Spectrum Series 2 Sky Blue SP

Hello all!

What a relief to find this place!

I am on what seems to be an impossible quest - to find the guitar I learned to play on. It is a Westone Spectrum Series 2 in blue (24 frets) EXACTLY the same as the light blue one on this page:
http://www.westone.info/spectrumseries2.html

Through financial difficaulty I was forced to sell it, along with all of my gear, to a small guitar shop in Swansea (Wales, UK) in 1997 (or there abouts).

My guitar was fitted with a blue DiMarzio tone zone pick up. I would very much love to be reunited with it. But this seems unlikely. So, if that isn't possible I'm also on the market for one just like it.

I searched the forum and noticed that one was sold last year on eBay for £125. My timing is terrible!!!!

If you have one, and don't want to part with it, please still let me know as I'd like to understand how many of these are still around.

Please understand that I'm only interested in the exact same model, in the exact same colour.

Many thanks.

Jase.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/WESTONE-SPECTRUM-SERIES-2-/180610791307?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item2a0d3df78b

...perhaps??

Sorry but the pups on these sound like crap, piss weak and no depth. Apart from the pups a nice guitar. change them.

Thank you Corsair, I've discussed that guitar with the owner. If I was looking for any Spectrum 2 I would have bought it when it was first listed (before Christmas) but in fact, I want the sky blue one. Thanks for taking the time though.

Westbone - I agree that the stock pickups aren't quite strong enough, which is why I fitted a Dimarzio to mine when I had it.

I hope someone can help me?

Sell him yours corsair?? But yours is a Corsair, isn't it? Same guitar apart from the headstock reverse :?:
I've only ever seen 2 of those in that colour in 'king years. That was on evilbay.

have a look here:

http://seattle.craigslist.org/est/msg/2163646232.html

not a series II, but the paint is the right one...

Thanks for that

The thing is, I've already got all the guitars I'll ever need. I've got my dream guitar (x2) and a strat version of my dream guitar and an acoustic. I'm really only on the market for an exact model/colour match.

Thanks again though, for taking the time & interest.

Jase.

Westbone wrote:Sell him yours corsair?? But yours is a Corsair, isn't it? Same guitar apart from the headstock reverse :?:

Nope; mine are Clipper 4112s, but yes; they are Sky Blue, which has faded to an overall pale aquamarine. The bridge p'ups aren't the best, it has to be said, but then they aren't true humbuckers but 2 singles which are switched one/off/both by a 3 way microswitch - it's a pain the arse, really! So if you were looking for an MMK sound, you'd be way out of luck!! I don't mind the albeit rather nondescript sound they make as I use a fair amount of outboard gear anyway and they are very playable guitars which look really cool...

Those are a couple of cool looking guitars.
Aquafresh colour, with icicles hanging off the fingerboard. Nice photo.

Very nice, Corsair.

...I wish I kept my S2

not 2 wirree, cher! u iz cummed 2 da rat place, mais yeah!

if n e buddy gon' found dat, it gon' be rat'chere!

ma eyes am search'n da bayou, fo' troo!

poo-yah, mes ami!



mmph...caucajun is drinkin' agin'

I know it's not EXACTLY what your after but it's getting close.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260726780372&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Bejesus Wesbone, I near enough shat my pants when I saw the colour!!!!!!!!!!

I think I may just go for this, THANKS. In no small measure, thank you.

Even if I do get this, I still want the spectrum so if any more appear please post here.

Cheers.

Jase.

Didn't win it by the way, as it isn't a spectrum I wasn't going to go nuts on the bid.

I took the bid upto $130 (shipping would have been a further $84), so after customs stung me for VAT that didn't exist I wouldhave paid somewhere in the region of £150.

Not worth more than that (if it were a SP2, then yeah, hell yeah).

So, it went to someone who out bid me by $7.

Let's keep going.....

FOUND ONE!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/300617086050?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

it's a bit 'loved' in areas but in fairness, when will I see another?

