arthurs, with a portion of the Space Ritual LP cover), and previously had a Westone Paduak-1 from 1982 until 2008, custom painted by Guy Thomas after the St. Albans gig of the 1984 winter tour, with the Warrior on the Edge of Time LP cover.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Brock

Was that Jon Anderson singing? cause if it was he really sounded awful.. and it's sad that this seems to be the only vid I've ever seen of trevor using a pantera...ya who swashbuckles during concerts?

Steve New (later known as Stella Nova) who played with the Rich Kids, Public Image Limited and Iggy Pop amongst others used a Thunder I or IA and I'm told by someone who knew him that the Thunder was his favourite guitar of all time! Sadly died of cancer earlier this year age 50.
Think there's a pic of him using it on wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stella_Nova_%28musician%29

In the 'something to hold on to" (and the album cover of can't look away) he seems to be playing his actual korean alvarez signature guitar.
if you look closely, you can see that the polka dot pantera still has the Westone logo on it.





So does anybody know what Trevor is playing in these clips?





they are pretty bad clips with annoying screaming people and very few shots of Trevor.
the one on the first could be a Panterar 350 since it seems to have a 3 x 3 headstock. I have no idea about the 2nd, it seems to have top and back binding and possibly f-holes.. (could it be a rainbow?)

Elan I wrote:In the 'something to hold on to" (and the album cover of can't look away) he seems to be playing his actual korean alvarez signature guitar.
if you look closely, you can see that the polka dot pantera still has the Westone logo on it.





So does anybody know what Trevor is playing in these clips?





they are pretty bad clips with annoying screaming people and very few shots of Trevor.
the one on the first could be a Panterar 350 since it seems to have a 3 x 3 headstock. I have no idea about the 2nd, it seems to have top and back binding and possibly f-holes.. (could it be a rainbow?)

SLM dressed the set with guitars for the 'Something To Hold On To' video, so there are LOTS of SLM guitars everywhere in this video. You will see some guitar publication ads from the period showing Trevor on this set surrounded by SLM's guitars.

There is very little video footage from the Big Generator tour. I have one VHS handheld from this tour, but it is a different show. Thanks for sharing these!!

On 'Final Eyes', I don't know what kind of guitar that is, but I believe it is a synthesizer controller. Notice 1) the crowd goes crazy when he makes some sounds on it, 2) the cord is really big, and 3) he blends in the electric guitar sound from time to time with a volume pedal. All of these things lead me to believe it is a synthesizer.

On "I'm Running" (great song, by the way, probably the best and most like Yes on Big Generator), that is a Rainbow (not sure if it is a I or II). This guitar can be seen in his studio in the Master Licks'Star Sessions video.