Westone Basses

[kevbass]

Right, I need the advice of some fellow bass geeks please. can anyone shed a little light about the background of these basses [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VINTAGE-90ger-EKO-MM-300-MUSICMAN-ELECTRIC-BASS-GUITAR_W0QQitemZ230235096034QQihZ013QQcategoryZ23300QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VINTAGE-90ger-EKO-MM...1QQcmdZViewItem[/url] Ive been on the look for a stingray style bass to pimp for a while, and although the sx stingray copy is still a front runner I thought perhaps this might be worth a look, does anyone know much about this brand and this particular model?

help much appreciated

Kev

[budget bassist]

I'm not sure westone ever made one of them but in case they did all the info you need is [url="http://www.westone.info/indexbasses.html"]here[/url]. After a brief look it appears westone didn't make that and someone has just slapped a westone sticker on a cheap musicman copy.

Westone are a japanese made brand made in the 1980's in the matsumoku factory. They were high quality instruments and there's still a lot of them around today because they were so well built. I'm after one actually...

[OutToPlayJazz]

Hi Kev, have a look at the Crafter Cruiser Ray copy. Great quality & amazing value!

[allighatt0r]

Get a message to Jon (Bassassin) if you can, he's a walking encyclopedia on JapCrap such as this, and should be able to give you the info you need, I'm afraid i can't help you out much myself sorry...

Although, how come the main item picture is natural, and the actual item is black...

Edited March 28, 2008 by allighatt0r

[mic mac moe]

Mazetti make a decent 'Ray copy.Find 'em via th'Ebay!! A cracking humbucker bass though is Aria Integra IGB-68.Fantastic!

[ahpook]

[quote name='budget bassist' post='165489' date='Mar 28 2008, 07:22 PM']After a brief look it appears westone didn't make that and someone has just slapped a westone sticker on a cheap musicman copy.

Westone are a japanese made brand made in the 1980's in the matsumoku factory. They were high quality instruments and there's still a lot of them around today because they were so well built. I'm after one actually...[/quote]


plus the one...westone never made a stingray copy.

i've got a frankenwestone fretless and owned a thunder 1a for years...amazing basses.

[budget bassist]

Is the thunder any good? i really want one, could probably get one off the bay for £100 or so...

[ahpook]

[quote name='budget bassist' post='165680' date='Mar 29 2008, 01:16 AM']Is the thunder any good? i really want one, could probably get one off the bay for £100 or so...[/quote]

i loved mine...great sound, lovely neck.

if i didn't have far too many basses i'd buy another in an instant !

[Bassassin]

Interesting, that. Westone's only a brand name, & according to the Westone.info site has been used on "guitars and basses made under the Westone name in China or Korea since the late 1990s, which all seem to be copies of other makes". So I'm guessing that's what this thing is. The listing's a cock-up, and the title & description pertain to an Eko MM copy, elsewhere in the seller's listings, which fits the above description pretty well too.

I think you'll find a half-decent MM copy for a bit less than 200 sovs - and it's worth bearing in mind that there were, as far as I know, no JapCrap Ray copies - the Ray was launched at the point when the Jap builders were moving towards original designs - and getting legal grief from pissed-off American corporations.

The seller's other listings are faintly interesting to anyone with a soft spot for the obscure & oriental - but the definition of "Japanese" here seems to be anywhere east of Berlin...

And yes - Thunders are very good.

Jon.

[kevbass]

Thanks guys, I did send a message to the guy and he said he wasnt sure but reckons it was made in korea around the 90's, so presumably westone still make copy basses or did they cease back in the 90's?

[Musky]

As Jon points out, Westone was just a brand name so they don't actually make the basses. A manufacturer would just be contracted to make them. Until sometime in 1987 that would have been Matsumoku, after which production shifted to Korea and the production of more nondescript copies. The brand seems to have disappeared for most of the nineties before being revived.

The reputation for quality was established when they were made by Matsumoku, who knew a thing or two about making good instruments, and these are the ones to watch out for. There's nothing to suggest that the instruments made under the Westone brand now has anything to do with these pre '87 instruments - the Matsumoku factory was destroyed in 1987, and the brand name has probably been sold on. Doubtless the factory that is making these copies also produces identical instruments with other brand names slapped on the headstock. It's really a case that it's manufacturer you have to keep an eye out for rather than the brand name.