Minty wrote:FOUND ONE!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/300617086050?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

it's a bit 'loved' in areas but in fairness, when will I see another?

Patience is a virtue. I've realized you can find almost any guitar you want if you wait long enough.

At last Minty. Well done mate.

You'll have to put some good pictures up.

Thanks!

I certainly will post pics. I've not heard back from the seller yet, but I'm guessing he wasn't expecting it to go instantly (auction was going to end on Friday - I did 'Buy it Now') so I'm not too bothered, although I do want it in my hands ASAP.

Having said that, I've kinda lost it already:

I have three daughters, daughter #2 (numbered by age - currently 15) is learning to play, and has a Washburn KC. Daughter #1 (17) has been nagging #2 to teach her what she knows.

So, #1 will be learning on the same (model) guitar that I learned on! Although, it remains mine - if she sticks with it I'll buy her her own guitar and then I'll have this back.

Superstoked though - although, now I have one, I won't be ending the search for another, just in case my old one appears.

Lots of reasonably priced Mats around for your kids. Look to a Phoenix / Spectrum in the Electra / Westone lines or a Thunder as well.

They can stand up to the abuse of a teenager with little problem I'm thinking...

Apart from this purchase, our house is a Washburn sanctuary - my daughter has a KC, I have 3 N series guitars. So, if #1 warrants a new axe in time, sh'ell probably be getting a Washburn too.

News on the Spectrum - was shipped yesterday, might be here today!

I'll be waiting to wish you a happy new guitar day! Doesn't the waiting part absolutely stink?!

Washburns are good instruments, I've been into them for a long time. I want to get an old hm20v. They're SWEET!!!

Not so much a strange shaped guitar enthusiast myself - and the reason for my Washburn passion is solely due to Mr Bettencourt himself. But those N's are wonderful!

Waiting.......waiting........

Delivery was made Thursday and after unpacking I catalogued the list of things that the guitar has 'aquired' since it's birth:


BODY
- Greenish tinge to the paint in areas (turns out to be a yellowing of the lacquer, Autoglym is sorting it, just needs more elbow juice)
- couple of dinks to the body, nothing other than a respray will fix, but it's the guitar's character, they'll stay
- trem cavity cover is white, should be black? Can't remember this myself but my mate who remembers the guitar I originally owned swears blind that my back plate was white too. Upon removing it we found that it definitely isn't the original (two sets of screw holes) - so, either he is mistaken, or I've actually got my old guitar back?

NECK
- seems to have quite a negative angle to the body - is this right???
- action was rediculously high, we've set it now and it plays incredible!
- fret wear is not as bad as a 20 year old guitar can be, although G string 9th fret is bad enough for choking - thinking of either a stoning or maybe even refret
- NASTY rash on the underside of the neck where is joins the headstock, it looks as though a previous user was letting it drop onto something when 'putting it down'. This is going to need treating.

HARDWARE (not been plugged in yet)
- trem has been hand painted, not very nice at all. Needs stripping and refinishing, fine tuners have all been replaced with standard allen bolts (can I get the proper ones anywhere?)
- locking nut bolts have been replaced with new ones that are too long
- volume pot is stiff
- one of the micro switches is missing a retaining nut (again, are these available?)
- Top E tuning peg locating screw needs replacing (currently is about 7/8 screwed out with rounded head)


So, a bit of work to do. I do have a question for my learned friends:

The neck is 'raked' back, this may well be part of the design, so my question is - should the floating trem be alinged parrallel to the body, or parrallel to the neck?? It isn't a Floyd (Bendmaster Deluxe).

Other than that, after we finished setting the neck & trem so that the action was right - I'm home!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously, the neck is so small (suits my hands) and it was like sitting in an old comfy chair with my ass print ready to go.

Freaked my mate out though, last time he saw me playing 'this' guitar was 18 years ago!

