hello!

[clarky]

hello my name is chris and ive just joined the forum!

I am 22 from Shrewsbury, England.

I have been playing bass since i was about ten years old i think?? not too sure exactly all i remember was the recorder teacher was fuming i quit for bass !!haha Been playing in many outfits and bands over the years currently in three which keeps me pretty busy!

I and have owned a westone for around three years. I own a satin black quantum, the bass has been defretted (not by myself) but who ever did it did a reall nice job. I originally bought the bass because i wanted a fretless, and an old bass teacher i was with, was selling it on behalf of another pupil of his. I love it and want to get many more if i can!! particularlly interested in getting a rail bass at some point.
Theres a short tune of me playing the quantum called dont bore me at; www.myspace.com/thevelvetdukes


Other basses i own; yamaha rbx jm2 (john myung old sig), fender jazz, yamaha bb5 range (like nathan easts but cheaper!) framus star bass (67)

When im not playing bass somewhere im studying a bsc degree in music technology, which is really enjoyable, so if i cant make music id like to record it!

over and out!

chris

[Pollyanna]

Hello Chris and Welcome!

Nice to see another young 'un joining the ranks!

Don't forget to put some pictures of your bass in the 'Members Westone' forum, because we are a really nosy bunch here and enjoy nothing more than oggling at each others' geetars!

Pauline

[logicaljohn]

Greetings new peoples... I've only been here a couple of weeks myself but I'm right glad I found it !

[king koeller]

I want to say hello to everybody.
I love Westone and just got a Westone Raider II bass (1983) to keep company with my Westone Genesis bass.(1987)
Pictures to come!!
I spent 4 years in Japan with the service, and Matsumoku was the greatest company!
The raider is for rockin!!!

[Old Gregg]

I want to say hello to everybody.
I love Westone and just got a Westone Raider II bass (1983) to keep company with my Westone Genesis bass.(1987)
Pictures to come!!
I spent 4 years in Japan with the service, and Matsumoku was the greatest company!
The raider is for rockin!!!

Yay!!! Another bass player .

Looking forward to seeing your pics, KK. Raiders do indeed ROCK.

Welcome to the forum.

[king koeller]

Thanks to old Gregg and all !

Yes , we need to shed the light on Westone's great basses!
They are truly high quality, getting rarer every day and made with the finest woods and electronics ever!
Some day people will wake up and realize what we already know. That Westone was a high end premiere company reflecting Matsumoku's high standards of design and manufacture of the finest guitars and basses. (Please, let us not forget Aria pro II, and Electra also...)
Bass wise, If Jaco, or Paul McCartney played a Westone or even Billy Shenan, they would be more popular. Yet...
Popular doesn't always mean better.
The values on the market have stayed low, which is good for us, the true Westone collectors.
I'm so sick of hearing about $20,000 Fender Jazz basses! The values are so inflated!(They are nice basses though...)
I like Westone because it's still kind of a secret out there in the mainstream culture. Go to any guitar center, and ask about Westone and they look at you like you're a martian from planet X-66.
Take care and happy music making!

[sticky]

Hi
im new to this forum
ive just bought a westone thunder I (version 2) and glad i did after reading the reveiws on it
im fifteen, started playing guitar a year and a bit ago on a beringer. then my dad got me lessons with the guitarist in his band when i got my stagg acoustic, i learnt the basics on this and then moved on to an ibanez RG (lower end but still good) i bought an epiphone when i went to the UK as i cant be without a guitar for very long and this has been my main guitar ever since.
i play in the local jam sessions almost every sunday(in gibraltar) great fun!
Im visiting UK soon and was planning on getting the real thing(gibson or fender) but then spotted the thunder I on ebay and after reading the reveiws on it i put in a bid and got it. so im realy looking forward to playing it through my HH studio fifty (also in the UK and also from ebay, lol)
anyway i think this site is great along with the other westone sites
if anyone wants me to i can try and post the photos of my thunder I.

Mark.

[Pollyanna]

Hello Mark and Welcome.

I'm so glad to see that the younger generations are joining the ranks, perhaps you could teach us old fogies a thing or two!

Oh, I'm so sorry here, but the 'Mothering' instinct is coming out in me, so I'm afraid that from now on, you are going to have to be the 'Baby' of our rapidly expanding little Westone family!

Yes please, do put some photos of your guitar up!

Pauline

[logicaljohn]

Pauline..

tell that child to get to bed will you...

Only kidding Sticky...

If you check the 'Members westones' thread you'll see my first proper electric guitar, which I got about 4 years ago, and I am 46 (though I've messed with guitars all my life) is a Thunder 1. I love it, it plays and sounds wonderful.. I would say that you've done very well for a youngster and your guitar will (or should) be the envy of all who come across it. The trouble is,, if someone gave you a Les Paul or somesuch, you'd probably give it back, now../.......

[wayne weedon]

I think I did! Just to let you all know I'm still around just working like crazy.

Still managing to play a bit. But been hellish busy getting "stuff" ready for Devo's tour of Australia and Japan next month as well as proper work.

Sadly not much time to work on the tired old Thunder 1A

Wayne....

Those that know me better than others will know what "stuff" means!

[Pollyanna]

Hello Wayne and Welcome!

Good to see you mate.

I think you did say hello on your first visit, but hey, there's nothing wrong in making doubly sure about these things!
(Come to think of it, did I say "Hello" to everybody here? ) Just kidding!

It's good that you are busy and keep up the good work with the "Stuff"! Any progress on those knobs by the way? You've got to find some time to do that old Thunder though - you know you want to!

Anyway mate, good to know that you haven't forgotten us all and that you still have time to 'pop in' now and again!

