Vantage Avenger AV325 in Rare Trans-White Finish

I haven't been able to find any Westones locally for a very long time (years actually) but I have picked up a few new guitars to ease the GAS pains, including a 2021 Epiphone Les Paul SL in cherry burst, and a 2021 Squier Affinity Jazzmaster in burgundy mist.

Both really nice playing guitars. But they ain't a Mats, ya know?

But this is!



This is a 1981 Vantage Avenger AV325 in a very rare trans-white finish.

The above pic is after I made a few minor modifications, mainly a bridge replacement to get rid of that dreaded brass barrel saddle bridge which plagued so many Westone Thunders and Avengers circa 1981. I have been "blessed" to have had to replace four of them now!

Besides the usual playability adjustments, changes have been mainly cosmetic. While the black and white look was OK I thought that there was perhaps too much black which was taking away from the finish. So I swapped out the black mounting rings for some chrome ones and the black speed knobs for some transparent ones.

I think it lightens up the body and "glams" it up a bit without detracting from the that unusual finish.
Here it is with the original black knobs, which are fantastic BTW:


If you are interested and would like more info, you can read the entire story with more pix HERE

That's absolutely beautiful and I agree that the cosmetic upgrades have nicely 'lifted' the aesthetic  

This was Ola Englund’s first guitar, he recently did a video of him restoring his!

Interesting. You can't keep a good Matsumoku guitar down, eh!

Despite the dubious "decoration" and control changes at least there is no damage to the guitar and it looks in great condition otherwise.

Thanks for posting this!

Barry wrote:Interesting. You can't keep a good Matsumoku guitar down, eh!

Despite the dubious "decoration" and control changes at least there is no damage to the guitar and it looks in great condition otherwise.

Thanks for posting this!

We all did cringy stuff to our first guitars, Especially metal blokes. My first full size strat copy had a pentagram affectionately carved into the pickguard using a thumbtack.    

I can hear the squeal of metal on plastic!!