Minty wrote:
The neck is 'raked' back, this may well be part of the design, so my question is - should the floating trem be alinged parrallel to the body, or parrallel to the neck?? It isn't a Floyd (Bendmaster Deluxe)

My Westone Dana III Ltd. is like that too, as well as my Peavey Vandenberg. It's just the way some guitars are built. In a case like that,the trem bridge should be parallel with the neck, not with the body, so angle it accordingly.

Bet it feels good to have the old girl back again (or maybe it's her twin, but whatever)! Glad it feels like home.

Thanks Chad.

I plugged it in this weekend - bad news, very low and noisy output. I'm guessing it's either one of the pots or the jack socket since it's there no matter what pick up I select.

But, no matter. The guitar will be going to my mate's luthier dad who's gong to sort the neck and frets. I will be on the hunt for a blue DiMarzio Tone Zone humbucker so it's back to how it was when I was in love with it. At that point I'll be replacing all the electrics - with the exception of the single coils.

My apologies to all the purists here who are probably having a turn at me doing that. I will be keeping all the bits (including the wires) that I remove

Anyhow, what about the trem fine tuners and the microswitches - are these available anywhere?

Mini switches are a standard item at any decent electronics shop - I bought mine in Dunedin, NZ for about NZ$5 the lot!!

The fine tuners seem to be peculiar to the Bendmaster Deluxe - the Bendmaster FT fine tuners are the right thread pitch but much longer, and FR fine tuners seem to slop about in the threads, possibly because they are Imperial and the BD is metric? I did find some fine tuner bolts that fitted in a now-defunct music shop but they were from a Hofner superstrat of the 80's, and are probably even more rare!!

I have a spare BD bridge that I bought sans fine tuners and my solution was to get a model making friend to create some caps for standard Allen head bolts; worked well and they even have my initials on them!

http://forum.westoneguitars.net/t312-fine-tuning-screws-for-bendmaster-deluxe-tremolo?highlight=fine+tuners

And no-one's gonna give you any grief about swapping pickups out, mate - we're all realists as well as purists!!

Thanks Corsair!

My mate (yes, the one I keep referring to in this thread - I do have more than one though ) has just called, he's been handed an obsolete floyd style trem from a Fernandes at work (he's in the trade - sales manager at a wholesaler), he said it's gold and the trem arm socket is knackered, but it has black fine tuners - so he's bringing that home in the hope that they'll fit.

The pickup I want to put in there is not readily available, but the same mate called the UK importers of DiMarzio and has agreed a trade price for me to get one made and shipped by DiMarzio in January (less than RRP of the standard off the shelf).

The same mate got me 3 micro switches, they are about 3mm longer than the orignals and they are only 2 way, whereas the humbucker switch on the guitar now is 3 way - but I'm not bothered, I don't think I'd want to split the coils anyway.

This mate, BTW, he is my idol - got me backstage with Extreme and I got my N4 signed by Nuno (after 19 years of worship!), we've been friends since school (over 20 years) and he's probably getting sick of me saying the words "Thank You!" yet, he always has time to help, no matter what.

I am very lucky.

We should all be as lucky!!

The miniswitches I got were on/off, x 2 and on/off/on; I'm surprised that you couldn't get 'em! I think, too, if that bridge pickup is the same as the one in my Clippers, then it's not really a true h/b; rather it's just 2 singles, so a proper h/b will give a much thicker sound.

Fernandes is Japanese, isn't it... in which case you might have struck gold!! (see what I did there??)

Fernandes fine tuners didn't fit (thread was far too big).

I'm pretty sure the thread is 4mm metric fine...

Just to rub a little salt into yer wounds here, but I just scored another complete BD bridge, complete with fine tuners for about US$40 landed in Jersey; they're still out there if you look and are patient enough!! Meanwhile just get some Allen bolts to fill in...

Allen bolts already donn the BD.

I'm not too worried, if I find something then all the better.

Just got to get the frets sorted, and maybe a refinish on the BD, definitely performing a triple bypass, once I've bought the new 'heart'

They're like fricken buses! If it were the same blue, I probably would.....

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300623521580&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:GB:1123

Maybe for parts???