Pauline

[wayne weedon]

Any progress on those knobs by the way? You've got to find some time to do that old Thunder though - you know you want to!

Anyway mate, good to know that you haven't forgotten us all and that you still have time to 'pop in' now and again!

Pauline

Yes Thunder knobs are just about there, and also Thunder Jet Knobs now. Along with quite a few other pieces I have been working on. Even more when samples come my way

Wayne....

[mattcadders]

Hi All,

I'm Matt, I am a Crime Scene Investigator living out in the sticks of Norfolk and working for my neighbouring county of Suffolk. (we are part of the bumpy bit on the East coast - no one ever seems to know where we are as no-one passes through - if I mention Great Yarmouth, the penny usually drops)

Anyhow, I've just picked up my Westone Thunder ll Left Handed Bass Guitar after way too many years, found this great forum and have rekindled an old passion.

Not quite sure if my wife will share my passion as the bass predates her!!!!

The kids are fascinated, its so much cooler than their flutes, so there could be some guitarists in the making here. Although they are right handed so looks like more wedge for me to part with...doh!

Great forum, have been made to feel very welcome with some great advice!!

Cheers All

[Warrn]

Swiping the format from the first post because I find it easier to fill things out:

Name - Kevin (Warrn is my internet handle, you can call me by either)

Age - 19

Location - Micanopy, Florida (near Gainesville)

First guitar - A Lauren acoustic designed for little kids back when I was 5 or 6. If I can find it again I might attempt to restring and play it!

First Westone - Candy red 1985 Spectrum GT bass

Later Westones - None as of yet; wouldn't mind having one of the funny shaped ones though, I really love the blue/yellow Raider. Was that color available on the Raider bass, too?

Musical
style/favourite bands - I mostly listen to third-wave ska (ska-punk), and Less Than Jake is my absolute favorite, but I'll listen to just about anything really. I listen to most of my music on the computer and have a website called Last.fm track what I listen to. If you'd like to take a look: http://www.last.fm/user/Warrn/charts

Current Westones - '85 Spectrum GT bass

Other
instruments - '94 Peavey Milestone II bass, '00 Peavey Grind 6 NTB (6-string BEADGC bass, it's a beast!), '05 Esteban Steel-String Acoustic/Electric guitar, '02 Carlo Robelli TM002 mandolin (with a Schaller violin pickup attached)

Favourite instrument - I'm partial to the old Milestone, but I just got the Spectrum yesterday and the heavier growl and shiny red finish are winning me over already.

Other info - I love stringed instruments, so I have a bunch of them, but I only know the very basics of each of them. Bass is my favorite by far, but finding a bass instructor is difficult. Guitar lessons are easy to come by, why not bass? So all I really know are basic guitar chords, bass scales and arpeggios, and I have a chord book for the mandolin. I plan on taking some music-related classes (especially theory) at my local community college.

Aside from that, obscure things seem to like me! My unheard of '85 Spectrum bass goes really well with my also unheard of 1982 AMC Eagle SX/4. I wasn't specifically looking for either of them; I just stumbled across them and fell in love!

[corsair]

heya, bro - good to see ya! I certainly hope you enjoy the Westone and get to use it in anger; the guy you bought it off summed it up very succinctly with "playing a P bass with a J bass neck" - that's pretty much spot on, with the added tonal variety that 2 p'ups offer!
There are many in here with greater technical smarts than me, so ask the questions, man and we'll do our best to enlighten you...

Rock on!!

[Pollyanna]

First Westone - Candy red 1985 Spectrum GT bass

Later Westones - None as of yet; wouldn't mind having one of the funny shaped ones though, I really love the blue/yellow Raider. Was that color available on the Raider bass, too?

Hiya Kevin and Welcome to the family.

It looks like the GAS has already begun! Keep up the good work!

If it's any help, I found a site with a whole host of easy to follow bass lessons and you can even copy and print them out. I did exactly that a while ago for one of my daughters who also wanted to learn to play bass. When I find it again, I will send you the link, just make sure you have loads of paper!

Pauline

[Warrn]

Thanks for the warm welcome! I'd be happy to have that link if you can find it again. I take it GAS is short for Guitar Accumulator Syndrome? I've definitely got that. I'm not even all that skilled and I've got a bunch of instruments. I'd really like an electric guitar, since I don't have one. I prefer the sound of semi-hollows, but I might just have to look for another Westone now. I would be extremely happy if I could find a Raider guitar or bass in that blue/yellow combo!

[corsair]

I would be extremely happy if I could find a Raider guitar or bass in that blue/yellow combo!

...you keep to your side of the world, and I'll keep to mine; I'm looking for one as well!!!

[Pollyanna]

Hello again Kevin,

I thought that I had that link bookmarked but I haven't. Not to worry though, I'll get in touch with my daughter because I think the name of the site that I got the lessons from is printed on some of the pages. As soon as I find it, I will send it to you.
If my memory serves me correctly, it covers everything that you need to know to learn the bass right from beginner to intermediate so could also be useful to those of you who are getting back into playing again.

I've always presumed GAS to stand for Guitar Acquisition Syndrome.

Pauline

[Pollyanna]

Note:

Just to avoid any confusion, (Sorry Mr. Confused, no pun intended! ) the last few responses to this post have been moved to the 'General' forum under the heading of 'Bass Lessons Information'.

Pauline

[danjob]

Hi All,

My name is Dan and i have a Westone concorde III 1st Version.

I will upload pics if you want to see it.

I am after some parts for it though but i may be able to get these from the states.

I have had it for about 19 years now and have not long had it serviced and rebuilt.

I havent seen anymore of these guitars even in this country.

Thanks for reading my first post and like i say i will upload pics if anyone wants to see it.

Thanks

Dan