X390CB sold for $1126!

ebay pantera x390 cb 8 mins left

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150482477282

$1126 flump!!

say....WHUUUUT!!!!???

Well I never! Would this be a record price for the sale of a Pantera?

Well I never! Would this be a record price for the sale of a Pantera? Shocked

There was a white one in Israel that went for a higher price (over one year ago)...but apart from that i think so. The last (white) x390 on ebay usa went for about 1000 usd if I remember that right.

By the way: I guess it would be better to give that thread a proper heading...

I changed the thread title, is it better now?

Thanks bro - I had a mental blank when I tried to!!

No problem, John. I hope that $1126 is enough to keep his bills at bay for a while.

anyone on here have the winning bid?

Gee, that's a good price; I can't help thinking that in the light of this, that 350MA is very sharp indeed!!

Note how it has the nice kaler pro...no bendmaster deluxe for this fine model... I have yet to see a top model come with one

My X350 MA that was personally made for Mr. Presley has a bendmaster deluxe. The top of the top and it was requested by Mr. Presley himself. Just saying. LINK

"Ha Ha!"

boutjp97 wrote:My X350 MA that was personally made for Mr. Presley has a bendmaster deluxe. The top of the top and it was requested by Mr. Presley himself. Just saying. LINK

Came across yours the other day on u-tube. Very nice, nice dog too.
Mines got the swiftlock/bridge and active tone, 2 9volt batteries. These guitars do play WELL! and look like somthing you could melt into.

boutjp97 wrote:My X350 MA that was personally made for Mr. Presley has a bendmaster deluxe. The top of the top and it was requested by Mr. Presley himself. Just saying. LINK

eh... changes nothing Richie Blackmore constantly bitched about Stratocasters and staying in tune....yet he continued to use it. Meaning some people want what they want regardless of how inadequate it is. This same ideal applies to ideaologies..religion...politics...etc. And since that was a personal request I chaulk that up to the same..I dare say anyone using that bendmaster deluxe is not abusive tremolo user due to the sheer fact it's not a true locking system..maybe I should change how I say it...since I played alot of Trower and Rush and other rock 'n' roll gymnastics using a non-tru-locking system was just not going to cut it, so I will contour my response thussly, if you really do trem dives and pulls.....the Bendmaster would be a terrible choice which goes for any like-minded trem system out there (there are several others) in that application. I guess that's why I always hated it. I have a very good ear, in fact for as long as I can remember I'm the one in the band saying, "you're out of tune"..I'm a huge stickler for tuning...i hear every inconsistency in the notes...maybe it's a curse, I dunno. And since I have such a finely tuned ear, out of tune guitars will sometimes throw me especially if there are no monitors.
I love Volvo's I've owned 4 Volvo's and still drive them to this day, yet for some reason they constantly have wiring problems (the plastic covering on wires crumbles off causing shorts, very common for these) yet I still drive them. Proving that regardless of it's actions..sometimes people want what they want. Also you could line up 50,000 people saying they all love it, and I would still say "BAH"...it's just not for me.
who the heck is presley? never heard of him..and no one else I know does either. Seems he's the only guy who did that.....one guy out of hundreds does not change anything. Again....I don't like it because it's not a tru-locking system....any replies in anger should read carefully what I said and understand I come my playing point of view and probably most every other player doing major dives and pulls on a trem system, if you don't then maybe the BMD is just fine for you and then I say "wonderful glad you love it". If I played differently maybe I too would be on that bandwagon, but alas I play with alot of use of my trem...and regardless these came stock with a Kahler pro, this presely guy had to go out of his way to request it.
When will Kahler and Floyd Rose ever figure out they suck?

nasticanasta wrote:...sometimes people want what they want.

Yup. It would be a boring old world if everything was the same.

who the heck is presley? never heard of him..

Shirley, you can't be serious?
He's the man largely responsible for everything that is innovative and attractive about the Westone line; the guitar designs and electronics, not necessarily the bridges...there were some outright disasters with those! Many of his designs also spilled over to the Vantage and Aria Pro II lines as well. A very talented and visionary man, well known in design circles, and not to be dismissed so flippantly.
Read, if you haven't already, his thread link referenced above by Bout.

Barry wrote:

nasticanasta wrote:...sometimes people want what they want.

Yup. It would be a boring old world if everything was the same.

who the heck is presley? never heard of him..

