Westone Prestige 250

Flame topped, through neck and gold hardware. Rear styled like Strat with body fit cut on body, front not unlike a Les Paul but with the top cut away.

I play a variety of styles and the Prestige handles it all. Rock, blues, jazz - can't fault it at all. From a nice, homely warmth to out and out heavy, still sounds sweet.

This guitar has been gigged since 1987 when I bought it and was gigged before that, as evidenced by the tailpiece colour being worn by a sweaty hand. Still looks good and isn't too heavy to use, so no weak shoulders.

The only problem I've had with the 250 is the jack socket which has a tendency to come loose. Apart from that, I much prefer it to the Les Paul's I've played. It would take a hefty offer for me to sell it and I don't think I'd be as happy with another guitar

1982 Made in Japan. Offset double cutaway body, Tobacco sunburst over flamed maple, ebony fingerboard, 22 frets, 2 humbuckers, 3-way p-up selector. I've owned it from new and have had it seriously modified! Currently it has Grover machineheads, a DiMarzio PAF in the neck position, a Seymour Duncan JB in the bridge position. All the pots have been replaced with push/pull pots and the guitar is now wired as the Jimmy Page Les Paul (2 coil taps, phase reverse, both pickups in series). Rating is for current configuration.

With the pickups wired as above this guitar will do almost any style and make almost any sound your mind can conjour up.

Given its age and usage the finish is still in good condition. The fingerboard and frets could probably do with some attention but the action is so low and playable I'm loathe to have anything done to it.

This guitar has never let me down. I'd be happy to gig it without a backup although I never actually have.

N/A

I've owned several Gibsons and this guitar blows them away. Currently I mainly use a PRS Custom 22, a Yamaha MSG Deluxe and a Fender Clapton Strat. Ampwise I have a Marshall TSL601. For certain gigs though this guitar is an ideal backup. If it went missing I'd try and replace it but I'm not sure I could find one this good.

1980-something Japanese Westone Prestige 250
2 humbuckers, one original (bridge), one p-90 (neck)
Two Tone Pots, Two Volume Pots
Three-Way-Selector switch
tune-o-matic bridge
sealed Westone Tuners
Thin, gorgeously thin, neck
Mahogany body
three ply mahogony neck

FAT sound.
Using a Fender Custom Reverb amp (60 watts, all tube)
it has a smooth sounds, and the original pots still give no noise. The previous owner smashed it to crap, and had messed up the wiring on the neck pickup, so I stuck one I had sitting around in, but the bridge pickup is wicked.
the tone pots have a great range
The lead jack sucked, so I did replace that (was noisy)

The finish is a beatiful flame mahogony in a deep red
the bindings all around are really nice, and the whole finish has aged well.

the action is buzz-free at whatever height you prefer (I like it high)
there is no heel on the neck and it blends beautifully into the body
hardware has oxidized

YOU CAN BEAT YOUR BANDMATES TO DEATH WITH IT AND THEN FINISH YOUR SOLO

this guitar can not be hurt

NA

I have an Eric Clapton Signature Strat
an American Tele
A tele thinline reissue
An Ibanez Full Hollowbody

this guitar stands up next to them.

If anyone has any other good westone products (skid guitars need not apply)
drop me an e-mail

joe_dylan@hotmail.com

n/a

i play alot of heavy metal music and the tone of sound is perfect for not just my style but for jazzy blues guitar aswell

this guitar is a poerfect fit and finish,i mean haven played the official bc rich mockingbird there is hardly a differencenad the paint job is bomb! fantastic.

well i aint had this guitar long but it is great to play with

n/a

i have bought this guitar very recently and compared to a jhs encore i have t makes my guitar skills far better,,its a great guitar ,,,cheap if you are looking for a great guitar. i would like to see this guitar with mayeb a floyd rose tremolo bridge, would be class. i hadnt actually heard of weston before but, i picked it up played it and comared it to a bc rich and there is no difference get this guitar for a third of the price! there i absolutely no point in paying for a uitar just to have a name!

just to update my earlier post/review. this guitar was made in 82!! in japan by matsumoku (westone) please dont confuse them with the new westone's as the quality and playability just isnt there. the new ones are an entirely different company who just bought the name.

you can find out more on these and other matsumoku guitars at www.therathole.org/guitars.


Rob.

ok dont know what year this was made i think 91 but i colud be wrong. its a British company but not sure where the guitar was made.
It's A solid mahogany body with set neck capped with a flame maple top, two humbucking pickups two volume pots and two tone pots.
The tone pots have what appears to be either a boost or coil tap feature? they click into place around the middle position giving a nice bright sound but when switched past this click they take on a single coil like sound? has anyone else found this? equpied with stop tail bridge 3 way toggle switch amd westone sealed tuners and the best neck i have ever played. the top on mine is a loverly cherry burst finish with binding around the body and headstock.

the warmest sound i have ever heard out of the neck pickup!!! its like smooth runny butter. the bridge pickup is nice and not too thin or treble sounding unless you use the tone pot past the click point as mentioned earlier then it has a thin strat like sound. because of the set neck and solid one peice body this baby will sustain forever. quite simply the best guitar ive played.

well as this is a 12 year old plus guitar i dont think it still has its factory set up! the hardwear that was once gold now has a chrome appearence but ive seen this happen to a 1 year old epiphone. the flamed maple top is beautifully bookmatched and the finish was flawless before it was dropped a log time ago (not by me the previouse owner) but its stood the test of time. the action is low with now frett buzz or ware . the neck is the best ive ever played i love the way its almost flat at the back of the first 3 fretts as this helps make all your open position chords and barre chords a doddle to play.

