Say hello...

Hi Barry. I don't appear to have permission to post new topics in this forum, or see any menu option to post new topics. I can quick reply only. Chatbox says 'Forum is locked'. Is there a problem?

Sorry squeezertone, my bad for not reminding you, there's nothing wrong with the Forum.

New members are restricted from starting new posts or adding hyperlinks for 7 days. Nothing personal, it's in the interests of SPAM control. It stops those who only register to promote a website or product.

Next Saturday you should be golden! Hang in there.

Hi Barry - I still don't seem to have permission to post to the other areas. The permissions statement at the bottom of the "member's westones" forum says that I can post. But I don't see a post option or button anywhere on that page.

Click on the New Topic button to start a new thread.
Or,
Click on an existing title to open that conversation and add your comment to it.

Hi All! New member here. Fan of Matsumoku guitars, proud owner of an Electra Dynasty and a Westone Spectrum GT Bass. Hopefully future owner of a Westone Dynasty. I can't believe it took me this long to find this place! s soon as I'm allowed, I'll be posting pics.


I got into these axes at my last job. I did a lot of buying/selling there, and eventually stumbled upon a unique old guitar that seemed to be well-made, but no identifying features. It turned out to be a Univox UC-3 with the nameplate missing. After doing some research, I learned it was an "Uncle Matt" and soon afterwards I started spotting the characteristic "Made In Japan" neckplates from time to time when they came into my shop. When the red Dynasty came in, I couldn't stop looking at it. After fanatically raving about how cool it was to a customer for the 10th time, he suggested I just buy it... Great idea! I haven't been able to keep my hands off it since. I have several other more expensive guitars but there's just something about the balance and feel of this thing that keeps me coming back for more. And indeed I am, as I am about to complete my purchase of a second Dynasty! It is completely bare of hardware other than the stock electronics. So, I will be making a thread for its restoration as well.

Looking forward to learning more about these wonderful guitars and meeting other Westone/Matsumoku enthusiasts!

Hello and welcome to the Forums. Sounds like you are well infected with Uncle Mats GAS! And that's a good thing.

I note your post elsewhere about tremolo specifications. One of our learned members will no doubt be along soon to offer some assistance. Looking forward to your participation and pix of your project!

New here!! I got my first guitar, which was a Westone Pantera cream color, in 1986. It sat for years and now I wanna restore it and play it again. I STILL think it’s one of the coolest body shapes for a guitar ever!!

So, I need a replacement locking nut for it because as I’m seeing here, mine stripped out like al the others did. Any ideas or a link to go in order to buy one? Also, any ideas on the pickups? How they were wound, and what magnets they used? On the single coils and the humbuckers?

Thanks, cheers!!

Hi my name is Ryan I just found out that I have a rare x390 Caspian blue w/ case has some road rash but considering there were only 96 made the gods were smiling on means I didn't even know it, I've had it for 22 yrs! Well Im not gonna list the bands I like or my dogs lol, I'll send pics soon

thejavier wrote:...Pantera cream color, in 1986. It sat for years and now I wanna restore it...

Hi and welcome to the Forums.

You're right, it is one of the coolest guitar shapes ever and it needs to be restored and played!
However, this is not really the right place to be discussing the details.

Please start a new thread in the Members Westones Forum with what you're looking for and be sure to post some pictures so the members have a clear idea of what you have and what needs to be done. We're happy to help you out.

Ryu801 wrote: Hi my name is Ryan I just found out that I have a rare x390 Caspian blue w/ case has some road rash but considering there were only 96 made the gods were smiling on means I didn't even know it, I've had it for 22 yrs! Well Im not gonna list the bands I like or my dogs lol, I'll send pics soon

Welcome Ryan, you lucky guy!

Now of course, you must start a new thread in the Member's Westones Forum with pictures!!
Details man! Details!

Morning, chaps!! Nice to see new faces!

Yes, as Barry says, you both must start new threads in the appropriate sections and show us what you've got!!

