Westone X-390 Pantera

Well it has been a few years since I last reviewed my guitar. Yes I still own it (would never part with this one). Had one more modification - a rugby ball jack plate has been moulded to the body (get's rid of the awful barrel socket which are hard and expensive to replace).
Kahler trems have started up again ('google' them) and do a full range of replacement parts, so I had some new string clips installed together with new precautionary return springs (they wear out after about 10 years). Trem was oiled and serviced etc, works like a dream now with absolutely no tuning issues. In terms of the trem it is the 'high specification' 2300 with brass cam and steel saddles so a perfect compromise between brightness and sustain. Had a new top locking nut (Kahler) too just to be cautious. The new string clips have stopped it breaking strings! Excellent, and I got the new wide string clips so I can install heavier gauge strings!
Still sounds fantastic with two EMG '89s and mid-boost. Obviously the Kahler model 2300 trem and modifications as per last post. I love that I get the 'what guitar is that?' question when playing live too lol. Everyone who tinkers on it seems to love it too and I've had a few offers to buy it. Scale length is 25.5 inches by-the-way.
Discovered mine was actually a X390CB Pantera (coral blue), before the refinish, and is a bayonet neck joint and manufactured in 1986 (they were made '85-'89). 100% rock maple with african 24 fret ebony fretboard.

Still playing along side a stock Ibanez (currently a RG 1570 Prestige). Amp wise I've changed to a modded Marshall 1987x 50 watt Plexi Re-issue - the modification was the removal of the 'bright capacitor' at position 'C5' to increase headroom (very common mod). Still same 1985 Carlsbro G12H Rota Celestian loaded straight cab (which I've owned since '91) although it is now heavily modified with basket weave cloth and 'Marshall' logo, Boogie castors etc. My rig looks like something from the late '60's with a basket weave cab and plexi panel head - think early Van Halen. Still playing through the 12ax7 tube based Digitech RP14D with Electro Harmonix valves and recently a Snarling Dogs Wah.

Well since I last posted, it has had nothing really but 'routine maintance'. Including a fret dress and professional set-up. Still lovely and fantastic low action.

New trem parts have stopped this guitar breaking strings! Excellent would now reply on it 100% without a back-up. No known issues with this guitar - everything is now sorted. Kahler now back in business so all parts available again should you need them. EMG are still going and are excellent pickups would recommend them as replacments - but of course there is a wide variety of choice in aftermarket pickups.

RIP

Still love it, can't get enough of this guitar. Makes me want to sit down for a few hours and actually practice (which I am doing now). I get that much enjoyment out of playing this beauty. Still same comments from last post really. Bear in mind you can get these 'as cheap as chips' and they are great guitars (even though I modded mine).
For my advice, be prepared to have a good service and replace some Kahler parts - they we made in the mid-late '80's after all and need some TLC by now.
Other than these minor issues, they are fantastic top quality guitars, and rival any Jackson Charvel, Fender, Ibanez or other 'name' brand.

Bought it new in 1986 in ottawa at Steves Music.Definately has that 80's look with the dropped headstock.The body is thin and contoured and heavy for it's size.That's because it's entirely made of rock maple.I still have the original promo material that was at the store.The finish seemes to be some kind of epoxy based pearle colour And is flawless.It has a Kahler locking tremolo with roller sadles.The problem with it was that to get any arch over the saddles meant the action was higher than I liked.I had a guitar wiz named Barry Wanless(who also plays in the best LITTLE FEAT cover band i've ever heard called FEAT FIRST...check them out at www.feat first.com)router the Kahler into the body.WHAT A DIFFERANCE.The neck has never needed any adjustment.It never seems to go out of tune even when stored for long periods of time,beautiful ebony fingerboard with small pearloid dots.It also has one volume and two push\pull tone controles for coil tapping.Two humbuckers. Very quiet.The brochure said that the pickups were made from oxygen free copper(what MONSTER CABLE uses for their products).

I don't use it a lot.It is Absolutely Pristine.Very fast neck with jumbo frets.Joins the body at the 19'th fret for good access.Plays like a dream.

I own two other(japanese)Westones, and like the others they are very well constructed.It's a shame that companies such as these go out of business and get a (it ain't made in the Good ol U.S.A. Bullshit)bad rap while companies such as Fender and Gibson Keep churning the same old crap year after year.I own over 35 guitars including a Les Paul and An american Strat.Good guitars,most certainely.Better than my 3 westones,most certainely not.

