Westone Spectrum DX

Am a pretty avid collector and ex-player of a little note, and one of my 'passions' (my doctor says it will pass with the right medication) is vintage Japanese guitars. These things were the real deal, and certainly did (and continue) to shock Leo and Orville into having a good look at themselves.

These are rather undervalued 'sleepers' IMHO: they sell for up to 4-600 American, depending on condition of course. They are a worthy addition to any working collection indeed.

I bought this one for a song on Ebay. Was well aware of Westone for some time, and jumped at the opportunity to own one. I have several other Matsumoko, Ibanez and Fender Japan vintage pieces. Every bit as good as the American section.

She's an '86 model, the arctic white that has now faded to a lovely cream colour, with a touch of mint green. 2 x humbucks, Floyd Rose trem/bridge, locking nut, push/pull coil tap. Simple setup, and an effective one. This, as I apprehend these, was your typical 80's 'hair band' guitar. Ahhh, memories!

It is, as the reviews so frequently say, a 'bastard child' of a strat and an SG. It is actually compellingly ugly, yet attractive.

Usual neck scale, graphite nut. It weighs a ton, too. As heavy as any of Uncle Mat's children. But, beautifully weighted. As is also usual with Japanese 80's quality guitars, the neck is gorgeous. Not too thick, nor thin; substantial, playable, silky.

This is a nice guitar.

After setting her up, I'm not quite sure of the true sound yet. At this stage am setting up the pup height. When I got it they were set very close to the strings. VERY close. That isn't a particular problem or crime with humbuckers (as opposed to single coils), but this is a very bassy and substantial guitar - it sounds very rich and deep even when strummed acoustically - so I initially found they sounded a bit too growly and got a bit crossed up in the bottom end. So far, I have adjusted them generally down, and, tweaked the neck pup to have just a little less bass on the low strings, but backed it down from the strings a fair bit, and the bridge pup to back off downwards on the low strings too. So far, it sounds very much better, but haven't finished the process yet. Takes time to adjust pup height, and breaks are advised over several times to get objective again. That'll make sense when you try it.

Certainly, the way it came had plenty of 'oompf', but no real clarity, like a Satriani JS sounds (but they are top-end Di Marzios). The interplay between the body and the pups is always crucial to adjust before you go off chasing your 'sound' by putting in new pups.

Am using it with a substantial pair of rigs, with all the usual new and vintage FX; some of which are typical 'hair band' stuff. She sounds good. Loves compression, and of course tube overdrive. Eats it, can't get enough (told ya it was a 'hair band' guitar). I think it would have more justice done to it with Boss straight-out distortion though. Suits it more.

It's got a big sound, regardless. It also has some bite when tapped. Nice! But that is not new, nor unexpected. So do the Vantages, the Roadstars and the Fender Jap 'buckers I have. They were good pups Uncle Mat (and the others) put on them; of that there is no doubt.

The Rose trem is very good - typically. Big 'divebombs' available and back into tune it went. No fuss. With only 2 springs in the trem too. But, it wasn't as good without the locking nut. A lot of the reviews here say they use the beast without the locking nut and it keeps tune. But they also say that they don't use the trem. Some say they have stripped the locking nut yonks ago. All fair enough; but you need a locking nut with a Rose, otherwise it is useless to trem with. And, you don't need to torque-wrench the locking nuts down within an inch of their lives either guys.....just enough to lock it, not strip it.

There is not much to dislike on this guitar.

Give it a 9, as haven't found the depth of its potential soundwise as yet - more pup height tweaking to do.

Typical of these Jap guitars, the intonation was perfect even after shipping and 23 years (credit to its previous owner, too, of course for having it set up so well). The action is good (maybe a bit high, but might tweak and re-intonate that later). It is, simply, extremely well made.

The hardware is getting a little tarnished, but came up well with a clean. The electrics were predictably high-quality, and didn't even have any squeaks or crackles. The wiring is substantial and well-earthed.

