I absolutely love these guitars I have black 1984 spectrum LX (Same as captain Brock of SS Hawkwind. Such great, sturdy guitars with a rich tone. . Thanks for reviewing 💪 I think Dave Brock owned 2 westone throughout hawkwinds journey, a spectrum LX and a paduak. As far as I know he still has the spectrum but back in the late 80s had a custom paint job from one or 2 of the album covers.
yeah theres a dvd from hawkwind (feat my fav arthur brown) where brocks playing the spectrum- he never played it when i saw them in glasgow unfortunately.i have a pile of westones but no spectrum series and ive not found a paduuk yet! - currently have a raider 1, clipper vi,prestige 227,concord h2,spectrum 3,thunder 1 bass and a concord bass
I saw Hawkwind in Newcastle on Friday (April 5th) and the Captain was playing a black Spectrum - it sounded fantastic! That’s what brought me to this video - good to hear DB name-checked in the video.
Good video. Picking up a red Westone Spectrum II in red today. It’s a first year 1984. I’ve had a Matsu Aria PE before with T Top buckets. All good stuff and Ijust love the character and necks on the Spectrums. Good quality Woodstock. Thanks
I remember these. I always wondered what the Thunder Active ones were like, you know, those with the more or less symmetrical horns a la SG but with a flat body, they require a PP3 style 9v battery onboard.. Nice one, thank you for posting! 🎶🌟👍
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all that guff. They are good guitars, that's the bottom line ! Thanks for another one Malko. Was going to say, good enough for Dave Brock.
I love Westones, I have a Spectrum LX bought in 1986. 4 years ago I bought a MIJ Ibanez Prestige. The Spectrum is just a superior guitar ( Alright maybe not the pick ups tbh , but I can always change them) anyway, long story short, I sold the RG and bought a Westone Thunder instead and had change left over to buy an amp too!
Bought my spectrum sx back in 1989 for £85. About 5 years ago I wanted to upgrade to a Gibson studio - nearly bought a late 80s model but it just wasn’t that much better really. I love it and have maybe 6 westones. Love the thunder one bass as it just feels so solid and nice. I like that they are beginning to rise up in value a bit. Love fiddling with the tuning nuts. Ps have a thunder 2 in blue bought new in 83 ish. Cost £200 and looks great with the thru neck but doesn’t hold tune quite right.
I think I win cheapest spectrum medal. My ST was a tenner in a charity shop in about 2010, it had leopard print fur all over it and it looked like you'd get a nasty disease off it. I absolutely love it. I took the nasty stripper clobber off it long ago but it needs painting. I play it more than any of my other guitars but it was just something me and my dad picked up for a joke.
They’re up in price now. Wish I grabbed one while they were still super cheap. All my guitars are Matsumoku, my faves are Univox... but I’ve been wanting a Westone Spectrum for a minute... oh well.
theres something special about the early 80s and japan - its not just mats that are good , all the factorys were competing and the result was that they all did great guitars!
Your guitar collection reminds me of that of Guy Mackenzie. It appeals to me far more than people who just collect the usual Gibsons and Fenders. I wish I'd bought up all the interesting guitars when they were selling for beer money. The problem today is that everyone thinks everything is worth a fortune. I don't mind paying a fair price but the prices some people are asking are just ridiculous. They also stay on Ebay for month after month. I had a Westone Raider like the one on your wall but mine was the two-tone orange version. I gave it away to a mate of a mate. My ankles have constant bruising because I kick myself every single day. Never again will I give away a guitar.
yeah i wish id started earlier! there must have been a magic moment where enough folk were on the internet so you could find these guitars but folk hadnt yet worked out how good they are!
Hey man I have a zakk Wylde set just lying around and was wondering if it is worth it to put into this guitar? I have only a cheap practice amp at my current place and I can't rell if the pickups are good or not.
some folk dont like the original pickups , theyre bright and different sounding!, im not a fan of emgs myself but if youre after that sound then it may be the way to go.you would notice a lot more difference with a good amp though as you say.this would be a good question on my sunday livestream...
Way back when...many MANY moons ago... I bought an Electra Phoenix for $105 and a Westone Dimension IV for $35 on ebay (I live in the U.S.). The Phoenix came with paperwork on how to dial in pretty much any guitars sound using the push/pull pots and the settings used. The only sound I have never been able to recreate is a Gretsch. Before you think of changing out the pickups, know that they were specially designed for use in Electra and Westone guitars. Most guitars when you split a humbucker you lose volume. Not so with the stock pickups. I know this much, I would never sell or trade either one of mine for anything. They are by far the most versatile guitars I own ( I own over 300 vintage axes).
Any time I read about people being snooty about the pickups in these and the other Westones, I assume that they're bedroom players and haven't gigged with them. I say this because up loud and through a halfway decent rig they're completely mad and great fun with an awesome sound. I think they were primarily made to be a 'rock' guitar and so might sound a bit too aggressive to some ears.