Never needed any.

Not sure when made or where....24 frets...2 tone, 1 volume, the tone knobs act as coil taps for the 2 passive humbuckers that are Westone made. The neck and body woods I think maybe basswood...I also have herd that they are ugly as crap without the heavy but super slick paint. So this makes me wander if it's not a laminent body of some sort..after all it is a neck through guitar, you can expect it to look laminated to some point. The body is all it's own. Super contoured and very comfortabe. Bridge is "Bend Master Delux", one would call this a floyd rose standard trem nowa days. This of course means locking nut. The tuners are of Westone brand with the emblem on the back, sealed, 6 inline. The neck seems more Gibson SG like to me..not to fat not to thin..straty, just deeper curve. The frets are jumbo and the board wood is ebony...and really fast!!....Mine dose have the case..though you maybe hard pressed to find an original case nowa days.

Pickups are a little wolly...to me like there on dolby noise reduction on a tape deck...you can hear all the highs clear and blusy..the lows boom!...the mids are chunky and fat...to strum it you can get good clean jazz out of the neck..nice and warm...to drive a tube amp with it you can get great blues...but I think the best is the metal! man this thing can cram tons of fast speed licks and make you strive for more..where the highs can lack in the driven blues to clean state, they just don't flat out in full out chunch! if you set them for high gain..they pickup every note in a run! if you back them off the strings the play better in the other styles of guitar playing...I like to say they are Santana like. Bloom and decay are good..decay could be better for a neck through.

Well made too me...this is used so no factory setup....Dose have a plastic encased three way selector...I'd opt for all metal...finsh and action are a+

seems to have held ut till now...whats the age of these things?? 15 years...mines nearly flawless.Must be good, I just don't know what mines been through.

None avalible..Company is gone.

I'd give it a 9, the pickups just don't do it all...the tone wood I think plays a part too, it's a fat and chunky heavy metal guitar...a fat jazz guitar...a deep country grow can be found also..it's just all the sounds are not real good for these styles, close, but not good enough...maybe with some reverb the jazz will play well..but I dunno about country twang or rock rythem...this is to me a solo guitar...made for fast licks and PRS style chunk...this thing sing Carlos Santans name....if you got a good idea what it's worth I'd like to know...email me, I would be very thankful.

Have no idea when my X390 was actually built but ive owned and gigged it for about 12 years. I originally swapped it for a 1973 Fender Strat and have never regretted it.
The fret baord is 24 jumbo frets with ebony board and micro mother-of-pearl inlays. Very attractive and dark.
My Westone origianlly came with the stock humbuckers but have replaced them with 2 x EMG 89 Active humbuckers and mid-boost as the originals were a bit wooly typical of a Japanese guitar. I kept the original wiring idea with two coil splitters on the 'tones' and rewired to two vols and one tone\active mid-boost. Pickup selection is via a gibson type 3-way toggle.
Body is through-neck construction and all maple - tends to be a little on the toppy side when compared to my other guitars but his is adjusted down nicely via the mid-boost.
Trm system is a lo-pro Kahler (RIP) unit and is flat mounted into the body. Aklthough notorious as a sustain bleeder, the unit is far superior for my midi applications than a Floyd Rose as the midi output doesnt 'jump' in the slightest. Tuners are Schaller copies but hardly used due to the locking-top.
Nce scale is 25.5" and is fine with gauge 9's but a little stiff with 10's.
The body was originally mid-night blue sparkle but has been re-finished professionally (when undertaking all other modifications) and is currently metallic british racing green (..im english you know!lol)
I originally aquired the guitar with an Hiscox case but this has long gone........

This guitar is probably one of the best sounding ive heard. Ive owned many gibsons, ibanez, fenders etc and working in a music shop played just about everything else.
All i can say is that this is better than anything ive owned or played (even a PRS) many due to the excellent electronics. Prior to replacement it lacked definition.
Playing sequenced based guitar makes this sound absolutely brilliant and through my Marshall tube amp has lots of bottom although the mid and highs need a tweak. Im playing through valve based digitech effects.
The guitar has no noise problems having been professionally shielded with reflective paint and is absolutely silent to noise.
Variety is excellent. The EMG's really help to define the sound as the actual wood is inherently good quality..although from the 'stripping' photos during my refinishing works, not of a particualrly atractive grain...definitely stick with the polyester paint gobs...
Suits my style perfectly...ill NEVER part with this one....my second guitar is a Charvel Model 6 or 88 Fender Strat...the Westone is always number 1 for me...