We love hearing and seeing new stories!,

Hi everybody. New member here and I'm not good with tech stuff. Taken me ages to work out how to post this. Will try to post pics of my bass. Had it second hand since '86. Any more info gratefully received.

Hi Jaime and welcome.
You have a very nice 1984 Thunder I bass.

We have a lot of info on the Thunder line on our website, but not too much specific to the T-I models which was the entry point for this design.

Most members seem to have one of the other variations and you can read about yours and them here:  LINK

Thanks for the reply. Still love this bass.

I have been hanging around this forum for a couple Of weeks now without introducing myself. I have already found myself a new (to me) Genesis 1 and some really friendly suggestions on what to do about a Genesis bass I acquired. (I will post pictures on that show us your guitar thread.) So thank you for being patient with the new guy.

I had a Genesis 1 as my first real guitar when I was 13 or 14 in 1987-88. I traded it for a Fender Strat and didn’t look back. A month or so ag I was talking to my cousin who still has the Pantera he got around the same time. He reminded me of the guitar and said I was foolish for ever having let it go and started telling me about the history of Matsumoku so T got a wired hair which led me here. Where I found a Genesis 1 in transparent brown just like the one I had 33 years ago and in perfect shape. I found the bass on Reverb and had to have the set. I felt kind of decadent buying two guitars in one week. Hod bless my wife for supporting my guitar habit.

Here I am in 8th grade with my Genesis 1.

As a noob to the world of Westone, I am glad to have found this forum. I picked up an '84 Phoenix bass for 90 bucks a while back. Plugged it in...nothing. So, into a case it went until the need to figure it out hit me yesterday. What I found were 2 broken solders, a seized T1 pot and a bridge that was so corroded it looks like it had spent a fair amount of time in the Atlantic. I busted a tone knob in the tear down, as well. 

Fast forward to today...she's all cleaned and re-soldered, sourced a bridge and some fairly close knobs. The only thing I cannot find is a tip for the toggle switch. I was hoping that a generic LP styled one would fit, but no. So if anyone here has any intel on where to find one, I would really appreciate it. Anyhoo, glad to be here and I can't wait to get this thing into a playable state. 

Cheers!!


 

Welcome Cellar Monkey! Glad to see you're well on your way to a restoration.
I'm not intimately experienced with the Phoenix models (the predecessor to the Spectrum line) but I have replaced the toggle and the tip on my Spectrum S.

You can read about it on our website. There is also a link to our Forum member Westbone who may be able to help you.

Hello Westone Forum! So glad to have found this place, so much info and history about these fine instruments.. I have lurked around for awhile looking for info on my old Westone Spectrum LX. Planned to do a complete rebuild/refinish a few lifetimes ago, but time got away from me.. AND so did all the original parts!!  We moved a few years ago and all I could find was the neck plate.... bag o' goodies must've hit the dumpster somehow...

I've decided that now is the time to rebuild this bad beast!! And thanks to the info I've found from some of posters on here, I've been able to locate some pickups and a trem that should drop right in..


Here's the stone in action circa '85 at our local Holiday Inn. A family member used to go see these guys and they invited me out a few times to jam with them. Made a 12yr old feel like a rock star!





Here is the current state...



Think I got something good to start with... Won' be an original resto but at least I can get it back in action!! I'll definitely need some help and direction, so see ya'll around the forum!

Welcome Andy. Nice pic of a young "stoner" (first time I've heard the brand referred to as a Stone by the way)

The LX is a beast and I was lucky to have found one a couple of years back in a pawn shop. It needed rewiring and some hardware issues looked at. Fortunately you'll find the wiring diagram on our website plus a restoration post or two here in the Forums to help you out.

When you're ready please start a new post in the Member's Forum so we can follow your progress and answer any questions.

Hi Westoners!!

Mi name is Miquelet, from Barcelona.   I'm sure than my english is very rusted, I'm sorry.  I just got a 1982 Westone Thunder 1a, and I'm very happy.  I have a lot (too many) guitars, but I've been looking for a Thunder 1A for a long time, so I'm  happy to have found it and also  to be here with all of you.

