My unknown model westone

[dkish84]

Any help ID-ing this awesome axe would be appreciated. I think it is a corsair, maybe? It has a 5 digit serial # on a sticker on the back of the headstock.

[corsair]

Hi there, mate - good to see another Westone nutter onboard; OK - my first guess would be a Spectrum Series II, SP6112...

http://www.westone.info/spectrumseries2.html

... but the reverse headstock may mean it's a Corsair GT...

http://www.westone.info/corsairgt.html

.. but on balance, I'll plump for the Spectrum SII because of the Bendmaster trem!! Our resident expert on Westone recognition- and he is!! - will be along shortly I'm sure to confirm or deny!!!

Regardless, it's in very nice nick and I'm suitably envious; I fancy one of these!! They are the post-Matsumoku Westones made in Korea; this doesn't make it worse or anything like that; just not Matsumoku of Japan which is what most of the nutbars in here are after!! I've got a couple of Clippers which may have been made in Korea and I reckon that they're brilliant guitars!!

Whereabouts in the world are you?

[dkish84]

Thank you, corsair. I wasn't expecting a reply so soon. I tried ID-ing it on the westone.info site, but there wasn't any that matched it perfectly. I figured it was korean made, due to the serial number on a sticker and not branded/stamped. When I first got it, I thought it may be an SLM build, since I live about 30 minutes away from Saint Louis, MO. It's a great axe, but I have to say the pup's are a little too microphonic at times.

[nasticanasta]

[nasticanasta]

Thank you, corsair. I wasn't expecting a reply so soon. I tried ID-ing it on the westone.info site, but there wasn't any that matched it perfectly. I figured it was korean made, due to the serial number on a sticker and not branded/stamped. When I first got it, I thought it may be an SLM build, since I live about 30 minutes away from Saint Louis, MO. It's a great axe, but I have to say the pup's are a little too microphonic at times.

gut it...trem and pu's....the bendmaster is junk why ?..because it's not a locking trem so the strings slip and catch on those little things that hold the string down right before the bridge saddle (another bad design). As for pu's I recommend EMg's unless your going more metal then those Seymour Duncan Blackouts are great. I got allot of flack here for saying the bendmaster was junk..but I stand by my statement...For 30+ years I have built guitars modded many I do trem setups floating and non, and intonations...I love my Westone..I hate the bendmaster.

[nasticanasta]

Hi there, mate - good to see another Westone nutter onboard; OK - my first guess would be a Spectrum Series II, SP6112...

http://www.westone.info/spectrumseries2.html

... but the reverse headstock may mean it's a Corsair GT...

http://www.westone.info/corsairgt.html

.. but on balance, I'll plump for the Spectrum SII because of the Bendmaster trem!! Our resident expert on Westone recognition- and he is!! - will be along shortly I'm sure to confirm or deny!!!

Regardless, it's in very nice nick and I'm suitably envious; I fancy one of these!! They are the post-Matsumoku Westones made in Korea; this doesn't make it worse or anything like that; just not Matsumoku of Japan which is what most of the nutbars in here are after!! I've got a couple of Clippers which may have been made in Korea and I reckon that they're brilliant guitars!!

Whereabouts in the world are you?

A fancy one of these would have a Kahler like I've seen before but these guitars are great to customize New trem with!!!!

[corsair]

Nasti, you can be as aggressive as you like - it doesn't really flatter anyone - so bear in mind that some of us have been doing stuff to guitars for as long as you, and longer in some cases; and you'd also do well to remember opinions are like a-holes; everyone's got one, eh!!

"..because it's not a locking trem" it is, you know; a single locking rather than double locking.

I like the Bendmaster and have never had any trouble with them at all; maybe I don't swing on them as much as you do, but I've found they do everything I want them to do with no problem.

