Westone Spectrum GT Bass

This bass was made 1986 (serial number starts with 6) at the Matsomoku factory in Japan and in mint condition. Both the instrument itself and the original hardcase looks like new!

The body is metallic red and has a black painted neck, 40 mm wide a the nut. Two HB, the bridge P-U looks like a MM Stingray/Sterling and the neck P-U is like a P-bass one. Can dial in the sound of these basses as well. No noise at all!

One thing with this bass is the marvellous feeling, excellent finish and building quality!

The rest is said in the other reviews above.

Using it with a variety of amplifiers, e.g Peavey MkIII and Ibanez. The sound of the bass is a little on the dark side, especially when compared to my Fender JB's. As said before, no noise at all.

N.A

"Built like a tank"

N.A. The company was gone in the 80'ies.

See http://www.therathole.org/guitars/arai_matsumoku.html for the history.

Have been playing bass for a couple of years. Also have a couple of Fender JB's.

Because of the short body I have some problems playing in the first position. The jazz feels like a short-scale in comparision :)

My Westone spectrum GT is made in Japan. I don't know when but I've got it for some years now, so I suppose somewhere in the eighties.
It's apple-red solid body and jet-black neck seam to be made of maple completed with a rosewood fret board. This results in a slim, fast 22-fret neck.
I can't identify the pickups, but they sound like humbucker wannabee's. The sound is quite likeable but there's a nasty buzz in the system especially when you open up the tone-pods.
The pickups are supported by a tone pod and overruled by a master volume. The pickups are switched through a 3-way toggle. The master has a pullout option for a fase-effect. But this is in no way an improvement.

I use this bass mostly for pop and rock covers. And it sound's great when I play it in rehearsal. It?s a shame I cannot open the tone pods when playing on a PA.

I couldn't tell you a thing about this. I haven?t bought this bass firsthand.

The bass has an awesome sound when as long as you ignore the buzz, which you can?t in a gig. It's ok when you don't open the tone pods more than half, or keep the gain way down. This leaves a nice bass sound. But knowing what it could sound like...

As far as i know Westone is out of business. Can it be worse?

Nice Bass, maybe it ones was a masterpiece... It plays smooth and fast, looks very nice in its apple-red coat, and sounds awesome but for the buzz in the circuit.

Made in Japan in the 80's, maple body, maple neck rosewood board, smallish frets, nice candy apple red finish. Has two pickups, that look like humbuckers, no hum, but the pickup closest to the neck has pole pieces like a precision bass pickup, and the bridge pickup has pole pieces like a stingray. Master volume, two tones, and a 3 way toggle. Also has a pull out on the volume for phase. Not a very usefull or musical setting, volume is cut and the sound is nasal. Nice big bridge and good tuners.

I play mostly classic rock, and most songs require either a precision bass sound or a jazz bass sound. I can approximate both of those sounds and can get a sort of stingray sound out of the bridge pickup. No not exactly, but close enough for a backup bass. Favorite setting is both pickups on, both tones on 10, very stringy not too trebly.

Since this is prolly 20 years old, factory setup does not apply. When I got it, the trussrod needed a tweak, and the electronics needed some spray. Works fine now, has some dings on the body and neck. Pretty solid for a bass that is not overly heavey.

Hardware, finish seem to be very good quality. I replaced the strap buttons with straplock buttons, and had to do the toothpick and elmers glue trick on the bottom one, it had been kinda stripped. Works fine now, repair cost? about 2 cents.

Westone is out of business, as far as I know.

I got this as a backup bass, but it could be used every day. I expect I will use it more as time goes on, because there are no real downsides to this bass, plus it is lighter than most. I have been playing long enough to have developed back problems, so lighter is better. Price was so good for a well made instrument. The word is not out about these yet, but someday, maybe it will be. If it was stolen, I would look for another. Its a great deal. I also have some other basses, guitars and amps, blah blah blah. I can recommend this bass, but don't bid against me on ebay. That wouldn't be nice.