...so which Spectrum "replaced" the Electra Westone x189

I kinda lucked into an '84 Electra Westone today. Rich red body, black headstock and neck, rosewood fretboard, mostly black hardware (all the pot knobs are knurled chrome, do not seem original) and 3 pups in hb/sc/hb configuration.

I am assuming x189 and was wondering which Spectrum model took over for it in 1985?

Bolt on neck on mine and the pots all are p/p that I have not quite nailed down yet for each function.

A tutoring opportunity again has popped up. Any takers?

!!EDIT!! Mistaken identity, an x185 seems to be the winner. A Tekglide trem, no?? !!EDIT!!

Yep; the Electra Phoenix X185 was pretty much the same as the Westone Spectrum X185 with the major difference between the two being the bridges; Bendmaster Precision on the Spec and a tekglide on the Phoenix.
Those knobs may not be OEM, but the Electras didn't have the - for the most part! - the tapered Switchmaster ones that drive us to distraction!!

Thanks Corsair. So do the p/p's on this work in a similar fashion? Did a cursory search on the Electra site but at the sale mistook this for an x189. Awful lots of various wonderful combinations of sound emanating from the amp so far.

Oh.... did I mention I picked up a pair of MMK45's on the way down to look at this?

Speaking to the tech who pulled them he assured me they came from a Vantage but could not recall the model. One has a chrome cover and was in the bridge position, the other no cover in the neck. I assume one cover was just lost.

i have one of each of the guitars you mention, Electra/Westone X185 (blue burst) and Westone X185(grey?). the electra has a six screw trem bridge and the westone has a two screw trem bridge, both have black hardware. both have the same control set up, H-S-H with 3-way sw + 3 p/p's.

the wiring should be the same as the Dynasty shown at the Westone site.

what that means is:

3-way switch operates humbuckers only, typical switch setup - N/NB/B
first knob is master volume, push/pull operates coil split for both humbuckers.
second knob is neck tone, push/pull switch operates middle pickup, pull up to turn on.
third knob is bridge tone, push/pull is bridge phase reverse

as i'm sure you know by now, there are loads of sounds in this set up. the out-of-phase humbuckers quack like no others, even in bucker mode. split the humbuckers and then add in the middle pickup that is RWRP and you have amazing tone. reverse phase the bridge and middle and you get a really tweety sound instead of quack. i like that sound pushed through loads of gain and distortion because it is loaded up with cool harmonics that sound great when really driven hard.

for some the set up is too complicated, but if you like a lot of variety from one guitar, this set up is the best. but of course i know i am preaching to the choir here. amen brother! rock on!

What a beautiful catch there Ice!!! And that lovely Red... I likes me some red guitars.

What do you think of the endless variations that thing has?! I love the combos. So versatile. I'm learning to actually apply them all live. You can get the quacks, the boinks, the bloomps, semi-acoustic tones, etc. They have a sweet neck, too.

That bridge is very similar to my Quest Atak 2.

Your MMK45's, you should measure them and see what they're putting out.

Yeah, I gotta say the Spectrum necks are amongst the nicest I've ever layed hands on but the Spectrum II I've not long ago bought is even better; wider and flatter; it must be close to a 12" I reckon!!

Pick-up combinations are just great, but in a real world situation, onstage, I'm pretty sure I'd be sitting on the bridge h/b and altering my sound on the pedalboards!!