@@MADMALKO Hehe - it can do pretty too: add a bit of chorus and a bit of compression/sustain, mess about with the controls a bit. It's very good at doing different sounds/styles, despite being a rock monster :)
Hey man can you please send me the link on ebay where these guitars are cheap ($150) ha ha they are as high end as a damn gibson or fender Matsamoku took pride in his instruments I wasn't just about the almighty dollar how could you lie to these people on here and say these are cheap man just because you dont know how to properly use the instrument I can see how you would say that I mean you can riff it up but man if you put your heart and soul into that thing learn where all the pick up and select all the positions right that thig is atone machine that's all I played on for the last 18 years and they put strats amnd gibson to shame because you have any tone you want right tbere in your hands and aren't respecting it damn. these are great guitars guys don't listen to this bullshit the more you talk the less you sound like you know about how a guitar works
hey dude did you actually watch the video? ... these are available for under £150 on ebay all the time here in the uk and im saying its the best guitar you an get for that money....ive got 4 or 5 westones in various shapes and they are pro level guitars
@@MADMALKO sorry man i was just in a raw mood that day I wish they were that cheap over in the US he'll I paid $600 for mine and i could have bought any guitar I wanted at the time
@@joeyarnold9372 i think westone were more a brand for the european market , they sold a LOT of them here, am i right in thinking they did come out in the us but they got the electra brand put on them instead?
@@MADMALKO yeah I'm pretty sure thats the case mine is an 84 Phoenix it says Westone Electra on the head stock man can you tell me why so many people give the stock pickups such a bad rap I think with the proper adjustments they can sound as good as any guitar out there I just love the tone of them
@@MADMALKO i have been thinking about getting another one I would like to find one for $150 I bought mine on eBay it was $640 w/shipping I would like to have the pearl colored model I had the chance to get one when I was a teenager I didn't and regretted it ever since I have only ever seen that one that was back in 1997
Had a mint black spectrum DX years ago great guitars had the spectrum LX active bass to go with it too Sold both when thinning out my collection and needed the cash a few years ago Nice well made heavy guitars Now up in price a fair bit but I'm after another one
I absolutely love these guitars I have black 1984 spectrum LX (Same as captain Brock of SS Hawkwind. Such great, sturdy guitars with a rich tone. . Thanks for reviewing 💪
I think Dave Brock owned 2 westone throughout hawkwinds journey, a spectrum LX and a paduak. As far as I know he still has the spectrum but back in the late 80s had a custom paint job from one or 2 of the album covers.
yeah theres a dvd from hawkwind (feat my fav arthur brown) where brocks playing the spectrum- he never played it when i saw them in glasgow unfortunately.i have a pile of westones but no spectrum series and ive not found a paduuk yet! - currently have a raider 1, clipper vi,prestige 227,concord h2,spectrum 3,thunder 1 bass and a concord bass
I saw Hawkwind in Newcastle on Friday (April 5th) and the Captain was playing a black Spectrum - it sounded fantastic! That’s what brought me to this video - good to hear DB name-checked in the video.
Good video. Picking up a red Westone Spectrum II in red today. It’s a first year 1984. I’ve had a Matsu Aria PE before with T Top buckets. All good stuff and Ijust love the character and necks on the Spectrums. Good quality Woodstock. Thanks
oh ive got a spectrum 3 - i take it the 2 has 2 humbuckers? - the 3 is hsh
I remember these. I always wondered what the Thunder Active ones were like, you know, those with the more or less symmetrical horns a la SG but with a flat body, they require a PP3 style 9v battery onboard..
Nice one, thank you for posting! 🎶🌟👍
oh ive got videos on thunders too! ive deffo done a video of a thunder 1A (the "a" is for active)
Dont bloody tell everyone!
Westone were/are fantastic, I had a Thunder waaay back, brilliant
Actually have a Thunder neck, need to look for sth to rattle it into
yeah ive got my eye open to find a thunder guitar at some point
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all that guff. They are good guitars, that's the bottom line ! Thanks for another one Malko. Was going to say, good enough for Dave Brock.
cheers man!
I love Westones, I have a Spectrum LX bought in 1986. 4 years ago I bought a MIJ Ibanez Prestige. The Spectrum is just a superior guitar ( Alright maybe not the pick ups tbh , but I can always change them) anyway, long story short, I sold the RG and bought a Westone Thunder instead and had change left over to buy an amp too!
haha, i just bought a new westone last week - check my most recent vids
Bought my spectrum sx back in 1989 for £85. About 5 years ago I wanted to upgrade to a Gibson studio - nearly bought a late 80s model but it just wasn’t that much better really. I love it and have maybe 6 westones. Love the thunder one bass as it just feels so solid and nice. I like that they are beginning to rise up in value a bit. Love fiddling with the tuning nuts. Ps have a thunder 2 in blue bought new in 83 ish. Cost £200 and looks great with the thru neck but doesn’t hold tune quite right.
I think I win cheapest spectrum medal. My ST was a tenner in a charity shop in about 2010, it had leopard print fur all over it and it looked like you'd get a nasty disease off it. I absolutely love it. I took the nasty stripper clobber off it long ago but it needs painting. I play it more than any of my other guitars but it was just something me and my dad picked up for a joke.
fantastic!