The black neck and headstock had started to oxidise/fade, but that was soon restored with some linseed with a little black dye added to it (just be careful to rub in and polish it WELL after it has gotten in, other wise you may look like a bankrobber on the run after a failed heist!). She looks very, very handsome now. She has all the usual small scuffs and crows-feet of a 23 year old guitar. But certainly nothing major. This thing is tough.

These were high quality guitars, made well, and made to last. All of Uncle Mat's were.

Already said it is tough, and substantial. I used Matsumokos and Roadstars (different factory, but same general high quality) a lot in my playing days. They are tough and can cut it. Night after night, even with roadcrew throwing them around too!

The strap buttons are great - big fat ends. It ain't gonna come off with a good strap. Rather surprisingly, the strap screws were not as long as others, so replaced them with longer ones. I don't think this will affect resale 'provenance', but I kept the screws; and you would NOT do this to a '62 pre-CBS strat.

No-one in their right mind would play without a backup guitar (and a backup for the backup), unless they only had one guitar. Brave and foolhardy - this is a silly part of the template supplied for the review guys.

Westone, at least this incarnation, went belly-up with Matsumoku in the late 80's (a fire at the factory I believe, and Singer Sewing Machines, no kidding, who was the 'parent company' for Uncle Mat went belly up too). There are new Westones being sold now, but it is the same name only - nothing to do with these ones. So, no Customer Support for your 80's Hair Guitar nowadays guys.

Been around a bit in my time - this is a great guitar. Playable, tough, well made, reliable, functional.

A keeper, and am surprised someone didn't feel the same way in order to sell it so it came into my hands. It'd be the sort of guitar your grandkids would give to their kids.

Well worth having.

Mine is gloss black, the finish is pretty tough even though mine is somewhat battle scarred. Superbendmaster locking trem - works well but I rarely use it now. Solid body that has HUGE sustain, combined with dual humbuckers has a perfect extreme metal sound, especially when its down tuned.

The dual humbuckers give this guitar a real nice metal sound - with no feedback to speak of. There is an extra setting on the tone control that is activated when it is pulled - but I have no idea what is does!!!:P If you down tune it has a very sustainy growl to it.

The guitar, even with the trem works brilliantly downtuned - mine is in A standard. I tend to not use the locking nut as it does get in the way - it keeps the tuning fine. Generally plays really nice especial for rythem work - not really a lead guitar as such.

This guitar has survived 18 years with me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It would, along with cockroaches be the only thing to survive a nuclear war!!!!

Westone are long gone.

Really doesnt come across as a beginning guitar - loads of features, beautiful sound, wouldnt swap it for a any other guitar!!!!

Matsumuko, made in Japan. Bought new in 1985 for 200 quid A fiver a week from a friends mums catalogue. My first guitar. Beautiful shape, horrible red colour. I covered it with cartoons about 12 years ago which brings out the shape really nice. The red is probably still fine underneath. During this flash of inspiration I sanded the horrible black shinny finish off the neck which made it feel MUCH better. Whenever it gets too shiny I give it another light sand.

The lock-nut works well as does the trem. The body is weighted nigh on perfect, great to play. Two humbuckers. Discovered the tone has a push pull (coil tap?) which I don't really use.

Has always suited my musical style which has always been somewhere between metal, grunge art-core and space rock. Bridge pickup is brighter, neck is warmer, neither too bright or too warm. Can't really fault it sound wise. Never had any electrical problems.

I've had various distortion pedals, currently using a Boss Heavy Metal pedal, a Wah and a delay. The only three pedals I've ever needed.

Arrived in a box set up just fine, hardly had to touch it in 22 years. The neck isn't ultra low. Good compromise between speed and comfort.

Very solid well made, has survived all sorts of gigs in all sorts of hairy locations. Sometimes I use the lock nut, not often. Usually keeps its tuning just fine. I used it for years without a back-up, its only been since I've been buying various guitars as back-ups that I realised just how good this guitar is.

I think Westone are out of buisness. I've become quite an enthusiast and would love to meet these Matsumuko guys.

I love this guitar, always have done for 22 years. I recently bought a Chinese Gretsch Double Jet and a Shine SiL 50 which are very good guitars but nowhere close to the Westone. I've tried American Strats and Gibsons neither of which are as comfortable or as powerful sounding as this guitar.