like i said its well over 12 years old its been dropped and gigged like hell and still looks and sounds great. never goes out of tune even after some serious bending and nirvana like outro's to songs. really you can bend and pull the strings off the neck and it'll still be in tune! take that PRS! this thing is truley a tank!

i dont think their still in business!

ive had a sound in my head for years and ive never been able to find it . i came close a couple of times (fender cyclone (great guitar) into a fender lonon head with a rat pedal) but as a result i literally went all over uk searching guitar shops for a guitar with the sound i wanted with the playability i needed. i played #1200 prs guitars some patrick eggle alot of gordon smiths (fantastic guitars) every fender model you can think of as well as all gibson models and none of them provided it all in the one package, they either had the sound i wanted without the playability or visa versa plus they didnt look as nice as this westone pretige 250! i couldnt beleive that after trying all the big guitar shops in the uk i found the guitar of my dreams in my local guitar shops second hand bargin bin?????? did they not play it? im glad the ydidnt because i got a solid mahogany mapple topped guitar for #260. apparently ive done some searching on the net they only cost #600 new id pay that now for one! if anyone out there has one of these guitars can you let me know where the original strap button went as thers three hole in mine, one on the back near the neck one under the top horn and one on the top of the top horn.

hey guys - if u want to know what it looks like look it up on the web.
I reckon pound for pound ... or dollar for dollar it blows Les Pauls out of the water.
It looks better,has a beautiful flame to it and has much sustain as any guitar I've played apart from my Hamer Chaparral Custom - that seems to have everlasting sustain.

I use it to Rock out on but it can have as bluesy a sound as u like.

As people have already said - it's one tough MF.
I use 13 guage Heavy Slinky ... the purple packet ... anyway - you'd need to be using a saw to break the strings!
The finish and flame is just a beautiful sight to behold,mines is a sort of cherry flame effect - and I just love it.
One tiny flaw and that's the jack socket - you have to keep your eye on it.

You can depend on this guitar - no question.
Use it in a gig without a back-up - never a great idea but if i had to - this would be the guitar i brought to the show.

I've been playing for quite a long time.
I have 5 guitars and this one gets played the most by far.
If it was stolen I'd probably buy a good very Les Paul Standard and a gun.
I love it's shape,it's sound,it's flame effect and it's also very unusual - you never see them.
I've actually just bought a Westone in a Mockingbird shape in jet black on ebay - purely on the reputation of the company thru this guitar.
I'm only paying #90 for it so it's not too big a gamble and I've always liked the Mockingbird shape.

I don't know what year it's from, since I bought it used and the dealer knew next to nothing about it. I love it. It's completely reliable and this baby can take a beating like no other guitar I know. I play a lot of ska off-beat rythm really fast on it and she never lets me down. It's a standard 250 Prestige.
- 2 humbucking pickups
- 2 volume knobs
- 2 tone knobs
- 3-way pickup selector (Les Paul style)
- Tune-o-matic style bridge
- Neck-through construction

Original hardcase with silver velvet interior.

This guitar is just so warm! I've never had the money for a big stack amp set up, so I run it through a marshall combo (Which is a benefit when you play in a 7 piece band and everything has to fit in one car...) and she scream and growl along with the best of them. I run everything through the neck pick-up, which gives it that fat jazzy sound, really sweet middle tone.

Sh*t... I don't know, it just works for me!

This guitar holds it down when on stage. New strings, wound on ? hour before the show - Never out of tune! I've had beer, sweat and spit rain down on me while playing and she still keeps it together. I used a Washburn HB-30 as a back up since I always end up busting a string near the end, but up until then she plays with no stress.

Got it used

I can't complain, though the jack insert is a bit dodgy at times. It's always been good to me, so I really can't put her down.

If you see one, get it!

This is an addition to my above review. Just wanted to say I installed (paid someone to do it professionally!) PRS Vintage Bass and PRS High Fat and Screaming Pickups and this adds so much more to the guitar. The clean is great now and the overdrive matches any guitar I have ever, ever heard!

One very happy Liam Evans!

Work of art. My first electric guitar and never found another with the PLAYABILITY like it. I own a PRS and a HAMER and while these are both beautiful guitars they dont come close to the feel of this. Basically it plays itself. The sustain is unbelievable and although only a 22 fret neck, I can bend this to F without breaking strings(try that on any other guitar.)
What makes it unique is the neck. There is NO HEEL and the neck just blends into the body. The original pickups were actually too warm for me. Now got Kent Armstrongs, but this guitar deserves the best. When I find them, I'll fith them. If any body wants to sell one call 0049 89 3071772. Liam Evans.

Because of the KENT ARMSTRONG HRO-1s I've got fitted, it can be too powerfull. The sound through a Fender deluxe(all valve) on overdrive sounds as if its going through compression. I have to turn the volume down a little, shame really. The clean sounds can be a bit raucus also. However, the controlability of the tone is amazing. Tone pots thaqt actually work, and, go from 0 to plus 5 and minus five and the circuitry is beatiful. I just need different pickups.

Absolutely perfect in all descriptions and I bought it secondhand. This guitar must be almost 20 years old and has never needed adjusted. The action can be adjusted until it's razor fine above the strings without any buzz or click in odd places. If I need to do any really fast soloing or very smooth, liquid note bending, it's far and away my best guitar.

You could beat your worst enemy to death with this and it wouldn't even have a scratch! This is a very heavy guitar by the way. A friend of mine just bought a new Les Paul Plus and the Westone is way heavier.

Unfortunately, Westone has come, gone, come back and I don't know if they are still trading. However, I dont even see the need. This guitar will live longer than I will!

Said all I need to. If someone has one, let me know, I'll buy it.
Liam@Liamevans.com