Prototype Genesis II...

OK... I noticed when I photographed the guitars that one or two were spectacularly dirty and the Genesis was one; I haven't touched it for 5 years so it is in dire need of a fettle...

... to whit...


.. the perils of storage for long periods!





5 bloody springs... ye Gods!





bridge p'up; unmarked?? later... 14.4Ω



Very tidy indeed!





Bridge p'up rout...



s/c have rubber feet...



Weird ass extra coils on the tone and mid-shape pots





5 way...



butt end of the neck. I had my nieces' husband who is Japanese look at these, and he couldn't read them! He reckons they're some sort of factory shorthand/code!



Kanji in the neck pocket



Saddle shim from the factory



headstock detail showing the 3 pieces of wood used.

This was my first Westone, bought in Christchurch NZ in 2005 and I had absolutely NO idea of what I as dealing with so this was ill set up from the pawn shop and I didn't help in my ignorance of Bendmaster bridges!!

Things is gonna change!

5 years? you bad, bad man John!
Let this be a lesson to all of us, OIL YOUR METAL BEFORE STORING!!!

still.....it'll be fun getting it back up to standard eh.

Here in the States we have a term for 5 spring trems... active spares storage.

That 5 pin connector was abit of a puzzle to me (and Barry) at first when I was sorting out the dead HB in my Genesis I... we thought it a modification from the factory wiring by a former owner... that is until a certain Mr. Tom Presley set us straight.

http://forum.westoneguitars.net/t2220-the-mystery-humbucker-in-my-genesis-i?highlight=mystery+pup

Yeah, that HB travelled quite a bit eh!

Just as suspected...a dirty old man!

I've finished tidying the old thing up and just wound it up a little; my goodness; I'd forgotten just how nice it sounds! Wonderful s/c noises and the bridge p'up is a bit of a monster! It sounds lovely until you engage some boost/overdrive/distortion whereupon it proceeds to bite yer head off... not too sure the neighbours were too impressed but even under pretty heavy distortion it retains an articulate voice that the 45s seem to lose at high levels - I'm well impressed and it now resides on the inside guitar rack, rather than being relegated to the shed!
I sorted out all of the stupid things I did when I first got it, like putting the saddles back on the bridge in the right order.... it plays like a dream as it has the later neck; the wide flat one which invites a certain amount of digging in and headbanging!!
I'm a bit dizzy now so I'm off for a lie down....

Those coils on the pots are interesting, haven't seen that before. Glad you're reacquainted with her.

those coils are part of the mid-shape tone circuit as used on these models and the Genesis II

it is a useful circuit if you use very high gain/ high volume. it will eliminate the bad squeally feedback and leave the good solid, fat feedback that gives howling sustain!

That's interesting, didn't know any of that. Love to try it.

very likely this red one has the tone shaper circuit

auction closes in less than 24hrs

or this blue (purple) one that has been listed a long time at MGR

or how about one from a forum member....
Spectrum III XA1330CY