The Electra Forums

Does anybody recognise this westone model?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 3746623833



To me it looks like one of the cheap shine guitars that are around the uk at the moment with a westone logo added!! ive seen this exact guitar in my local guitar shop with shine on headstock im sure of it.

I don't think so. He's posted pictures on the Westone Classics list asking for help identifying it as well. So far nobody can. Hard to believe somebody would counterfeit a Westone decal...

(fade to a brief reverie imaging somebody sanding the decal off their Gibson or Fender to apply a counterfeit Westone or Electra decal... heh)

I'd like to see a serial number on the back of the headstock.

That Westone logo disappeared in roughly 1987, I think the guitar is to modern looking to be an old Westone, plus I would choose a black logo to go on natural wood to make it more visible. it could possibly be a modern Westone with an old logo on it. but then again I do not know much about modern Westone's.

Well Its got me stumped! it does look to new but then he mentiones the faded hardware? i checked that new westone site mentioned on here and it looks similar to one of the models on there but not enough to convince.

Westones in the uk are fetching a bit of money at the moment so im not suggesting he's done it as ive talked to him and he seems a genuine guy but i wouldnt be suprised if the decal has been added as ive seen a few guitars in shops that are obviusly(sp?) not westone's but kay guitars with a westone decal added.

I'm fairly certain the Westone label survived the demise of the Matsumoku plant but not by very long. This can only mean that the guitars were then made in another part of Asia. The HS shape on that one sure doesn't match up with anything in the Spectrum, high end, or Anniversary line. The neck and heel sure look to be of later design than what you'd expect from the earlier Japanese models.

Unless a piece of the hardware has "Made in Japan" on it somewhere I'd be more inclined to believe it is a post Matsumoku model made in Korea.

The fact that it resembles post Japanese Ibanez leads be to believe this also. Westone in the US and UK followed similar but different paths, which might explain why some look like Kays made elsewhere in Asia.

In any case it's a mystery.

The neck joint is a spot on copy of the Ibanez AANJ (All Access Neck Joint). This was first seen on the Ibanez Maxxas in 1987.

I seriously doubt that this is an Uncle Matt.