Shirley, you can't be serious?
He's the man largely responsible for everything that is innovative and attractive about the Westone line; the guitar designs and electronics, not necessarily the bridges...there were some outright disasters with those! Many of his designs also spilled over to the Vantage and Aria Pro II lines as well. A very talented and visionary man, well known in design circles, and not to be dismissed so flippantly.
Read, if you haven't already, his thread link referenced above by Bout.

I'll do that, but that being said....I never bothered to find out who many people are, me saying I never heard of him nor anyone I know had, does not mean I was flippant. I don't know who designed my Ibanez's, not really concerned though, and the only reason I know about who designed my BC rich's is because, well the guys name is on them!...I don't think there is a Mr. Ibanez....just as there is no Mr. Westone...(right? I have no clue if there is, my bad)...I never bothered to know or care who designed the Volvo's I drive and love so much...that's just how I am. My focus is playing...not knowing who made what. Knowing won't help my advancement in music, which is all I care about.

Well i'll be dipped in dog dirt, This 'king bendmaster saga lives on. Give it a rest. :arrow:

Westbone wrote:Well i'll be dipped in dog dirt, This 'king bendmaster saga lives on. Give it a rest. :arrow:

Thank God you chimed in on something you felt didn't need chiming in on! whew that was a relief!

now now girls!

Like it bowen

nasticanasta wrote:Note how it has the nice kaler pro...no bendmaster deluxe for this fine model... I have yet to see a top model come with one

I have seen a few X390s and the odd X350 with a Bendmaster Deluxe. I am utterly mystified as to why they put them on when they were also using Kahlers on the same models.

bowenjaybee wrote:now now girls!

I don't understand the purse reference, unless you are suggesting he was being "girly" for not letting me have my honest say on this, I tried to be articulate in explaining I don't hate something for any other reason than it just doesn't work for me and that reasoning can be applied to anything we use or like. If I posted a pic of my guitar and said the modification I had made was the best ever and someone disagreed with that, Heck I could be wrong! and I would certainly take that into consideration and think it through thoroughly weighing each idea unbiased, but I certainly wouldn't bash them for liking what they liked just cause I felt I had the better idea, with that said I conclude, go ahead offer all the opinions you like but don't bash someone cause you happen to not like it..again nothing can make me change how I felt about my BMD it was a horrible experience to have my guitar go out of tune with each dive I made until I fixed the problem with the trem on my Pantera....I couldn't and wouldn't touch it till it was modified, and after that I've been loving and playing my westones ever since...."note the "LOVE" I express for my Westones" I railed on inanimate objects, not living breathing humans. the moral.....nothing anyone says will ever change how I feel about a certain product I know works for me, but if no one had brought certain ideas to my attention I might not know how to deal with it..which is why we ask questions here about items we question and offer up opinions.. again no one has a gun to their head forcing them to change. :albino: :joker:

Thorn wrote:

nasticanasta wrote:Note how it has the nice kaler pro...no bendmaster deluxe for this fine model... I have yet to see a top model come with one

I have seen a few X390s and the odd X350 with a Bendmaster Deluxe. I am utterly mystified as to why they put them on when they were also using Kahlers on the same models.

I for one agree...those Kahler pros are sooo smoothe and I don't know if it's just me, but the strings have more "give" and bend easier for me on my USA made B.C.Rich neck tru Stealth. Someone tell me it's true and not in my head!

In the UK, the image is a picture of something that we call 'a handbag'

The image conjures the phrase 'Handbags!?!?!' and then creates the image of two middle aged ladies hitting each other around the head with their handbags, in a 70s style Monty Python comedy sketch.

Used by spectators of a spat (usually between mates) to tell the arguing parties to 'chill out and relax, cos this is just getting silly'

Could also be seen as a statement along the lines of 'why don't you just agree to disagree?' Which would normally be said by my mother to me and one of my siblings. This would then usually be followed in old school style of punching each other just that little bit harder!

nasticanasta wrote: I don't understand the purse reference

it's a handbag....just a bit of harmless British humour

Handbags at dawn

Westbone wrote:Well i'll be dipped in dog dirt

there is still some british humour I have never heard and that is a classic, I will have to use that more in conversation

