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Electra/Westone club
- Thread starter thehamsterman
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Thunder 1 before and after grain fill. I removed those dreadful EMGs while I was at it and took the gloss off the back of the neck. I like a thin satin danish oil rubbed finish back there.
grain filling filled in the crack around the tone knob
grain filling filled in the crack around the tone knob
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So I've been playing the Genesis exclusively for a couple months now and absolutely love it! Haven't even touched my Jazz Bass (previously my main instrument) aside from practicing at home with it. Played 5 or 6 gigs with the Westone before I played a solo I didn't like. Typically I'm around 50/50 on them, hahaha! It is a bit of a reach to that first fret, but I don't usually play much lower than the third fret unless I'm in F or F#.
I do have a question about throwing a Hipshot Xtender on the E-string. Anybody done that around here and know which one fits it right? Looks like they have a few available with that Y-style tuning machine head.
I do have a question about throwing a Hipshot Xtender on the E-string. Anybody done that around here and know which one fits it right? Looks like they have a few available with that Y-style tuning machine head.
HA I love it. Westones: They make your solos perfect!
I've never tried a detuner. I've become pretty quick at manually tuning to D. There is something about hearing that "Beeeeeeooooow" E to D transition that lets everyone know "We're going down folks" And I kinda love that. When I hear that sound as a member of an audience it's always kind of exciting, so perhaps there are more people like me
so I wouldn't get one.There also seems to be a glut of fabulous Spectrum basses out there. I've seen a bunch go for less than $100 recently I might be picking up a GT for $75 later today... I don't get it, I prefer a Spectrum to a Fender bass every day of the week.
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I've been fighting the temptation to get a Westone guitar to match my bass, there seem to be quite a few of them out there and Westone made so many nice models and finishes. Problem is I need a new instrument like I need a hole in my head...
Don't come to Europe £2-300 is the going rate
And there's no shortage of them. No idea who the distributor was in 80s UK but boy did they do their job well. Almost every music shop stocked them,adverts in all the music press(there was no dedicated magazines just Sounds,
Melody Maker & NME).The big coup was Henry "The Thumb" Thomas bass player on the national TV show "Rock School" endorsing them.
Every kid entering a shop knew instantly what a Westone was thanks to Henry's great playing.
Have you folks saw this one ? Think the fella's priced himself out the market myself
Westone THE RAIL Bass Guitar with Case Vintage
My band rented a practice space today that has a TC Electronics bass amp in it. I brought my Westone Spectrum along and plugged it in.
Did not like.
One thing I've noticed about the Westone is that it is very picky about amps and signal chains. Through my Ampeg heads? Great thick, growly sound. But through that TC combo? Yuck, had a really harsh overtone honk that I couldn't dial out no matter what I did. I also tried a Darkglass b3k in front of it and still not good.
I've used that amp before, with my Rickenbacker I think, and didn't really like it then, either, but the Westone is even harder to please. Better stick with my Ampeg I guess.
Did not like.
One thing I've noticed about the Westone is that it is very picky about amps and signal chains. Through my Ampeg heads? Great thick, growly sound. But through that TC combo? Yuck, had a really harsh overtone honk that I couldn't dial out no matter what I did. I also tried a Darkglass b3k in front of it and still not good.
I've used that amp before, with my Rickenbacker I think, and didn't really like it then, either, but the Westone is even harder to please. Better stick with my Ampeg I guess.
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I bought my first Westone this week. $230 with the original case (even reeks/wreaks of 30 years of hair metal). Brought her to practice and plugged her in for a first listen without testing. Holy f'balls! Best sounding low notes in the stable. The high notes were a bit anemic, but I swapped it in mid-practice and my amp eq was set for an active PJ bass. One very happy dude here.
I bought my first Westone this week. $230 with the original case (even reeks/wreaks of 30 years of hair metal). Brought her to practice and plugged her in for a first listen without testing. Holy f'balls! Best sounding low notes in the stable. The high notes were a bit anemic, but I swapped it in mid-practice and my amp eq was set for an active PJ bass. One very happy dude here.
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Plus, that thing looks like it weighs about 5 1/2 pounds. A mini metal power house.
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I bought my first Westone this week. $230 with the original case (even reeks/wreaks of 30 years of hair metal). Brought her to practice and plugged her in for a first listen without testing. Holy f'balls! Best sounding low notes in the stable. The high notes were a bit anemic, but I swapped it in mid-practice and my amp eq was set for an active PJ bass. One very happy dude here.
I already have one of the greatest Westones, a near mint Thunder III, Now I have (what may be) the Worst Westone Ever!!! Look at this HOT MESS.
It has all the parts and came with a set of active EMGs along with the original pickups, and also a first edition Leo Quan Bad Ass bridge which eBays for >$100, so I did pretty well. ($60 for all)
It's just an absolutely HORID refinish including headstock complete with unfinished pickup reroute lines and a DIY JACOfied defret with fretboard chipout and piss-poor fret filling
Wish me luck, I'm going to need it.
