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MIK Westones

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Post by Brainfertilizer Mon Oct 10, 2011 10:00 am

I've decided I'm a heretic that likes Alvarez and MIK Westones better than the Matsumoku-made ones.

Of course, a Matsumoku Genesis or Matsumoku Pantera a top-of-the-line Matsumoku Spectrum are awesome: awesome tone, awesome playability, etc...

But although I like to play jazz and rock and blues, and although Styx is my favorite band all time, when it comes to playing guitar, my standard is 80s Hair Metal. I love the tone, I love the look, I love the feel. If I could play like Reb Beach or Dan Huff, I would feel like I had achieved everything of possible worth in this lifetime.

I acquired a few guitars at the same time: a MIJ Genesis, a MIK transition Corsair (which kicked off my Matsumoku kick), a MIJ XA 1420, a MIK Villain Graphite, a MIK Challenger, a MIK Alvarez Scoop Graphite, an MIK Alvarez Scoop...all these around May/June, but I didn't have time to sit and play them for various reasons (including my move here) until now. And I just acquired a MIK Alvarez Dana II Tri-Force.

And with all those, it is now painfully clear that from neck profile, guitar ergonomics, tone, functionality, etc, I like the MIK better than the MIJ.

Strangely, I do absolutely love some early/mid-80s Matsumoku products...but its their Vantage line. Not sure why there is a difference, but I love the tone, playability, ergonomics, etc better on the Vantages than the MIJ Westones.
[shrug]
Not sure why.

So now I really want some more Challengers, Villains, Spectrum 1As, Trever Rabins, etc. I know that everyone else wants Trevor Rabins, so I won't expect anyone to give me first shot at them, but if you see a Challenger, Villain, Dimension Dan Armstrong model, etc, at a good price, please let me know (shoot me a PM). The reason I can't depend on being able to find them myself is that most sellers don't know what they have, other than the name on the headstock.

If you have one and are thinking of selling, please give me first shot.

Cool?
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Post by corsair Mon Oct 10, 2011 1:23 pm

A man who knows what he likes; go, you good thing!!! I've said it once, and I'll say it again....at the moment, the guitar that gets the playing time is my MIK Spectrum SP 1012; for ergonomics it has my Spectrums and the Pantera beat all ends up!!!!

We don't know enough about the early Koreans; feel free to enlighten us!!!
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Post by The Chad Mon Oct 10, 2011 3:00 pm

I've only got one MIK, the Dana III Ltd., and I agree, I gravitate towards it as my main guitar. The other ones are amazing in their own rights, but it comes down to feel and they're all different.
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Post by Brainfertilizer Mon Oct 10, 2011 5:20 pm

corsair wrote:A man who knows what he likes; go, you good thing!!! I've said it once, and I'll say it again....at the moment, the guitar that gets the playing time is my MIK Spectrum SP 1012; for ergonomics it has my Spectrums and the Pantera beat all ends up!!!!

We don't know enough about the early Koreans; feel free to enlighten us!!!

The hard part is that the best information about the MIK Westones is from the original site's info that forms the basis of this website. And there is no corresponding website about Alvarez guitars.

I've contacted SLM to see if they can help me out. Probably over the next few weeks I'll start poring through Harmony Central and seeing what I can find. I'll let you know what I learn.
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Post by Brainfertilizer Mon Oct 10, 2011 5:21 pm

What I forgot to say in the original post is that in my mind, the MIK Westones seem to be more 80s hair metal shredders than the earlier MIJ Westones. At least that is my impression. They have the look and the tone. The MIJ Westones are better for rock and vintage rock (and so probably grunge) in my opinion.
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Post by hobster Thu Oct 13, 2011 11:22 am