I wish I'd picked another of these up off of ebay (sometimes for as little as 80 quid) and saved 600 pounds.

As a lefty, with limited choices in most shops in the uK at the time, I bought this guitar from new in 1987. It is slightly heavy but I was impressed with the action on it more than anything else - just low enough, and for someone with small hands the action and fret spacing is important.
The tremolo arm is a nice addition but to be homest I play more without it, as the locking nut is a bit of a pain if oyu want a precise angle on the arm, so I dont generally bother.

I love the sound of this - it plays beautifully clean with a touch of reverb through a Laney Linebacker 30 for practice, and for metal and blues I gig this through a MArshall 100wR combo, and run it through a Marshall Bluesbreaker and Danelectro Milkshake Chorus (not at the same time!) and it rocks!
IT is definitely better suited to playing a rythmn role in my opinion, as for me the strings are a little close together for lead (compared to my strat)so less room for error.

THe action is excellent, and when I picked it up from the shop it played just fine. THe only thing I have had done to it in 18 years is to have some of the frets replaced as I was getting a little bit of a buzz. Other than that it has been rock solid.
Mine is black, well it was but now i have defaced it with luminous stickers and stuff, but I could easily remove them and it would be pristine again.
There is a tiny bit of rust now on the locking mechanism, but other than that it is a great looking machine.

I have gigged with this regularly, and also use it for practice, in fact it is my main workhorse and I prefer it to my Strat and my Gordon Smith Custom.

Would never ever sell this guitar.

Bought a left handed version of this guitar as it looked really nice. Cost about #90 S/H. My copy is all black and what a beauty she is...looks like across between a strat and a gibson sg, modern style sharp headstock this really looks the biz.
Quality wise I'd say it's in the Fender Squire strat league, though with a few extra refinements such as the adjustment buttons on the bridge are quite handy when you get used to them, used in conjunction with the locking nut. The only problem with these bridge adjusters is that they can catch your arm if you're not careful sometimes, so I wouldn't do any Pete Townsend impressions! One advantage is that the tremelo arm can be removed and tremelo effects can still be achieved by putting pressure on aforesaid adjustment buttons. The position of the input jack means the jack plug sticks out and is exposed a bit, I had to replace the jack socket on mine - only 50 pence!
With amp set to clean the budget quality of the guitar really shows itself, but set on overdrive the guitar is another animal! Some really great garage/grunge effects can be achieved here.

Sounds great on overdrive/effects with Marshall amp, great grunge metal guitar. Difficult to tune, though bridge adjusters are useful.On clean 5/10, overdrive 9/10.

Very good finish for the price, great looks and sound 9/10 for value.

Good build quality, quite heavy so needs a h/duty strap.Nice humbucker pickups, good sound, though bit hummy. Still solid after 20 years so top marks, I don't think this will ever break.

n/a

I own a Fender strat, Epiphone LP Custom and electro acoustic, the Westone is great backup guitar and great to thrash around on. Good vfm.

My Spectrum DX was made in 1985 i think in Japan. It has 22 frets, a laminated top, one tone knob, one volume knob, a 3 way selector. Not too sure about the pickup configuration, or model, or what wood it's made out of. White finish, Strat, Floyd Rose Bridge, locking tuners.

I've been playing for around a year and play metal, punk, and rock. This guitar suits these styles pretty good. I'm using a Crate G20XL (Don't buy it.. trust me), and a Danelectro Pastrami Overdrive pedal. Nice sound, but the high E string isnt picked up very well. The guitar doesnt pick up tapping very well either..

This guitar is really strong and can withstand live playing. The hardware seems like it will last and the finishing is good enough to last. My top strap button has fallen out, but the other one is really solid. I can depend on this guitar for jamming or my own use, but I dont think I would ever use it live.

If this guitar were stolen I'd be pretty mad at first, cause its my first guitar, but I'd get over it pretty quickly. I love its look and its strength but hate the pickups in it.

Model X139, Year 1985, Made in Japan, All Black, Solid Maple Body.
Bought it new in 85 and stripped the first locking nut a year and a half later. Floyd Rose wanna-be is a piece of shit so I've never really used it, but the guitar itself is solid.