Hey nasticanasta, I hear you, it is all a matter of personal taste. I am far less abusive to the trem now a days and the BMD suits me fine, but I have been lucky as when I did hit it insanely I mainly played a Dimension IV and a Spectrum FX back in the late 80's - early 90's and had no problems. I may have just gotten lucky with the trems I had on those guitars. If you are a stickler for tuning I just recently started converting all non-collectible / non-vintage guitars in my collection over to the Buzz Feiten Tuning System LINK. I bought a Washburn N4 relic that had this tuning system and had no idea until I read, simply amazing and tight as can be, you will need to buy a special tuner though. Give it a try you'll be amazed. Westbone, I have said it before and will say it again, your X350MA is absolutely beautiful. I have a second X350MA with the fixed bridge but unfortunately it had some awful non-original pickups, I suspect Mightymites. I switched them out for a Bill Lawrence L-500XL bridge and a Duncan '59 neck. Still looking for one with active p/u's like yours. I bid on that X350MA that just sold on eBay but I capped at 385 GBP as the shipping was 100 GBP + 5% insurance to the states. Maybe some day I'll get one of my own.

bowenjaybee wrote:

nasticanasta wrote: I don't understand the purse reference

it's a handbag....just a bit of harmless British humour

Handbags at dawn

gotcha ... I love dry British humour..huge fan of Monty, Two Ronnies, Marty Feldman, Dave Allen etc...but I never took a swing at anyone..just an inanimate metal guitar tremolo.
Don't make me play stock footage of old ladies clapping....(some Monty humour)

Thorn wrote:

nasticanasta wrote:Note how it has the nice kaler pro...no bendmaster deluxe for this fine model... I have yet to see a top model come with one

I have seen a few X390s and the odd X350 with a Bendmaster Deluxe. I am utterly mystified as to why they put them on when they were also using Kahlers on the same models.

If this statement is true then this presley guy didn't special order the BMD he just got one that does.

Quoted from Tom Presley's response in the link I have posted above...
"You have 2 of the rarest production models we ever did. Frankly, these were made at my request for personal use. I wanted the maple, but not the Kahler. Since I couldn't mod the maple body without destroying them, and not wanting to hand build one, I did the next best thing, I ordered 6 culled from the MA run and had the Bendmaster installed at the factory! Long story short, b4 I could get mine set up, we ended up selling them to dealers at our Expo. I did make one other production run of 6 more and I don't really know how many of this batch ended up in the US since every one was grabbed by either fans at stores or collectors. My opinion ... maybe the best electric ever made."

boutjp97 wrote:Quoted from Tom Presley's response in the link I have posted above...
"You have 2 of the rarest production models we ever did. Frankly, these were made at my request for personal use. I wanted the maple, but not the Kahler. Since I couldn't mod the maple body without destroying them, and not wanting to hand build one, I did the next best thing, I ordered 6 culled from the MA run and had the Bendmaster installed at the factory! Long story short, b4 I could get mine set up, we ended up selling them to dealers at our Expo. I did make one other production run of 6 more and I don't really know how many of this batch ended up in the US since every one was grabbed by either fans at stores or collectors. My opinion ... maybe the best electric ever made."

Well then he purposely chose to punish himself...lol as for my TRS III vs. my Pantera.....the neck on my TRS is very different thin and wide and very very fast...this does not represent my Pantera as much as I like it, I dare say my TRS III is a better guitar than my Pantera and I play the TRS more often I do believe Leo Fender and Les Paul would disagree with presely on the best electric ever made....To me the best electric ever made is the one I'm playing.....again it's up to each one to determine which is best for them..and I don't know if this presely guy does deep dives and pulls....I do know that I do...and the BMD just couldn't handle it...it's those damned little tabs over the strings... i consider a bad design flaw...just like the plastic pockets on my Volvo doors.... go check any used Volvo 98%all have broken door pockets..I love the car...but those pockets were the worst design ever and i would tell Mr. Volvo that if he was here. If there is a Mr. Volvo AGAIN I DO NOT HATE MY WESTONES...JUST THE INANIMATE METAL TREM...and swapping it out for a Floyd Rose made me love my Pantera all that much more! If you ask me... I think there design flaws in the FR too...that's why I really prefer the Kahler Pro...but I like this presley guy didn't like the idea of using a router on it to fit one in...so i went with what I knew worked in this situation. Again if the BMD was the best every Westone would have one, but that's just not the case...so who cares?.. just the people who want something different.. and I was one of them, and us people are everywhere, again Steve Vai isn't swapping out his Lo-Pro for a BMD and if he said he didnt like them, should we be damning him? I wouldn't, the man obviouslyknows what he likes.. hey! like me!! and Like the rest of you all!! thank God for different tastes...we should be embracing our differences not bashing someone cause they like something else!
I knew a guy with a very old rare Richenbacher guitar...the one that looks like their famous 4001 bass, but the guy did not believe in changing strings and his had rust on them!! I told him once this was silly & why he should change them regularly and he didn't wanna change them so that was that....I certianly didn't badger him over it.and I can only assume 99.9% of all people wouldn't want rusty strings on their guitar

