The last of the Matsumoku Westones

I was playing my 1987 Anniversary Spectrum 3 and started wondering when Matsumoku stopped production that year (which month). It must be one of the last ones made at the factory. I know the Korean ones were made with Mat leftovers, but did they actually use the Matsumoku neck plates in Korea? I would hope not. I also read that these Spectrums had Gotoh tuners and we know they have the big W on them, did Gotoh make them for Westone? By the way, i really dig the magnaflux v pickups, i haven't really found much info on them in the forum.

Well, i just answered one question. Pretty cool, huh?

As Matsumoku had the capacity to manufacture the various bridges and knobs, etc., it would have been a simple matter to engrave the 'W' on the front tuners sourced from Gotoh.

My '88 Corsiar-type does not have the Westone bird stamped neck plate. It's just a flat black with the serial# stamped. But the neck on the '88 look exactly like the neck on my '87 Anniversary Corsair.

'87 on left, '88 on the right.

Matsumoku closedown: February 1987
(It's written on the Matsumoku memorial stone in Matsumoto/Nagano)

Thanks guys. I've actually seen quite a few Korean ones with just the serial number, thats how i usually distinguish them from Matts. Alot of parts were used in Korea that were leftovers- that neck could easily be Matt. I guess they didn't use the Matsumoku stamped neckplate in Korea.
My Spectrum III serial number is 7020115, that would put it at February 1987 - 115th built (?). Makes sense Mozart.
By the way, i loves my Spectrum III !

The bodies are drastically different. The 88 body is bigger and contoured for the right arm, where the 87 MIJ is just a slab. They are both very similar in weight, however.