As for EMGs; why would you want to sound like everyone else?? Isn't the current flavour of the month for trend followers a mix of an 85 and an 81?? There are plenty of pickups out there - my current fave is the Bareknuckle range - and you should try a few before deciding, I reckon. The pickups lost something when the production shifted to Korea - they just don't sound quite as ... full?? However, the MIJ MMK range are very very good indeed...

A fancy one of these would have a Kahler like I've seen before but these guitars are great to customize New trem with!!!!

Those Kahlers were a damned good trem; if it ain't broke....

[nasticanasta]

Nasti, you can be as aggressive as you like - it doesn't really flatter anyone - so bear in mind that some of us have been doing stuff to guitars for as long as you, and longer in some cases; and you'd also do well to remember opinions are like a-holes; everyone's got one, eh!!

"..because it's not a locking trem" it is, you know; a single locking rather than double locking.

I like the Bendmaster and have never had any trouble with them at all; maybe I don't swing on them as much as you do, but I've found they do everything I want them to do with no problem.

As for EMGs; why would you want to sound like everyone else?? Isn't the current flavour of the month for trend followers a mix of an 85 and an 81?? There are plenty of pickups out there - my current fave is the Bareknuckle range - and you should try a few before deciding, I reckon. The pickups lost something when the production shifted to Korea - they just don't sound quite as ... full?? However, the MIJ MMK range are very very good indeed...

A fancy one of these would have a Kahler like I've seen before but these guitars are great to customize New trem with!!!!

Those Kahlers were a damned good trem; if it ain't broke....

all I said was exactly what has happened...I'd say implying I'm an asshole is aggressive not me giving a what I thought was helpfull advise without ever mentioning who is what wouldn't yousaying that to me be an opinion too? regardless he doesn't have to bow down and take myadvise if he doesn't want to he still has his free will to do as he chooses.. the truth is..the bendmaster is not a locking trem...sorryto hit a nerve...as I said I love my Westones... I just don't like the bendmaster..there are way better ones, and I've never seen a broken kahler, I've been doing restorations a mdifications for 30+ years.. I think I have valid points and as I've pointed out this corsair came out with a Kahler that I would never have swapped out, If I really was anal about it I would swap out the Floyd Roses in my ther guitars...even the lo-pro on my Ibanez for those Kahlers the difference TO ME would be going from a 9 to a 10 on my scale..the scale for bendmaster to even a Floyd is what I consider a 4 to a 8 for me...heres a lil tip, Fender stock trems were famous for going out of tune on deep bends because of the deep holes for the strings in the block...to conbat this people drilled down further into the block so it was more shalow...most tremblock come to you pre-made like that now. the string holes on that bendmaster are long like the old done away with fender blocks...that's a truth...even still on those bendmasters is those stupid little "fingers" that hold the strings down... when I used mine the string would loosen in the block from me using the trem then the wound strings would get caught on those lil' "fingers" and my whole guitar was so out of whack I would have to stop to fix it all... it didn't take much to ruin it all over again...therefore my opinion has huge merit it's not even very heavy..it has no weight to it.. it's just a poorly made trem compared to whats out there. again I reiterate I love my westone, in fact no one else here has the one I have, even the higher more exspensive Westones all have Floyd Roses My TRS III came stock with a FR, the TRS guitars Trevor Rabin Played all had the FR's..I would never sell it but the bendmaster is crap compared to my kahlers and Floyds...so instead of the typical "knee-jerk" reaction to how in all my years I have found this to be a very lackluster trem and proceeding to imply I'm an asshole..let's just not argue like that here... I gave a nice bit of advise and insulted no one and was not angryor crass or acerbis at all..it was an opinion based on many manyyears of guitar luthering...and you gave YOUR opinion..only with insults and insinuations implied. no need to attack me because my years of guitar work has given me this insight. Also you iplied I used 81/85...without bothering to ask you assumed...and I believe the colouring comes from my amps and pre-amp settings... bodytype and wood also compliment the sound and I also offered Seymour Duncan Blackouts....just suggestions again he doesn't have to "OBEY" I'm going to give that guy more credit than you and assume he is not a robot and will take anyinfo he gets and weigh it's contents against others and make a smart dicision.
MUST I WALK LOCKSTEP AND TOW THE LINE TO HAVE AN OPINION HERE?