You swapped a FR into your pantera? what model pantera?
I was under the impression that while the FR fit the posts for the BD, it also had the saddles set back farther which are not able to be adjusted forward enough to properly intonate?
I'd love to hear if you were able to overcome this somehow, as I'm not a big fan of the BD's

sarcaster wrote:...I'd love to hear if you were able to overcome this somehow, as I'm not a big fan of the BD's

Uh oh...I''ll put the kettle on...

sarcaster wrote:You swapped a FR into your pantera? what model pantera?
I was under the impression that while the FR fit the posts for the BD, it also had the saddles set back farther which are not able to be adjusted forward enough to properly intonate?
I'd love to hear if you were able to overcome this somehow, as I'm not a big fan of the BD's

I had my tech route the neck pocket...that's the only way except for moving the trem posts and I like the Pantera design alot so I didn't want unsightly repairs no matter how good they were done..(I'm just goofy like that) :joker:
Either the neck moves or the bridge moves...no way around it, I like that you understood the dynamics of this setup, believe me I didn't just haphazardly swap out the trem willy-nilly... I put a lot of thought into it, it was a big decision, and that's what I don't like about FR's..the saddles sit back so far your strings dip down more when you pull back....and I like very low action especially on these original USA B.C. Rich's the necks and the action are so awesomely low which is great since you don't have to deal with that with a Kahler Pro...and My TRS III came stock with a FR...as did other models Westone made like that Westone Villain someone posted on one of my threads..only way I found around this problem with FR is to have a very flat neck with as little bow in it as possible without buzzing...It can be done!!!
Oh yeah..the model was an X275

ah, I had read that on some other thread on hear about routing the neck pocket. Unfortunately, I doubt I can do that on a 390 without ruining it.
Oh well, perhaps someone will figure a way to swap out the bridge successfully on a 390 someday.

sarcaster wrote:ah, I had read that on some other thread on hear about routing the neck pocket. Unfortunately, I doubt I can do that on a 390 without ruining it.
Oh well, perhaps someone will figure a way to swap out the bridge successfully on a 390 someday.

ya..that's a neck thru ain't it?..only way would be moving the trem posts...hey has anyone ever tried swapping out the saddles? Is there room enough to put locking FR saddles on it making it a tru locking system? Although my mind is slightly foggy on what the BMD really looks like now since it's been so long, but it seems to me the saddles attach the same way with a screw and the tightening lock block screw sticks out the back just like the BMD right? I will say right now I can't honestly say since I don't have one to look at with me..just a thought..can anyone else help with this?

Barry wrote:

nasticanasta wrote:...sometimes people want what they want.

Yup. It would be a boring old world if everything was the same.

who the heck is presley? never heard of him..

Shirley, you can't be serious?
He's the man largely responsible for everything that is innovative and attractive about the Westone line;

There's a matter of opinion if ever I saw one.

I think it's important to remember that he didn't work for Westone/Matsumoku, he worked for SLM, and the work he did was related (As I understand it) to the US market. It's also important to remember when SLM got involved - I think 1984ish (The Music UK article on the history of Westone up to late 1984 makes no mention of SLM - indeed none of the UK/European catalogues make any mention of SLM)

Up to 1984 we have the Thunders , Concords, Session II, Rainbows, Prestiges, Paduaks- with innovations like the heelless set neck, PEQ tone controls, and some element of design originality.

Post 1984-1987, when Matsumoku closed, we have the Spectrums and Panteras. The Spectrums are basically just Electra Phoenixes with another name. The Panteras - well, I love the X390, but the rest are (IMO) just superstrats, apart from the X350. Personally, I don't like that one - looks great from the front, but the back is a kludge, the only heelless set neck I've seen that doesn't look like a through neck.. Design innovations in that period - the Rail (Nothing to do with SLM). I don't count the Dimension IV and Dynasty as innovations, they're basically just redesigns of the Raider. I count the stepped body design on the Quantum, Super Headless and later the Genesis as just a gimmick (I mean, if it makes for easier picking, or popping on a bass, what made them think it should only be on the top two strings? Might look good, but limited functionality)
Design changes 1984 on - as far as I know directly attributable to Mr Presley -
Switchmaster knobs - good, IMO
Bendmaster FT - my favourite Westone trem
Bendmaster Deluxe - IMO, this trem is so crude in its adjustment it makes any guitar that has it fundamentally flawed.
UBC pickups - great in theory, in practice it looks as if they never made it onto any production guitar, but did make it into a lot of (Basically untrue) promotional literature.