I am 55 years old and I have been playing guitars since I was 15, so I know some things about guitars, I hope and I wish to be useful in this forum.

Greetings from Barcelona.

Welcome Miquelet!

Great to hear from you (and your English is better than my Spanish!).

Lovely looking Westie. Enjoy your time here.

Kind regards
Dreamraven

Hey guys, new here. I had a Westone Spectrum II as a teen but it was destroyed in a car wreck (everyone else was okay) and recently decided to try and track down a similar one, which led me here. Cool to see so many Westone fans!

Welcome Caelin. Great to have you with us.
Spectrums are terrific guitars and these days they seem to be in more demand than ever.

Keep in touch here and make a post in the Wanted Forum so that members can be alerted to what you're looking for. You never know, someone may be about to let one go.

Meantime your best bet is to regularly check places like eBay, Kijij, Craigslist, etc.

Hello! I've been a long time Westone guitar player. I love these guitars and plan on expanding my collection as well. I have a Westone Villain Pro. All original, I recently replaced the pickups and the pots because of wear but plan on keeping them just because.
I'm so glad that there is a forum for this!

Hi and welcome!
That's a cool looking axe...but the A string's a bit funky!

Good luck looking for another one.

Hi Folks
Just picked up this 82 Thunder 1A today. A little worn on the body due to a lefty using it for years. I think I'm going to take it apart and do a thorough cleaning. Any recommendations on how to repair the wear on the body? Liking the quality. Seems to be well made.
Look forward to reading all the posts and strumming on this beauty. 

Welcome theClootch!
That's a great guitar, it'll tear the wallpaper off the wall!

Refinishing/repair to the worn spots should not be too difficult. Use Naphta to clean the dirt out of the bare wood, then your choice to seal it up afterwards: lacquer, polyurethane, etc. And of course, sanding to make it shmoo-o-o-o-th!

The brass knobs were originally sealed with lacquer which rubs off after use. You'lll need to gently dissolve or sand what's left then reseal with lacquer to stop the tarnishing from reappearing.

Awesome! Thanks Barry

Hi All – nice to be here.

Name: Gary    Age:  55   Location: Chesterfied (although always a Belfast man)

First guitar: Circa 1981 - I was given an old 60’s Watkins Rapier 3. Several Les Paul copies after that and one being a ‘Satellite’ (named so because the string were so far off the fretboard).

First Westone: (and my first 'proper' guitar - 1983 Concord III (Black)

Musical style/favourite bands: eclectic taste nowadays – mainly rock, metal in early years.

Other guitars: Fender Strat (Jap ’62 reissues, Ibanez 1570CB, Ibanez SA360QM, Yamaha APX-4 electro-acoustic.

Hello Westone guitar members, greetings from Australia.  
I own an Westone Quantum X850 fretless bass made 1984 with original gig bag.
Westone guitars & basses are a scarce sight in Australia btw and are highly prized by those who know.

Hi Max and welcome.
Yup, our ex Administrator lives in Oz and we have a few other Aussies here. We're well aware of the scarcity of the brand down under.

The Quantum is an unusual looking machine and not that easily found. Let's have a look at her when your 7 day posting restriction for new members is up eh?  Start a new topic in the Member's Forum

Hi Folks! New member day! I’m not sure why it’s taken me this long to find you and join up...anyway...I’m Jim, from the UK, and I’ve been a fan of Westone since encountering them in my teens during the early 90s. I had a friend with a black Thunder 1-A in a band I loved at the time, and I loved the look, and that active circuit too. I later joined the band myself. Roll forward a couple of decades and not only is the band back together, but I also recently just resurrected that black Thunder the bandmate pulled out of a loft. It was a bit crusty, and needed a mini-switch replaced, but she cleaned and polished up well. Indestructible! I used to have a natural Thunder 1-A myself, but sadly sold it...however I have replaced her with a red 1-A so I’m back in the fold! I must trace the preamp circuit some time and try it in other guitars!