I love the sound of this Guitar, very versetile. I play a little bit of everything, but for pure stupid fun it's Speed Metal(even though I can't really stand to listen to it). YOu can get a variety of sounds useing no effects at all, I use a old Traynor tube amp and a newer Fender.

Action is fantastic, like the pick-ups.

Didn't care for the tremolo, and had that one crappy locking nut, but after 17 years everything else is original. After everything a junked-up musician could put this guitar through the finish is still beautiful, this is one tough instrument. It is dependable.

I'd never lose it, but if someone stole it, I'd hunt the bastard down.
At the time I had a Gibson Marauder. I bought this one mainly to say I had more than 1 guitar, though the sound and price of it were determining factors.

1985 model in black - dual-humbucker, chrome hardware with locking trem (NOT Floyd Rose, at least on my model). No idea what wood, although does appear to be solid, 3 piece body. Finished in a thick black gloss paint.

Nice mix of sounds - Humbuckers are pretty meaty, and don't suffer from cheap-pickup squesl. Sounds good coiltapped too

Played well out of the box - slim neck, but chunky enough not to be uncomfortable. Resisted several years of being carted around in an (unpadded!) gigbag with only a few dings to show for it.

I've had this since 1985, and the only issues I've had have been;

* Locking nut stripped in 91-ish, replaced with a Kahler finger-locking nut.

* One of the plastic control knobs is cracked - haven't replaced just yet

Well it was my first electric guitar, and I still play it occasionally - it's the one that's kept out of the case for when I want to just pick up a guitar quickly for a strum. Sounds fine, and I've recorded and played live with it a few times. Overall pretty good value for a beginner guitar, so I'll give it a......

I bought this guitar from a guy at a garage sale for a paltry $100 bucks (and got him to throw in an old ampeg sustain pedal too). It looks to be mid-eighties, from the fire engine red color and the wear on it. This is a Japanese Westone, not some other country, with 22 frets and a thick solid body. Essentially a "Les Paul from Hell" setup with two awesome humbuckers, a 3way switch, volume and tone control, with a nifty coil tapping option. Pickups look to be Westone original, whatever that is. Body is nice and thick, with lots of sustain... not sure of the wood though. Rosewood fingerboard with jumbo frets, and the classic fire-engine red finish with black neck. The body is best described as the bastard child of a Strat and a SG... its orignal. Its got a Floyd Rose locking tremolo and a locking nut, so its ALWAYS in tune. The guitar came with a hard case and some alan wrenches.

The sound is totally versatile. I can play it straight through my Music Man RD-65 for a classic fender sound (somewhat fatter) or put it through the RP-7 and my Peavey Musician 400 for a full out metal sound. There is no sound you cannot get with this guitar. Noisewise, it is perfect. It pretty much never feeds back, even on the heaviest settings my RP7 can produce. Coil tapping mode gives it a little bit of the "tele-twang" sound, so I can do anything I want with this puppy.

The action when I got it was excellent (thats why I bought it) but the guitar soon needed fretwork (probably due to my agressive style of play. After being professionally fret-leveled, I have not had a single problem and the action is incredibly low. Everything else is in excellent condition.

This guitar is great for gigging. It stays in tune and never feeds back, and the hardware is rock solid. The finish is pristine, especially for its age, and the strap buttons are extra wide at the top so that the strap stays on. I have used this guitar without backup and have had no problem.

I dont know anything about Westone other than that they make and excellent guitar and that nobody under the age of twenty has even heard of them. I have repairs done on it a local shop, since there was no warranty on a yard sale purchase.

I have been playing for about 3 years. I have a Jackson Rhodes RR1, a Lotus Strat Copy, a Leonardo (dont laugh), and a Fender accoustic (along with various others that dont work too well. If this guitar was stolen, I would do whatever it took to get it back, or buy another westone off the net (there's got to be one out there). I love this guitar, and really cant think of anything I dislike about it (maybe put some more frets in?) Write me if you have any flying V (non Gibson) guitar you would like to sell at a reasonable price, especially if it needs work.