Post Matsumoku, 1987-1990 - the SLM years, I can only think of one possible design innovation, the mid/shape control on some of the guitars. Personally, I think it's rubbish, I would far rather have seen coil tap or phase reverse switches instead. Apart from that, the post Matsumoku guitars are (Again, I stress this is just my opinion) just slab bodied superstrats devoid of personality or originality in any way.

My personal opinionMatsumoku were responsible for the originality of the Westone line, Slm stifled it.

Geez David, tell us what you really think!
In Tom's posts he gives liberal credit to several Japanese Mats designers, so in that sense, yes, they were very much instrumental in the Westone designs. However, you've overlooked one important thing that sets Westies apart from the pack, in my opinion: that neck! That was his design, but executed beautifully by the Mats craftsmen of the day. And according to his account of things, was subsequently swiped and appeared on the Vantage and Aria Pro II lines!

And lest we forget, Mats was responsible for some bloody awful bridge designs on both guitars and basses, so they are not to be raised too highly on that pedestal.

Barry wrote:And lest we forget, Mats was responsible for some bloody awful bridge designs on both guitars and basses, so they are not to be raised too highly on that pedestal.

and case handles

Thorn wrote:My personal opinion Matsumoku were responsible for the originality of the Westone line, Slm stifled it.

That's an interesting opinion/observation Thorn. I really haven't had my hands on most of the Westone range, but judging from the few that I have, it's the Japanese Matsumoku made ones that impress me and you may have a valid point. Although it would be fair to say that when cheaper materials were used in construction and strat like clones were produced, then the outcome will inevitably start to blend into the mass of slabs (as you put it) that are produced for the guitar market.

Barry wrote:Geez David, tell us what you really think!

That was the edited version.

What is 'that' neck? Of all my Westones, my favourite necks are on my Spectrum III and Concord III, both of which were nothing to do with SLM.

Yes, Matsumoku really messed up the original design of the bridge for the Thunders and Paduaks - I've never come across a bass bridge design that had any problems, but I'm not aware of them taking an existing design and making it worse (A la transition from Bendmaster FT to Bendmaster Deluxe)

umpdv5000 wrote:the outcome will inevitably start to blend into the mass of slabs (as you put it) that are produced for the guitar market.

That's part of thje problem, I think - the market. Guitars get designed not according to what is good, necessarily, but what will sell, what is popular at the time.

Cool! sounds like you know alot about Westones...do you know anything about the Trevor Rabin signature series models....preferably the TRS III?? Just thought I'd ask..the only one I've ever seen is the one I have, and I have been searching ever since I bought this...googling this just brings up discussion groups and reviews, I do remember SLM on the tag when I bought my X275 Pantera brand new from a store locally, and at that time I was led to believe this was made by Alverez or were imported by them.. lol I dunno something like that.. so until about 6 years ago that's all i knew about Westone, I'm probably so far off, but that's what I remember someone telling me plus my Pantera said St louis Music on the back of the headstockdon't realy know the links between these companies but I'm keen on finding out.

BTW...Allan Holdsworth again for the 2nd time in 4 days tomorrow...

The TRS III was originally made by SLM under the Westone name, I think in 1990 - some of SLMs Westone guitars were later marketed as Alvarez (Another SLM house brand) after the Westone name was dropped, but I don't have any concrete facts about them (Other than what's in the catalogues)

Thorn wrote:The TRS III was originally made by SLM under the Westone name, I think in 1990 - some of SLMs Westone guitars were later marketed as Alvarez (Another SLM house brand) after the Westone name was dropped, but I don't have any concrete facts about them (Other than what's in the catalogues)

well good I was right about the Alverez stuff...I thought I heard it was Alverz's first venture into electric/solidbodies

Thorn wrote:...That was the edited version.

I have no doubt!

What is 'that' neck?

Ohhh, but the Spectrums of course! Circa 1985. Bloody fantastic! Also transported to many of the Vantage Avenger line. Everyone who picks up one of mine comments on it. Same is true of the Concord II and the Thunder IA

I've never come across a bass bridge design that had any problems

Perhaps not in Westone but we have a few people tearing their hair out in the Mats forum over some Aria Pro II's which are bending and folding majestically!

Thorn wrote:...Guitars get designed not according to what is good, necessarily, but what will sell, what is popular at the time.

Too true. Just have a look at the strange stuff coming out of Gibson these days!