This is tricky.....
When i aquired the guitar it was perfectly well finished in metallic blue...I trashed the finish through gigging all over the UK with it.
It was professionally refinished about 5 years ago and looks flawless (thanks Northworthy Musical Instruments UK)together with all other modifications.
Flat mount trems can be a bit tricky to get the action even...had to do some serious nut cutting to get it very very even and very very low...
Professionally set-up and is in perfect working order...action VERY VERY low and intonation perfect..frets stand to wear well too being Jim Junlop Jumbo fret wire and is similar to my Charvel in feel...

I would never use this guitar without back-up..I break stings like hell..but as a guitar it has never let me down and stays great in tune through lots of whammy abuse....
Finish was good and is better now
Locking strap buttons help....
Dependable......sure...I can rop out the odd Randy Rhoads solo on it no-prob....good for heavier stuff too...if only it had 7 strings (custom on order based copy of this guitar but with 7 strings and assocaited hardware and Floyd Trem no Kahlers any more)

Never dealt with Westone (RIP)
Kahler trm parts tend to get a little rusy and harder to replace (Kahler RIP)

Id cry then kill if it were stolen....would like to get hold of another one if anyone has one for sale mail me: mslittle2@hotmail.com

chose it against heavy competition and have no regrets in fact the contrary...

Playing it though:
Marshall 2x12 Valve Combo JCM800 Lead
Digitech RP14d
CuBase
Yahamah QY100

Favourite has gotta be the ebony fret board and micro dot markers very subtle but look lovely...and mother of pearl too...

See one? Buy it then sell it too me!!!

Decked out with everything conceivable.

If you play rock....this guitar puts the e's in sweet. I played this guitar back in the days of Motley Crue, WASP, Whitesnake, Faster Pussycat....you get the gist. This guitar was the absolute screamer when you used a full Marshall stack. The sound was whole, well rounded and the bassy sounds reverberated. Out of two other Westone guitars I owned, including a Westone Raider, this guitar was my favorite. As for the submission regarding the SG, I agree that the real king of the hill when it comes to sound it's definitely the SG. This guitar is good for one thing axe grinding - not clarity and definition. The SG gives you everything you'd miss with the X-390. My sound rating for this will probably be a little biased since my experience "musically" with this guitar was unwavering. If your a metal head this guitar is a low cost must have.

Having played a new and used model of this guitar I can tell you that the action is great. Heavy though....my backs taken the toll hauling this guitar around on stage. Pain-killers are in line after playing a 4 hour gig.

I've owned this guitar for 9 years and it can take some hard road use with style. However, be careful, the finish is as brittle as an egg shell. I bumped into a speaker array and it cracked, more like fractured (looks like a shattered windshield). On the other hand the hardware is a different story. I had to replace nearly the entire "guts" of the guitar because of outside noise. The knobs began to cause pops and the pickups do tend to pickup flourescent lighting noise quite easily. Sorry, no neon sign gigs using the factory "guts".

Hint...some of these ratings include the fact that Westone is long gone. Well, beings I owned a music business in the early 90's I can tell you that yes, Westone is gone forever. However, SLM, better known as St. Louis Music, last owner of the rights to Westone when they sold out, can fix or replace parts. Keep in mind though, this isn't a mechanics shop with parts galore. They still have select parts available. If you need something give SLM to see if they might have it in stock. If they don't you're SOL.

This is an update on my previous review, posted over a year ago. I havn't made any modifications to it, so it pretty much stands the same as it was. That is, still impressive as hell

After playing with it, it appeals to SOME of my styles. When I play it through my solid state Fender Ulitmate Chorus, it sounds great, clean and gainy. However, I've plugged it into a Hiwatt, and it doesn't really appeal to me in that sense, that its not as thick and full sounding as I'd like. Its better for somethings than others.

The finish is still standing, though I've not given it much abuse. The electronics are still workin great, no nasty staticy sounds from the toggle switch, no outer interference. I've had to adjust the truss rod on several occasions because of all the eratic weather changes around here. The saddles tend to buzz and can be annoying, but I can fix it if I just scrunch all them together

Its not left the house too many times, so in all honestly I can't tell ya how it withstands live playing. But I can honestly tell you that it'll prolly take as much abuse as you can give it

Westone is gone...... LONG gone.....