They’re up in price now. Wish I grabbed one while they were still super cheap. All my guitars are Matsumoku, my faves are Univox... but I’ve been wanting a Westone Spectrum for a minute... oh well.
theres something special about the early 80s and japan - its not just mats that are good , all the factorys were competing and the result was that they all did great guitars!
I have the Spectrum ii and it beats some of the more 'expensive guitars' in my collection
unfortunately folk are starting to realise this and westone spectrums are no longer cheap!
@@MADMALKO I got mine for 170 euro =)
Your guitar collection reminds me of that of Guy Mackenzie. It appeals to me far more than people who just collect the usual Gibsons and Fenders. I wish I'd bought up all the interesting guitars when they were selling for beer money. The problem today is that everyone thinks everything is worth a fortune. I don't mind paying a fair price but the prices some people are asking are just ridiculous. They also stay on Ebay for month after month. I had a Westone Raider like the one on your wall but mine was the two-tone orange version. I gave it away to a mate of a mate. My ankles have constant bruising because I kick myself every single day. Never again will I give away a guitar.
yeah i wish id started earlier! there must have been a magic moment where enough folk were on the internet so you could find these guitars but folk hadnt yet worked out how good they are!
Hey man I have a zakk Wylde set just lying around and was wondering if it is worth it to put into this guitar? I have only a cheap practice amp at my current place and I can't rell if the pickups are good or not.
some folk dont like the original pickups , theyre bright and different sounding!, im not a fan of emgs myself but if youre after that sound then it may be the way to go.you would notice a lot more difference with a good amp though as you say.this would be a good question on my sunday livestream...
Way back when...many MANY moons ago... I bought an Electra Phoenix for $105 and a Westone Dimension IV for $35 on ebay (I live in the U.S.). The Phoenix came with paperwork on how to dial in pretty much any guitars sound using the push/pull pots and the settings used. The only sound I have never been able to recreate is a Gretsch. Before you think of changing out the pickups, know that they were specially designed for use in Electra and Westone guitars. Most guitars when you split a humbucker you lose volume. Not so with the stock pickups. I know this much, I would never sell or trade either one of mine for anything. They are by far the most versatile guitars I own ( I own over 300 vintage axes).
yeah i dont swap out the mmk45s, ridiculous that these guitars have whats still called "modern" wiring 40 years later!
Any time I read about people being snooty about the pickups in these and the other Westones, I assume that they're bedroom players and haven't gigged with them. I say this because up loud and through a halfway decent rig they're completely mad and great fun with an awesome sound. I think they were primarily made to be a 'rock' guitar and so might sound a bit too aggressive to some ears.
Basically dimarzio super distortions!
@@MADMALKO It can do subtle up loud too :D
@@MADMALKO Hehe - it can do pretty too: add a bit of chorus and a bit of compression/sustain, mess about with the controls a bit. It's very good at doing different sounds/styles, despite being a rock monster :)
I like the shape tho tbh
Kinda looks like a wonky start lol
are you a Fifer? you sound like my grandad, but I'm American so maybe I'm way wrong
haha no im a weegie, the kingdom (fife) is about an hour east of me
@@MADMALKO ooof i need to work on my scots then hahaha cheers
Hey man can you please send me the link on ebay where these guitars are cheap ($150) ha ha they are as high end as a damn gibson or fender Matsamoku took pride in his instruments I wasn't just about the almighty dollar how could you lie to these people on here and say these are cheap man just because you dont know how to properly use the instrument I can see how you would say that I mean you can riff it up but man if you put your heart and soul into that thing learn where all the pick up and select all the positions right that thig is atone machine that's all I played on for the last 18 years and they put strats amnd gibson to shame because you have any tone you want right tbere in your hands and aren't respecting it damn. these are great guitars guys don't listen to this bullshit the more you talk the less you sound like you know about how a guitar works
hey dude did you actually watch the video? ... these are available for under £150 on ebay all the time here in the uk and im saying its the best guitar you an get for that money....ive got 4 or 5 westones in various shapes and they are pro level guitars
@@MADMALKO sorry man i was just in a raw mood that day I wish they were that cheap over in the US he'll I paid $600 for mine and i could have bought any guitar I wanted at the time
@@joeyarnold9372 i think westone were more a brand for the european market , they sold a LOT of them here, am i right in thinking they did come out in the us but they got the electra brand put on them instead?
@@MADMALKO yeah I'm pretty sure thats the case mine is an 84 Phoenix it says Westone Electra on the head stock man can you tell me why so many people give the stock pickups such a bad rap I think with the proper adjustments they can sound as good as any guitar out there I just love the tone of them
@@MADMALKO i have been thinking about getting another one I would like to find one for $150 I bought mine on eBay it was $640 w/shipping I would like to have the pearl colored model I had the chance to get one when I was a teenager I didn't and regretted it ever since I have only ever seen that one that was back in 1997
Had a mint black spectrum DX years ago great guitars had the spectrum LX active bass to go with it too
Sold both when thinning out my collection and needed the cash a few years ago
Nice well made heavy guitars
Now up in price a fair bit but I'm after another one
yeah theyve got more expensive since i sold this one!
Foo l boy