Welcome Jennings, great story, I love a happy ending *sniff*.

Yer right, Thunders (and Spectrums too for that matter) are damn near indestructible. I resurrected one of my Thunders from a tossed-behind-the-furnace in the-basement scenario a few years ago. She roared back to life and is good as ever.

BTW that's not a preamp circuit in there. It's either an active Gain or active Tone depending on the model version you have, and you can get circuit info on our website: LINK

Thanks for the warm welcome! And for the link...I’ll head over and check that out...and while I’m at it I’ll rummage out some photos of the red Thunder. And the black one if I can find some too! I think the actives in both must be active tones...I’m pretty sure they give a bass to treble sort of sweep.

Hi All, 

I'm Kim, from Denmark, and it's amazing to see a community for a guitar I've enjoyed since ca. 1985. I got my Spectrum FX for my 14th birthday, and it's been my primary guitar ever since. 

I've seen the forum before -- when I needed to fix some of the wiring and needed the schematics to figure out where the white wire that had come loose was supposed to connect. And now again today.

I read that there was a 7-day wait on posting new topics, so if it's not too uncouth, I'll sneak my questing in here in hopes that Barry, hero, legend and all around good guy ( ) can steer me in the right direction. 

I've been toying with the idea of picking up a bass, and since I've enjoyed my FX for so long, I though a nice A1 Thunder might be a good place to start. In my search I stumbled upon something called a Westone Spencer Tribute. It looks pretty cool, but I can't find any info on it. I'd happily wait the customary 7 days, but it's an ebay listing, and you never know when it might just disappear forever, which would be sad if it turns out to be a good find...

So to sum up, Kim from Denmark, nice to be here and sorry for the embedded question.

Cheers!

Hi Kim and welcome here.
I've not heard of a Thunder Spencer Tribute before but that doesn't mean much. Perhaps one of the members knows something about it.

It would help to see it eh? Can you at least tell us which country the guitar is located in, that is, which eBay site are you using? I could not find anything listed here.

If it is legitimate, it would be a new discovery.

Hey Barry, 

Thanks for getting back to me. I've tried to post several different ways, so I hope this one is the charm.

  The ebay listing is:

ww
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ebay

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/112223580393?ssPageName=

STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=

p2060353.m1438.l2649


There is another listing on a non-ebay site, but the pictures are all the same and I suspect it is the same bass. 

Thanks for the help, man... or eh. 

Thanks, here's the LINK

I can tell you that it is not a Matsumoku made instrument. The logo style pegs it as a product of the German company Musik-Meyer who for a short time had the rights to the Westone name and made some good quality instruments out of China.

You can read more about them HERE.

I'm not a fan of big horns but this looks like a well made model with Wilkinson active pickups. If you want something interesting this could be it, but I doubt if it would be considered "rare".

Hi all.

Ian from UK. Started playing at 14, stopped after a few years, picked it up again in 91 then stopped again after a couple of years, then picked it up again during covid lockdown.

Anyhow Friday I was having a bad day, slacked off and looked at the website of a local music shop I haven't visited since 1991 ( I know because I bought my Strat there, see above ). They had a Westone Thunder III Version 3, the SHS one in Onyx (metallic black).

I remembered seeing adverts for I & II's in my youth so took the afternoon off and bought it. Its in good condition for a 38 year old guitar and after a few hours cleaning and restringing it plays really well (although it does weigh a ton!)

After my 7 days are up I'll post a photo.

Welcome Ian. Glad you found a good one!

Yep, Thunders can be heavy little buggers alright.
The set neck (version 3) may be a bit lighter that the version 1 neck-thru, but not by much!

These are workhorses too. I'm lucky enough to have a couple of II-A's (both heavy) and a part of me wishes I had one back in my band playing days. I could have given my Fender band mates a run for their money!

Hi Barry, 

Thank you for the help! That was some much appreciated information. I am still considering the bass, but like you, I'm not overly fond of the big horns...but I think it's worth the price.

Thanks again.