JOHN, CHAD?? Heretics- all of you!! How could you? Very Happy Very Happy In all seriousness, i've never really played MIK Westies except the Villian graphite at the local pawn shop. I enjoyed the neck and the body was pretty cool as well. I didn't plug it in so i wasn't able to hear how they sound. Do the pickups compare to MMK's?
I'll send any your way that i see Brainfertilizer, i hope you are sucessful on your quest. By the way, have you tried a mid eighties Spectrum? The necks are pretty slim, much faster than my 87 Anniversary Spectrum.
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Post by The Chad Thu Oct 13, 2011 12:31 pm

hobster wrote:JOHN, CHAD?? Heretics- all of you!! How could you? Very Happy Very Happy In all seriousness, i've never really played MIK Westies except the Villian graphite at the local pawn shop. I enjoyed the neck and the body was pretty cool as well. I didn't plug it in so i wasn't able to hear how they sound. Do the pickups compare to MMK's?
I'll send any your way that i see Brainfertilizer, i hope you are sucessful on your quest. By the way, have you tried a mid eighties Spectrum? The necks are pretty slim, much faster than my 87 Anniversary Spectrum.

Well, hey, ya know, gotta keep it real! Razz

I do love the MIJ's a lot, just a different feel. I'd picked up the Dynasty again last night, and man that thing feels and sounds good! Cool It's amazes me for some reason. I think it's because it looks so crazy that you don't expect it to be the solid player that it is. I'll say this for MIJ Westies... the quality, necks, and MMK45's are simply outstanding! Something about the Spectrum, Dynasty, Dimension, and Thunder necks that I REALLY like the feel of.

If you like a thinner and higher radius neck, then maybe some of the MIK guitfiddles would be your cuppa tea. That era produced the "faster" neck profiles that we now refer to as shredders.

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Post by corsair Thu Oct 13, 2011 2:37 pm

Yeah, me too... picked up the MX and had a thrash and thoroughly enjoyed the stratty-ness of it all!! Laughing But the neck on the SP1012 is a revelation to my hands - I have big hands and short fingers!! - and I can play an awful lot faster with precision on it than I can on just about anything else I own... go figure! Horses for courses, I guess.

My MIJ Westones are still fabulous guitars - don't get me wrong! - and my Vantage VA900 with blood, sweat and tears ingrained into it from 20 years of gigging make me appreciate what Uncle Matt gave us!! I'm just saying, let's not make hasty decisions about abitrarliy dismissing the MIK Westones of the late 80's/early 90's.... Very Happy
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Post by Brainfertilizer Thu Oct 13, 2011 5:24 pm

Good points all, especially about not making assumptions about the mid-80s MIJ Westones...

I'm very flexible on neck profiles, to tell the truth. I like low frets, though, better than jumbo/wide/tall.

So I love every Westone neck I've ever played on. Matsumoku or MIK, all equally awesome.

But on the old '87 Spectrum XA1230 that I had, the pickups just came across too harsh and brittle.
I had 2 guitars w/ Bendmaster DLX trems: the XA1230, and a frankenstein that had an awesome Westone neck crammed into an unknown body.
The trem didn't really stay in tune on either one.

Then I hear so much about the problems w/ stripping out the lock nut sockets on the MIJ Westones, and anytime you see one for sale it's missing them.

And after I purchased the Genesis, I did really like its tone on the gain/distorted channel, but *all* the pickups were really weak on the clean channel. Way too unbalanced.

But when I pick up the MIK transition XA1430 Corsair (24-frets), the trem stays in tune, the DSR5 lets me check out some sweet different tone shapes (far better than a tone knob), and I feel like I can really rock on it. That might not be totally fair, as the pickup is a Dimarzio aftermarket.

But even more stark, I pick up my Challenger and feel like Brad Gillis. The tone screams w/ distortion, rings clear in clean. Clean, it has one of the best strat tones of any guitar I've played. The Trem stays in tune. The neck is still just as awesome as the MIJ necks. It gets a great Van Halen tone for "Running with the Devil".

I pick up the non-graphite neck Scoops, and the tone is awesome, the guitar light and agile, trem stays in tune. The tone growls w/ distortion, rings clear when I switch to the clean channel...heavy when I want it for Metallica, but tough/clean for Journey. Again, maybe not totally fair as the pickup is an EMG aftermarket.

