The Electra Forums

So I guess it's not a bad substitute for the Blue Burst. It's an X189rb, the Red Burst. Photos are terrible, sorry.

The 2 hr. drive was worth it, she was dusty as could be and hadn't been played hardly at all. Here's how I found her...






Just needed some scrubbing, scratch removing, and detailing. It's in surprisingly great shape for not having a case. What a great guitar, played it for 2 hours last night and it performed very well.

I need knobs for it, I borrowed the knobs from my Dynasty for the mean time. So if anyone has knobs they're willing to sell, please let me know.

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"GREAT Googiley moogilie Jack...jumpin jehosephat, hot dang and all".
- jdwhealton

Nice one I also like the red burst color along with the blue burst. will keep an eye out for the control knobs as well. Congrats on the score

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Always give thanks for everyday, It may be your last so Rock On Semper Fi!!

The Phoenixes didn't have the Switchmaster knobs as a general rule but notched speed knobs, if that makes things easier, Chad!

Gee, that's nice!!

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"... and on the eighth day, God created New Zealanders.

Because even the Australians need heroes."

Very envious, I don't have that guitar in that finish and you clearly picked up a winner!

The X185 Blue Burst that I brought as a giveaway at Electrafest 2014 did have switch master knobs. I think they used both types.

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"This is the way that pop ends, Not with a BANG but with a box set whose fourth disc you never get around to playing” - Simon Reynolds

"My guitar wants to kill your Mama" - Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention

Found it locally (surprise there), didn't really know what to expect but took the 2 hr. roadtrip anyhow. My Wife thinking I'm nuts. You get two guesses as to what age of person was selling it...

You're right, a young whipper snapper lad about 18. He was using it to play what kind of music (again, you get two guesses)? You're right again, metal. Guess it didn't work out too good for him, he liked his BC Rich Warlock better. Great kid, I wish him well.

Glad I went after it, it's a great geetar. I'll probably shim the neck for a better set up.

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"GREAT Googiley moogilie Jack...jumpin jehosephat, hot dang and all".
- jdwhealton

Hence the "... generally" qualifier!! I've seen one or two others so equipped over the years, but, in the main, they had the speedknobs.

I put the Switchmasters on my X195 and then took 'em off and put spenknobs back on, and I reckon it looks better... yeah; I know - I'm odd!!

Anyway, to find this - it's an X199, yes?? - in this sort of nick after all these years and no case is just magic; it is just so pretty! Maybe good things happen to good people after all?!!

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"... and on the eighth day, God created New Zealanders.

Because even the Australians need heroes."

John is right, "Subject to change without notice" and they meant it! I considered speed knobs vs. switchmasters, but I'm a sucker for those switchmasters. It's an X189, though I want an X199 one day.

I took it to church last night for my student band to use on stage, I opened the case, they say it and out popped a "Wow"! I said "it's pretty, isn't it?" Zach said "It sure is"! They had a hard time believing it was from 1984, too.

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"GREAT Googiley moogilie Jack...jumpin jehosephat, hot dang and all".
- jdwhealton

Here's the pics of my student guitar player Zach jamming on the X189.

He loved it!

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"GREAT Googiley moogilie Jack...jumpin jehosephat, hot dang and all".
- jdwhealton

Hook 'em right, hook 'em young!!

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"... and on the eighth day, God created New Zealanders.

Because even the Australians need heroes."

It is always a great feeling to see any young musicians eyes the first time they see any Westone or Electra Westone guitar. They find it hard to believe that they are that old indeed but I have yet to find one that did not like them.

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Always give thanks for everyday, It may be your last so Rock On Semper Fi!!

Nice!

That is an X198 - and it is supposed to have switchmasters. X198 electra/westone transition models had switchmasters. X189s didn't (they also didn't have the bendmaster bridges either - that is what makes yours an X198) and I don't believe X198s had switchmasters prior to the electra/westone era in 1984 (I am not certain what year they actually started making that model). I certainly don't know everything about these, but I have an X198 just like that one, except that one is in much better shape (and mine has the earlier knobs on it because the previous owner - Paul (X189) said it was supposed to have the switchmasters on it but they were missing so it had knotched version "from a year earlier". Now that I know a bit after a few more years have passed and what I see now only confirms what he said a while back.

I'd put switchmasters back on mine, but those knobs on mine are glued on - and you know what happens when you try to removed a speed knob that is glued onto a push/pull pot? Thats right, you buy a new pot because 9 out of 10 times you are going to break the pot shaft from the switch inside before you remove that knob. I've done that many times removing knobs that were not glued on. I figured I can live with the glued on notched speed knobs rather than break the pots trying to remove them. Despite mine not being as pretty, it looks OK and is a FANTASTIC playing guitar. Most people are astonished when they ask "what is that?" in a somewhat snide way, then pick it up and then they ask "what is this?" in a much different manner It wins them over - especially when they start figuring out what those push/pulls can do, and that it can emulate the sound of a Les Paul, Strat, Tele, and even a Peter Green LP.

I greatly prefer the bendmaster floating bridge on that X198 over the strat style bridge on the X189 - it stays in tune better in my opinion. Sometimes the pickups will squeal a bit and if they do the only cure usually is to pot them. I like mine a lot an put the GFS locking keys that look just like the stock ones but have a button on the back to lock them like sperzels - but they are an exact fit - even in the same holes. Most people don't realize you have changed them. But the keys that come with it are good for not being locking ones (didn't have that then, surprised Tom didn't think of that and invent them). This guitar evolves into the X198 Spectrum LX in the Westone line - and I have one of those too - but it is all red (no burst) and it has the fine tuners and lock behind the nut on mine. Also have an X199 Westone Spectrum FX - with the heel-less neck version - and it is a fantastic guitar - Like the LX but the neck is set, has a black stripe in the middle and has the "fake" chrome blades covering the poles on one coil of each pickup. But the guitar is downright a fine one and with locking keys it stays in tune as well as with the locks behind the nut - and I generally don't miss the fine tuners with locking keys. But that guitar is a VERY NICE GUITAR

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Thorny

I just posted a link to ebay in the auctions section - there is a blueburst Westone (spectrum LX) version that isn't cheap but it looks brand new, still has the inspection sticker and has the hard case too - really worth it if you want a blueburst but don't mind paying a little more to get one in near mint condition.

I see I posted my old redburst as an x189 and it isn't, it is an X198! I guess I didn't know any better. The 189s had the strat style bridge, the 198 has the floating/2 fulcrim style bridge.

***** Later added this correction *****
Your redburst is indeed a X189 with a bendmaster bridge (without string locks). The X185s were the strat style bridge. The Westone I sent a link too is an X198 with the fine tuners and string locks. But later X189s did have the switchmaster knobs - I believe starting and the electra/westone transition headstock era. My brain has gone to mush!

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Thorny

I thought the X185 had the strat style bridge, X189 had the two point trem without fine tuners, and the X198 had the two point trem with fine tuners and with a behind he nut lock?

Can anyone confirm this? It's what I gathered from reading the Electra Guitar Page.

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"GREAT Googiley moogilie Jack...jumpin jehosephat, hot dang and all".
- jdwhealton

Well, it could be - I might be just having a brain fart! Forgive me if I lost my mind. Been one hellova week - three family members with the flu (one of them ME) and a cat died of feline lukemia which I had to bury while getting over the flu. The good thing is my doctor might be happy with the weight I lost.

Then mine IS a 189, and the 198 is the westone model replacing it.

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Thorny