Make me a reasonable offer for my Pantera X350MA

If anyone is interested, make me a reasonable offer and it is yours, can have it out in the mail tomorrow.
Thanks

Sean W

I know the other thread is closed and I did a bad thing - we all agree. I have made some attempts at reconciling it, including recently a way to still purchase the guitar - I really want it(Sean check your PM's). So hopefully Sean will forgive the mistrust I provided, and we can make this work. Or hopefully he can make more $$ on another deal. Let's see what happens, and hopefully I can get my reputation back and get this guitar......I know some will cringe at the thought of sanding it down, but we will see. Here's hoping we get this straightened out, and I get the guitar, and Sean gets his $$$

And no beers involved in this

I'm already cringing.

Oh please Sarc, don't sand a 350! He's honestly considering this... :!: :?: Intervention time my purist brethren!

I cannot justify pursuing this one based on the amount Sean is hoping for, even in it's current condition and with possible issues, and the addition of how much it would cost to get the condition back to at least good.

And knowing me that still would not be good enough so I would end up spending too much to put it back to at least excellent condition and again far too much just to get it in the first place. All that being said...

...DEEP BREATH BEFORE THE PLUNGE...

One way or another that specific guitar would get sanded down, if only to remove the rags and restore the riches, of getting the finish back. Once it was back to naked most likely I would simply rematch the original color. Of course since I am fantasizing abit it would have been easier if I was just the original owner as all of this talk would then be rendered moot. But it would be tempting to modify it as well. In the end it does not matter to me. As much as I respect the purity of 100% original stock in dead mint condition it is the owner's right to do as he pleases with his possesions.

And we should all be well aware by now of Sarc's track record with these projects of his.

Pantera in Triumph Victory Green case in point #1...

To be quite honest I would leave it alone. It really does not look as bad as all you guys think. I just made it a point to take good photos that show the guitar as clearly as I can represent it online via pictures. It looks way better in person and you cannot even see the blemishes unless you are right up on it looking at it from different angles. For as old as it is I think it is in good condition.

sean77wilson2011 wrote:To be quite honest I would leave it alone. It really does not look as bad as all you guys think. I just made it a point to take good photos that show the guitar as clearly as I can represent it online via pictures. It looks way better in person and you cannot even see the blemishes unless you are right up on it looking at it from different angles. For as old as it is I think it is in good condition.

I don't think it looks all that bad. What stinks about the wear is that it looks like wear caused by a previous owner being too carefree with his gear, in my opinion anyway. People don't take good care of their stuff, and they could if they wanted to (some folk just ain't raised right, I tell ya). This guitar could've used more TLC during it's life, and that's what we're observing I think. But great photos Sean! I like that in a seller, it's honest. If I could, I'd buy it from ya!!!

Edit: I forgot about the cracking by the headstock, that's weird and not good. How'd the heck that happen?!

And to your comments Sean I will add this...

Your opinion of that guitar's condition might be correct. 24 other guitar players, collectors and just plain fans might look it over in hand and agree. But in any sale of anything what completes the transaction is the BUYERS opinion of condition, value, worth... whatever. The sellers opinion counts for very little, unless that seller is a recognized expert in vintage guitars in this case.

You also have the possible misfortune of being the 3rd new member here (in the last 16 months or so) who joined this forum with their initial intent being to sell one of these x350's. To your credit you have been the most open about condition in your pictures, etc. But most of us here ( if I may be so bold ) do not see Westones as just commodities to enrich our pocketbooks, and many of us get pm'ed by newbies with specific intent to just make a buck. You do not seem to me to be one of those guys, at least from what I've observed in how you have handle yourself in your posting. I hope you stick around long after your Pantera is gone.

Use whatever adjectives you wish, but in the end you have a PLAYER grade guitar there, end of story.

Rare? Certainly... from the perspective of a rather small group of fans of a very underrated brand of guitars.

Worth even it original MSRP from back in '87? Given it's current condition and neck, not in my opinion.

I do completely agree with Chad on your willingness to detail all that you can on that guitar's current condition. That is rare and you are to be commended for it.

The flip side of that coin is exactly what Chad touched on. Most any interested buyer could reasonably be assumed to then ask himself, "If that guitar has a history of being chipped, dented, scratched, etc... what else was not taken care of?" That is just normal human behavior.

If you were the original owner and it had been stored away in unplayed condition in an environmentally controlled vault my opinion is it would be well worth 150 - 200% of the MSRP. If only a dozen had been made then maybe 3 times.

But that is just me.

Thanks for the reply! I am a player myself and this is a side hobby for me. I run into strange guitars here and there. I must say some of the older Westone and Electra stuff cannot be touched compared to the garbage available at you local Guitar Center.

Warrn wrote:I'm already cringing.