I pick up the Villain Graphite, and the body is so heavy/solid, but again, the tone is good even with the EMG Select pups. Not quite as searing/rough on distortion as the Challenger, not quite as crystal ringing on clean, but clearly an 80s tone, with the kind of flexibility of tone palette that any 80s shredder would want, from Van Halen to ACDC to Night Ranger to Malmsteen (with some adjustments to the type of gain shape on the Crate amp, of course). The Villain also has a very liquid, smooth shape, hot rod and slick, and the slightly metallic graphite color is gorgeous and tough (as is the metallic red one I stupidly sold a few years back).

And the Dana II Triforce also has an awesome neck, awesome double-coil and single coil tones, trem that stays in tune, perfect ergonmonics standing or sitting.

Nothing wrong with the MIJ Westones, it is just that the MIK Westones and Alvarez fit my tastes like a glove. I love them, can't get enough.

I liked and even loved the MIJ Westones, but never felt that way about them.
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Post by Westbone Thu Oct 13, 2011 5:40 pm

Try some of these.
http://forum.westoneguitars.net/t1631-unidentified-model-no-3
http://forum.westoneguitars.net/t1790-westone-we-1052-korean-96-97-unidentified-model-6

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Post by Brainfertilizer Thu Oct 13, 2011 5:51 pm

Those may be a lust for a different day.

They may well be awesome, but I haven't gotten excited about them because they don't seem to have any connection to the old Westone guitars.

Why that should matter, I don't know.

But I like the Alvarez because Dana Sutcliffe is a common element, the Graphite neck is a common element, the Challenger, Villain, and I think even the Reb Beach and Trevor Rabin sig models are common elements that bridge the 88-90 Westones to Alvarez via SLM.

So, part of it is how much the guitars rock, but I have to admit part of it is the history angle, too.
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Post by Westbone Thu Oct 13, 2011 5:56 pm

FCN here in the UK were the sole importer of all Westones, as far as I know.
These where an attempt to revive them.
Here's you chance to own one.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Westone-WE-1052-Electric-Rock-Guitar-Made-Korea-Active-Vester-Factory-/250908330802?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item3a6b4d4b32
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Post by hobster Thu Oct 13, 2011 9:37 pm

corsair wrote:Yeah, me too... picked up the MX and had a thrash and thoroughly enjoyed the stratty-ness of it all!! Laughing But the neck on the SP1012 is a revelation to my hands - I have big hands and short fingers!! - and I can play an awful lot faster with precision on it than I can on just about anything else I own... go figure! Horses for courses, I guess.

My MIJ Westones are still fabulous guitars - don't get me wrong! - and my Vantage VA900 with blood, sweat and tears ingrained into it from 20 years of gigging make me appreciate what Uncle Matt gave us!! I'm just saying, let's not make hasty decisions about abitrarliy dismissing the MIK Westones of the late 80's/early 90's.... Very Happy

Yeah, i have short fingers as well, and they're fat to boot! It was a challenge to learn, my buddy had fingers like Hendrix and he learned so much faster than me. Its funny though, because i tend to prefer fatter wider necks as oppossed to the shredder type. I grew up playing metal and have some wicked slim necks, like my Fernandes Vandenberg, and they are fun to play when i'm in the mood. I studied classical guitar and got a bachelors in classical performance, i really think that is why i gravitate towards wider necks. Ever played classical, those necks are WIDE.
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Post by Brainfertilizer Mon Oct 24, 2011 7:03 am

I'm going to have to withdraw this request.

I have too many excellent guitars. I may want more, but I don't really need more.
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Post by norfolkngood Mon Oct 31, 2011 7:34 pm

Explanation please.

What is this "too many guitars" of which he speaks?
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Post by Barry Mon Oct 31, 2011 7:45 pm

The man is obviously delusional. Evil or Very Mad

Nurse! Oh nurse!
Get this man 100 cc of Matsumoku. STAT! geek

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Post by Iceman Mon Oct 31, 2011 7:52 pm

Luckily for you then that I need many more than I currently have. What a Face

Please post all unwanted guits to the following address.... Laughing
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