Paduak 1 Project (UK)

WESTONE ELECTRIC GUITAR RESTORATION PROJECT - £15.12 Current Bid.

Needs a bit of work, and knobs of course!

DAN.

You beat me to it

Nice rocker when refurbed !

Sshhhhhh... be veee-wy qwuiet....

What's up John?

You huntin' Paduak's!

DAN.

Could be.... looking for a restoration project that requires bugger-all skill!!!

Does our Polly know about your sudden change of heart towards Paduak's John??
I recall sumpthin' 'bout it's being a "fugly guitar"??

Shhhh... nope, don't remember that at all, Barry....

John, have you just outbid me? If so will bow out..

Barry wrote:Does our Polly know about your sudden change of heart towards Paduak's John??
I recall sumpthin' 'bout it's being a "fugly guitar"??

Woo hoo! Do I hear the gentle sounds of John munching away on his own words by any chance? I knew he would come round to them eventually, it was just a matter of time!

There again Barry, he might want to buy it so he can give it to me as a prezzie when he pops over from Jersey to visit!

Sorry I haven't been around much lately but I've been up to my eyes in decorating... in preparation for when John arrives bearing gifts of Paduaks!

Polly

Well, welcome back, Polly!! Nope; no word munching happening here - it's already gone past my self-imposed limit for project guitars!!

corsair wrote:...it's already gone past my self-imposed limit for project guitars!!

Still...one small step towards the Dark Side, eh Pol?
And you didn't even have to bribe him with cookies!

Aw shucks! John gave up!

Never mind though chaps, I have a cunning plan!!!!!

Unlmited supplies of cookies and jelly babies for the winning bidder if he comes to visit me bearing gifts in the shape of a poorly Paduak! I'll even provide my own brass knobs!

Polly

This went for £137.

Anyone on here get lucky with this then?

DAN.

...little bit much IMO. lately there was a paddy for sale in germany for 120 euro that looked like new...

Just a little tickler. How much would a guitar (brand new) like this cost, at today,s prices. If Westones are good quality, which they are. Why do people complain about today's prices of cheap affordable guitars. Westones are GOOD QUALITY, Aria, Washburns, and various others are made at the same factory, they demand at least twice the price. For a guitar that is made of the same specs, with a different name command less. Get wise guys, or have we??

Why do people complain about today's prices of cheap affordable guitars.

...cause there are people who pay much more than the "average-ebay-prices" and push up the prices higher and higher...i know those who have westones already will like this developement. however i like about westone that you don't have to pay huge amounts of money for a guitar just because there is a westone-logo on it (like it is with other "big brands").
long story short: if this developement goes on, westone will become F's little brother in the long term.

You're quite right, Westbone - we do tend to whinge a bit but those prices are sneaking up and if we can't have a moan in here, then where can we?? I only grizzle because I'm used to playing quite a lot less than £100 for the ones I've got so far - my Vantage invader is my most expensive buy from a friend at £200 - but that was never gonna last forever!! But there does seem to be an unrealistic opening bid on most Matts these days; the Matt brands are starting to suffer from Ibanez syndrome, I think!!

Bottom line is they are a very good guitar, well built from good materials by and large, and are probably deserving of the money they fetch, although my greatest fear is that they are becoming wall-hangers for the "Look at what I've got!!" brigade rather than being sweated and bled over onstage....

I got mine for 65 euro Ok i had to travel all the way across the Netherlands to collect it, another 30 euro. Ok there's 1 fret too low which causes a rattle in that position. Gotta look into that. Otherwise a nice vintage Japanese rocker.

Comparing vintage guitars of 25+ year sold to new stuff is a bit like the apples-and-oranges debate. I have an excellent new London City MIC Telecaster copy, 200 euro new price. I've done multiple gigs with it, Ok with new GFS pickups but still, no problem. I can find no major faults in this Tele, amazing considering the price. OTOH a 25 year old guitar feels good immediately, you don't have to break it in. You can "relic" a new guitar but it will still be a new plank of wood.

And indeed, crisis or not, prices are going up. "Mat" guitars for sale all over the place here but i can't afford to buy them Westies, Vantages, Washburns...

Oranges + Apples, Bass wood = ash, maple or mahogany no doubt there are a lot of very good "cheap" guits.

But to buy a well constructed ash/maple/walnut guit. at todays prices, (forgot the rosewood) would at least cost a good few hundred squid, plus decent electrics. Rock on Westone, or as they say Uncle Mat.