[nasticanasta]

Hi there, mate - good to see another Westone nutter onboard; OK - my first guess would be a Spectrum Series II, SP6112...

http://www.westone.info/spectrumseries2.html

... but the reverse headstock may mean it's a Corsair GT...

http://www.westone.info/corsairgt.html

.. but on balance, I'll plump for the Spectrum SII because of the Bendmaster trem!! Our resident expert on Westone recognition- and he is!! - will be along shortly I'm sure to confirm or deny!!!

Regardless, it's in very nice nick and I'm suitably envious; I fancy one of these!! They are the post-Matsumoku Westones made in Korea; this doesn't make it worse or anything like that; just not Matsumoku of Japan which is what most of the nutbars in here are after!! I've got a couple of Clippers which may have been made in Korea and I reckon that they're brilliant guitars!!

Whereabouts in the world are you?

A fancy one of these would have a Kahler like I've seen before but these guitars are great to customize New trem with!!!!

You failed to notice that I am quite happy for this guy and his Corsair..I would love to have one. In fact I got outbid on one on Ebay not to long ago...I was quite pissed about not getting one. I love the necks on these guitars real fast wide and thin exactly the way I like em!! Stop focusing on the one little part on Westones I don't like and focus in on everything I love about them!!!

[nasticanasta]

Any help ID-ing this awesome axe would be appreciated. I think it is a corsair, maybe? It has a 5 digit serial # on a sticker on the back of the headstock.

I WISH I HAD ONE LUCKY GUY!!!!

[Warrn]

He isn't implying anything with that "opinions are like a-holes" phrase, it's something he says all the time, and not only on this forum.

[Barry]

Geez Nasti, did mommy forget to give you your Cheerios this morning or what?
Corsair's a-hole comment was targeted at the opinion, not the speaker.
We 'bin down this road already.
Didn't care much for it then.
Don't now either.
Chill out fer Pete's sake.

[nasticanasta]

Geez Nasti, did mommy forget to give you your Cheerios this morning or what?
Corsair's a-hole comment was targeted at the opinion, not the speaker.
We 'bin down this road already.
Didn't care much for it then.
Don't now either.
Chill out fer Pete's sake.

so much for focusing on everything I love about these guitars....never once do I even come close to giving the assumption of an insult...don't come close you never have to worry about people missreading it, butyou can all start the hate mail because obviously I'm not allowed to have an opinion but I must endure everyone else's opinion. As if I cared for it then either....please stop the attacks on me for my valid opinion on what I like which was also I would love to own one of these guitars....
I first heard about Westone Pantera's from when I played with David Chastain, but he had the nicer X390, with the Floyd Rose, I couldn't afford one of those, I could afford a brand new black Pantera X250 but like I said I had allot of problems keeping the thing in tune, I gave it to my guitar tech and he said allot of people were swapping out those bendmasters for Floyds..so he did it for me and I decided that since I liked the quiet EMG's I had in my Strat albeit they were single coil S1's I tried em out and they fit the bill perfectly (this was mid 80's and there was no flavour of the month for pu's, and I wasnt aware there was one now) That's it.. I'm someone who sticks with what works.. it works for me.. please stop the attacks! How many times do I have to say I love my Westone before the white hot seething hatred for me stops??????
For Pete and all his friends sake.

[Barry]

The (Nasti) doth protest too much, methinks.
Hamlet Act 3, scene 2, 222–230

Take a look back at the amount of verbiage you have spewed.
Compare that to the amount from the commentators.
'Nuff said.

[Westbone]

Opinions are like A-holes, We've all got 1.
I agree with you Nasticanasti, Bendmaster Deluxe trems are not the best, but not bad, 'till they snap off little pieces. The little bits that hold the string down, just prior to the saddle. Then the wound strings stay in tune. I 'broke' all mine off, no problem.