Couldnt say it better

Hold off on the cringing all. If I straighten out this deal, there will be no sanding for awhile. I have several projects lined up that come first including building my first guitars from scratch. 2 Telecasters at the same time are the next project once the 12 string is done. Then maybe another homemade guitar, then maybe the 12 string Spectrum Rabin replica attempt. So hold off on cringing....but really would it be that bad to try to improve the looks of a guitar? Is it because there are so few? Is it blasphemous?

Sarc is a stand up guy and I am happy the guitar is going to someone who will appreciate it. As far as a refin, I would leave it alone just because of the rarity but it would look bad ass is a clear black or blue. Once again thanks for coming through Sarc!

sean77wilson2011 wrote:Sarc is a stand up guy and I am happy the guitar is going to someone who will appreciate it. As far as a refin, I would leave it alone just because of the rarity but it would look bad ass is a clear black or blue. Once again thanks for coming through Sarc!

Thanks Sean for letting me work it out with you, and I apologize for the inconvenience again. I will be more careful on future bids and timing (and keeping it from the wife in the future. Lesson learned. I'm glad we worked it out and both sides are happy. I know I throw out the refinish idea right out there, but that may never happen - we'll see how it goes after my next few projects. It will be intersting to compare this one with the Trem to my current hartail one. Thanks again Sean!

Your welcome my friend!

SW

sarcaster wrote:...but really would it be that bad to try to improve the looks of a guitar? Is it because there are so few? Is it blasphemous?

Yes!
Yes!
And,
limme think...
Yes!
Not just "a guitar" but a rare and extraordinarily well designed and constructed Mats!

I hear ya Barry. It is certainly in my opinion one of the best, if not the best designed guitars, but we are only talking the finish. And again, if I do grab the sander, it will be way off, so I may change my mind So hold off on the cringing everyone

Funny my friends always tell me that as soon as I buy a guitar I modify it - maybe I have a mental issue

Man are we a bunch of mental cases, or what? As of right now all Pat seems to be considering is attempting to return it to a condition that would befit it's heritage.

But if he decides to opt for racing flames, a squirrel tail whammy bar and tops it off with a shark toothed upper bout then OH WELL... would you get a load of that!

Yes... it is the rarest Mats made production Westone. But it is HIS rarest made production Westone. Maybe he restores it, maybe he leaves it, maybe he relics it further, maybe he mods it... or maybe he just sells it. Though I would never seriously consider anything but a restore it's not really up to me, is it?

Time will tell. And BTW, you're a good egg for finding a way to resolve this one Pat.

But then again I always thought you were all along anyway.

pffft! grab that sander, grab a dust mask, grab some blue paint...........do it!

I may disagree that the 350 is the rarest. I think the Trevor Rabin Sig serious are more rare per model. Only 100 produced split into 3 models so those average 33 per model. I'm also thinking the Pantera X775 & X790 (Ithink) were mighty low in production as well - but that is all symantecs. When I first joined the forum , I could tell there were many purists here, and I respect that. I think because I am becoming better at fixing up guitars, and getting towards buliding my own that I am more likely to tinker with a guitar. Like I said before, there is no rush on the new 350, I have other projects lined up, and at the pace I go, I may never touch the 350. That being said I'm thinking hot pink neon paint for it kidding of course

sarcaster wrote:...I'm thinking hot pink neon paint for it kidding of course

Aw, don't tease Corsair like that! You know he's positively potty for pink!

Barry wrote:

sarcaster wrote:...I'm thinking hot pink neon paint for it kidding of course

Aw, don't tease Corsair like that! You know he's positively potty for pink!

That may make him finally want a 350

At the very least it may lure Polly back into the fold.

I miss her...

As much as I love pink (wasn't kidding about wanting a pearl pink Pantera bass!), trans pink would be awful, and if you made the 350 a solid color I'd be raging. No pink!

I've been researching some colouring techniques on hard maple, and to be honest, it would be easiest to bring it back to something close to the original colour. So that is certainly an option, although I think I can bring the grain out stronger than what it is currently. What I really would like is another original knob. I wish the parts site was still up.

I could use a few original knobs ( or the remade ones from the parts site) so if anyone wants to donate! I know we all are missing a few , and the only way to get them is to buy a whole guitar - ugh

sarcaster wrote:I've been researching some colouring techniques on hard maple, and to be honest, it would be easiest to bring it back to something close to the original colour. So that is certainly an option, although I think I can bring the grain out stronger than what it is currently. What I really would like is another original knob. I wish the parts site was still up.

I could use a few original knobs ( or the remade ones from the parts site) so if anyone wants to donate! I know we all are missing a few , and the only way to get them is to buy a whole guitar - ugh

Some say that you can't dye hard maple and you would have to tint your clear coat and spray that to do the dye job. Others say you can just dye it. Some will dye it black and then sand the top off and leave the black in the grain. This makes the grain pop when it's done.

I need 2 switchmasters too!

resaerch shows colt is correct. So we will see what happens. I'm thinkin at least a year before I put this in project mode, and enjoy it as it is in the meanwhile

As I've posted before, they were finished in tinted 2k clear coat