Personally a decent tube amp makes a hell of a difference. brings out the ebay in me.
Yes Corsair, many wall hangers have passed my hands,, but how many can one play at the same time, gwasshopper

These Paduaks king rock.

I agree with you all. Starting price on most models is now (more often than not) higher than I paid in total for the very same model over the last couple of years. But I remember us all predicting this was going to happen and I guess we are all pretty smart because it is indeed happening. I bought like a mad man for the last few years and have owned over 75 Westones at one point or another. I sold the ones I didn't like the feel of for a different guitar of the same model or decided that I just didn't like the model at all. I am very comfortable with my collection of 17 Matsumoku made guitars. I can honestly say that upon the purchase of my Pantera X350MA I am done. I will only buy Westones for parts in the future and only the really beat up ones as I can't bring myself to dismantle a perfectly working Matsumoku...it feels like painting over a Bouguereau to me. I guess those who are still seeking certain models should buy with haste because I am not sure how high the Westone prices will go before the bubble bursts (or if it will burst at all). It's like the old Mark Twain saying about buying land...Buy Westones, they're not making them anymore. Wise words indeed.

Westbone makes a great point about comparable prices today. I have a fantastic example as I just made a major purchase on the closest thing to a Matsumoku made Westone I could find available today. Now this is my opinion as to what I was looking for but I believe the Washburn N4 Vintage is a pretty comparable guitar. Here are some comparisons that I looked into extensively before making my purchase...

Body
N4 = aged solid alder
Westone = superior hard woods often aged or kiln dried

Neck
N4 = Maple neck with ebony fingerboard with jumbo frets 25.5"
Westone = Most of my favorite models have medium/jumbo frets and maple necks 25.5"

Pickups
N4 = Bill Lawrence L500 bridge and Duncan 59' neck (L500 has all the characteristics of the MMK45 but its hotter, not as much refinement as the MMK45 shows but still a good comparison)
Westone = MMK45 on most (while it has its limitations it is probably the most versatile pickup I have ever played, add in Matsumoku coil taps and phase shifting and I can't think of a sound you can't get...top that EMG or Duncan)

Tuners & Headstock
N4 = Grover 18:1 with 14" pitch-angled headstock and Buzz Feiten Tuning System
Westone = Pitched headstock and some of the most durable and dependable tuners ever - still working after 20+ years = GREAT

Access to lower register of neck
N4 = stephen's extended cutaway and 5 bolt crescent neck joint (no heel to get around)
Westone = extended deep cut on the lower horn for strat body style models, upper end models such as Spectrum FX and Pantera Deluxe and many others used the guillotine neck to remove the heel and neck plate

The N4 also brought back the coil tap and the simple 2 humbucker (it has a coil tap why put a single coil) and three way toggle. It is made in the USA custom shop so it has the same attention to detail that the Westones would receive in the Matsumoku factory. There are other parallels but I'm getting sick of typing and you're probably sick of reading.
Manufactureres Suggested Retail Price for the Washburn N4 Vintage is $2999.90 (I paid $1700.00)
Compare that to a modern day Westone's price and you'll see they are still a fantastic deal. We just got spoiled with the ridiculously low prices that we have been paying. I bought my Pantera X350MA for a little under $900 shipped to my door and it is supperior to anything I have ever played. The same could be said about my Rainbow and Sessionand and even my Spectrum FX. I'm not even going to get in to the Concord, Prestige or Thunders but those who own them know what dreams they are to play.

Westbone wrote:...but how many can one play at the same time, gwasshopper...

Jeez, now yer sounding like my wife! (Kinda look like her too in that avatar. )

My twopennorth on this...

The Paduak looked expensive for a guitar needing work at £137, although the buyer may well only need to give it a good clean + new strings & switches. But Paduaks are a rarity on UK ebay.

The Dimension IV for sale at the same time (item 11053548138) that sold for £110 looks like a bargain. I know there's the "image" issue with the Dim IV, all lycra & headband, but £110 for a Westone in what looks to be good nick and it's original case for £110? Gotta be affordable.

... and the Dim 4 has perhaps the most versatile p'up set up of the Westone range; I would prefer it to a Padauk personally!! But then I also have a TOTL Vantage for that woodgrain, 2 h/b vibe....

And on the subject of buying/selling, Joss and I have just concluded a deal which will see her Spectrum LX land on my doorstep sometime next week...

Wasnt the Dim IV pick up only and in Norwich (a bugger to get to) hence the low price?

It was in Ipswich Grogg and pickup only.

I've already got one, otherwise I'd have been bidding.