[corsair]

Let's all just take a breath and calm down.... Barry's right - we've been down here before and I have no wish to re-visit. I wasn't aiming flak at anyone, just pointing out that there is more than one opinion in the world, and no; I didn't miss that you were happy for the bloke and his guitar. And I'm also not blind to the little foibles that the Bendmasters have... like roller saddles that don't roll, and those wee tags over the strings....

I will say however, that they are now very much orphans and when they do break - and they will!! - they are the very devil to gets bits for, and to make repairs to; I have bought up all of the bits and pieces I can just to keep the things running in the future!! Should I ever have to replace one completely, I'm not sure I'd automatically go to a FR, however, I'd check the other options, which as far as I can see are a little limited; Kahler, Schaller( which are a German built FR as far as I can make out) and some of the Ibanez proprietary ones from the 80s, which are just as much orphans these days!! So I just don't think about it much....

[dkish84]

I haven't had any problems with it holding tune. I don't know if they revised the design of the trem, but the strings dont go all the way through the block like a strat. They actually sit right beneath the baseplate on mine. I can't say I like the feel of the trem unit, which is why I have it blocked 99% of the time (besides during string changes, the block actually blocks the path the strings feed through. One cool part of the design, I think, is the fine tuning levers. That way, even though I have the unit blocked, I can get a cool "b-bender" style sound when I bend one string out of a chord.

[AngelPDX]

Except for the reverse headstock, and the red color, your Westone looks just like my Corsair. I'd say that because of the sticker, it's likely Korean made. Earlier Japanese models, and those made in the USA with Japanese parts had the number stamped in a plate mounted on the back at the neck join, like mine. The Korean ones had stickers.

AngelPDX

[nasticanasta]

I would just say I prefer to rail on inanimate objects as opposed to humans, you won't catch me calling people a-holes..which is just an inadvertent way of calling someone one or any other terrible reference or offensive word, I will rail on a piece of metal that has failed me in the past. I just don't understand why the greats of the music world arn't tossing their trem systems for BMD's. Can I just not like non-locking trem systems? Which would include any other company that makes them. I'm also baffled by the fact people can't tell I love my guitars to death, and this is why I am so passionate about them, most people would be happy I love what I have and I would never sell or trade my Westones for anything. That being said, all my other brands of guitars have modifications too, I belong to other "appreciation sites" like Ibanez and it's the total opposite, most Ibanez users (and most use their trems wildly) hate the Edge III locking trem, I on the otherhand love it... but that's because they do not know how to set one up,if you know anything about the Edge III's or Lo-Pros there's a trick to the correct setup, and even my guitar tech got it wrong till I showed him how! I like the Lo-Pro better than Floyd Rose.
When I posted a thread there about wanting better tuners for my AR200 goldtop....I got a ton of flack over it, but like here they were from staunch lovers of ibanez's and felt i was out of line for even asking a good replacement, until others not as bold as I came forward to defend my right to like what I like. I chose Grover 135 series just cause I always like the vintage "keystone" look, regardless I am very very happy with the change and I even had someone else there say they were going to go with my idea too! That being said, the overall idea is to be happy with your instrument.....and to that, I must do what I must do, Just as anyone else must.
Again, when will Kahler and Floyd Rose figure out how badly they suck?

[nasticanasta]

Opinions are like A-holes, We've all got 1.
I agree with you Nasticanasti, Bendmaster Deluxe trems are not the best, but not bad, 'till they snap off little pieces. The little bits that hold the string down, just prior to the saddle. Then the wound strings stay in tune. I 'broke' all mine off, no problem.

Well that's the thing...if I didn't use trems so wildly, I might have stayed with the BMD...but those little tabs would catch on the wound strings and put it out of tune, and removing those tabs only caused the strings to jump right off the saddles!