It has all the parts and came with a set of active EMGs along with the original pickups, and also a first edition Leo Quan Bad Ass bridge which eBays for >$100, so I did pretty well. ($60 for all)
It's just an absolutely HORID refinish including headstock complete with unfinished pickup reroute lines and a DIY JACOfied defret with fretboard chipout and piss-poor fret filling
Wish me luck, I'm going to need it.
That is horrible! Would've been better just to kill the poor instrument quickly than to put it through that long misery. Hopefully you can bring it back to a respectable level.
BTW, when you say "original pickup", you aren't talking about those P-pickups are you? It looks like the original pickup was a Westone Magnabass, probably a Magnabass I or II. See that wooden insert with the P-pickup routed in it? That's the shape of a stock Magnabass pickup enclosure. Spectrum DX and Spectrum ST basses had one Magnabass pickup like that.
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Good luck!
BTW, when you say "original pickup", you aren't talking about those P-pickups are you? It looks like the original pickup was a Westone Magnabass, probably a Magnabass I or II. See that wooden insert with the P-pickup routed in it? That's the shape of a stock Magnabass pickup enclosure. Spectrum DX and Spectrum ST basses had one Magnabass pickup like that.
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Good luck!
Oh yeah you are absolutely right. Why didn't I think of that. My brain quit before considering the routing going on there. And I even own a Spectrum DX. HA :/ Since it came with an old set of P bass pickups I was thinking it was one of these,
and they had somehow aborted a plan to add a Magnabass... absurd I know.
and they had somehow aborted a plan to add a Magnabass... absurd I know.
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,600
- 222,001
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
I already have one of the greatest Westones, a near mint Thunder III, Now I have (what may be) the Worst Westone Ever!!! Look at this HOT MESS.
It has all the parts and came with a set of active EMGs along with the original pickups, and also a first edition Leo Quan Bad Ass bridge which eBays for >$100, so I did pretty well. ($60 for all)
It's just an absolutely HORID refinish including headstock complete with unfinished pickup reroute lines and a DIY JACOfied defret with fretboard chipout and piss-poor fret filling
Wish me luck, I'm going to need it.
Subbed for turning it around - are you going to leave it fretless or plain and install frets? And what's up with the tr adjustment?
I'm going to leave it fretless, but it will take a fair amount of sanding. It's too easy to get cheap Westones to justify a major overhaul. The TR nut was loosened all the way and just floating around in the adjustment hole, I'm glad it hadn't fallen out. Once tightened up it seems fine and holds tension.Subbed for turning it around - are you going to leave it fretless or plain and install frets? And what's up with the tr adjustment?
I may just sell the BADASS and steal the tuners and EMGs for another project and throw the rest into my 'rainy day poop pit'
All the catalogs say the Spectrum ST has a solid maple body. The catalogs lie, this one (1985) looks like a cheap laminate glued over 2x4 lumber. I'm bummed, I spent over an hour stripping it and making a mess. Some of the stripper even helped delaminate part of it, so even painting would be trouble 
but alas it will be my plan.
My Spectrum DX (1986) is beautiful maple and I was excited for more of the same. I like maple.
Do a thorough control cavity scrape before sanding down a Spectrum.
Anyhow, the RAT SPECTRUM REMODEL is underway. I realized I had a Magnabass pickup cover, so I'm going in that direction. check out the terrible sketch in the neck pocket, It's staying
My goal is too make more selling the BADASS bridge than the entire thing cost, and I'll have a playable / good sounding / not terribly embarrassing fretless bass when I'm done.
but alas it will be my plan.My Spectrum DX (1986) is beautiful maple and I was excited for more of the same. I like maple.
Do a thorough control cavity scrape before sanding down a Spectrum.
Anyhow, the RAT SPECTRUM REMODEL is underway. I realized I had a Magnabass pickup cover, so I'm going in that direction. check out the terrible sketch in the neck pocket, It's staying
My goal is too make more selling the BADASS bridge than the entire thing cost, and I'll have a playable / good sounding / not terribly embarrassing fretless bass when I'm done.
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FYI A common 'EMG size' pickup slides right inside a magna bass cover snug as a bug.
also pictured is the sanded disappointing surprise laminate and pickup reroute fill.
also pictured is the sanded disappointing surprise laminate and pickup reroute fill.
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- Sep 19, 2004
- 102
- 30
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- Endorcing Artist:BNA Audio, Boothill bass strings.
I must lighten my load. The more I play, the more I realize my body doesn't agree with the way a Thunder or Spectrum hangs on me. I've put two Westones up on my Reverb page. both set up well, sounding great playing great and needing nothing. Don't worry, I'm keeping my Thunder III and Spectrum DX. I've got too much love wrapped up in those two.
dans-gear-outlet-164
if anyone needs a $10 Reverb coupon for any reason, take this
Reverb Refer-A-Friend
dans-gear-outlet-164
if anyone needs a $10 Reverb coupon for any reason, take this
Reverb Refer-A-Friend