Its a great guitar to have around, and very diverse, but when I want a thick chunky sound, I break out the SG. You can't have TOO many guitars lying around. Its still great, I still love it, and I'd buy it again if I had to, I'm just not so "excited" about it sense I've had it a year. I love it, and its my fav guitar, but its not perfect. But what is?

From what I was told at the shop, this make of guitar has a little history. I was Told that Trevor Rabin, former guitarist from "Yes", used this model as an unofficial signature series and I was also told that it is about 13 years old now. It features 24 frets. The pickups are apparently Westone pickups,in the H/H configuration. It has one volume knob and two tone knobs. Conveniently, the two tone knobs act as coil taps for the humbuckers by simply pulling up on them. It features a three way selector switch. the neck is NOT a bolt on, but part of the guitar itself. The paint job right now is a creamy ivory white almost, but I was told the laquer went out on it over time, and was originally a brighter white. It has a Kahler floating trem system. i suppose the tuners are just normal, except for the fact that they have the Westone logo on them, but it does have a locking nut on the neck. The fret board is a black rosewood, with medium frets. The body is VERY attractive. It has the basic cut away shape of "The top one being longer than the lower one". It is contured on the top and back, making it REAL comfortable. It came with the original case and a few alan wrenches, and an extra tremelo spring.

This guitar REALLY suits my style, which lingers around Iron Maiden meets Pink Floyd (oddly enough), with maybe a little hint of Van Halen. I'm using it on a Fender Ultimate Chorus amp, with no effects, except for the amps Chorus. I found that I can achieve some Andy Summers style sounds with its twangy chorused~up sound. It is very quite, except of course when i use the coil taps to use the pickups as single coils. Its very bright, and is rather scant on the bottum end of the sound, which disappoints my a little because the palm mutes sound a bit mediocre. With the coil taps and all the pick up configurations I can use with it, i can achieve almost any sound imaginable, from Strat style blues sounds to the rich Van Halen "Brown sound". the only thing I would change about the sound, would be to give it a little of the Gibson bottum end sound.

The action must have been fixed recently, because it feels perfect. The pickups are all in the right place and at the right hieght. The bridge must be routed decently, because it feels fine. The only REAL flaws I can see in it are in the finish. It has its share of Character dents and scratches, which I an understand because of its age. even so, you would never guess it was THAT old. The scratches are all in inconspicous places, and are not in direct visibilty, but more around the inside of the cut aways, beside the neck. Another problem is the difficulty it is to tune it, especially with a fresh set of strings, and then using the trem bar. Although it is convenient not to have to unscrew the locking nut, but only to use the fine tuners at the bridge. But otherwise, it's in top-knotch condition.

This guitar is definately built for some live playing. It's sturdy and realiable and doesn't look like it's going to fall appart any time soon. My guess is that all the hard wear and the finish will stand up to lots of playing. Though it has its character scars, the finish still looks solid and wont wear away unless you use sand paper instead of picks(the scars it has currently look like the were not made easily). the strap buttons are nice and wide (i had trouble getting my strap over them). Overall, it is fully dependable. I would use it with out a back up that is unless, I planed on bashing it into my amp, but even so......

From my understanding, Westone has been LONG defunct in the guitar industry, so I'm sure that they are offering no support. Though, it has apparently been adjusted recently, since it has a sticker on the back that says "Adjusted by so~and~so at SLM Guitar Shop.

I've been playing for about 6 years now, and all the other guitars I have owned have been cheapies. This one is the best I have ever owned. I wished I had been able to play it through a different amp at the shop, though i still would have bought it because I knew it had features that I could play around with. If it were stolen or lost, I would buy another if I could find one. I was told that someone who collects Westone guitars was considering to buy it.... of course thats guitar shop talk. I love the flexibility of this guitar. Mainly the coil taps, and their placement. Its very convenient to only have to pull up on the tone knobs to tap the coils rather than fumble about on little selector switches. I hate the placement of the knobs in general, esecially the volume knob. It being REAL close to the bridge pickup makes it prone to getting hit by my hand and turning the volume down in the process. I was choosing between a 68 Fender Strat and the Westone. SInce I never got the chance to try out the Strat which was at a different shop, I bought the Westone. I wish it locked the strings at the bridge too, even though this would make it harder to string. Over all, i must say, if you find one of these guitars, BUY IT, BUY IT NOW!! From my understanding, this was one of those thouand dollar deal guitars back in the eighties, but chances are that you'll find it selling for a low price now. Though it may not appeal to your style at first play, you will definately find something to use it for.