[budget bassist]

Ah yeah that's probably the case, i wouldn't trust anything after 87 tbh.

If you want a half decent musicman copy though i say go for OLP, not bad quality, nice sound and they just started making some even better ones you can find on ebay with the smaller MM style bridge rather than that big ass looking one and dual humbuckers.

EDIT: give [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-OLP-by-Music-Man-Stingray-4S-2-HB-aktiv-Super-Bass_W0QQitemZ330222402541QQihZ014QQcategoryZ4713QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"]this[/url] a look, or you could wait until a cheap sub bass comes up like i did, closest you'll get to a stingray without actually owning one IMO. Mine was £350 BIN, sometimes you can pick them up a bit cheaper than that, sometimes a bit more but i think that's about the benchmark.

EDIT again: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Music-Man-SUB-Bass-Black_W0QQitemZ260225019648QQihZ016QQcategoryZ4713QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"]here's[/url] a sub that's on now! 99p start with reserve. Looks to be in alright nick.

Edited March 29, 2008 by budget bassist

[Krysbass]

[quote name='Musky' post='165748' date='Mar 29 2008, 10:15 AM']As Jon points out, Westone was just a brand name so they don't actually make the basses. A manufacturer would just be contracted to make them. Until sometime in 1987 that would have been Matsumoku, after which production shifted to Korea and the production of more nondescript copies. The brand seems to have disappeared for most of the nineties before being revived.

The reputation for quality was established when they were made by Matsumoku, who knew a thing or two about making good instruments, and these are the ones to watch out for. There's nothing to suggest that the instruments made under the Westone brand now has anything to do with these pre '87 instruments - the Matsumoku factory was destroyed in 1987, and the brand name has probably been sold on. Doubtless the factory that is making these copies also produces identical instruments with other brand names slapped on the headstock. It's really a case that it's manufacturer you have to keep an eye out for rather than the brand name.[/quote]

As far as I'm aware, Westone started as an "own brand" of Matsumoku in Japan, at least up to the point where the Matsumoku factory was destroyed. This is why it's no accident that the Westone Thunder basses in particular have many similarities in appearance, materials, and quality with the original Aria SB basses, which were made by Matsumoku for Aria.

Edited March 30, 2008 by Krysbass

[Longmayyourun]

[quote name='ahpook' post='165688' date='Mar 29 2008, 02:38 AM']i loved mine...great sound, lovely neck.

if i didn't have far too many basses i'd buy another in an instant ![/quote]

I'll second that. Nicest neck I've ever had (Pre '87 Thunder 1) despite a few Ps and Js passing through my hands. Bomb proof, reliable and sounds great

[Jono Bolton]

[quote name='budget bassist' post='165859' date='Mar 29 2008, 03:08 PM']Ah yeah that's probably the case, i wouldn't trust anything after 87 tbh.

If you want a half decent musicman copy though i say go for OLP, not bad quality, nice sound and they just started making some even better ones you can find on ebay with the smaller MM style bridge rather than that big ass looking one and dual humbuckers.

EDIT: give [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-OLP-by-Music-Man-Stingray-4S-2-HB-aktiv-Super-Bass_W0QQitemZ330222402541QQihZ014QQcategoryZ4713QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"]this[/url] a look, or you could wait until a cheap sub bass comes up like i did, closest you'll get to a stingray without actually owning one IMO. Mine was £350 BIN, sometimes you can pick them up a bit cheaper than that, sometimes a bit more but i think that's about the benchmark.

EDIT again: [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Music-Man-SUB-Bass-Black_W0QQitemZ260225019648QQihZ016QQcategoryZ4713QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"]here's[/url] a sub that's on now! 99p start with reserve. Looks to be in alright nick.[/quote]

I spied that OLP the other day, although I was looking at the 5 string version. That took some serious restraint to stop me from living on beans for a month.

[budget bassist]

[quote name='jono b' post='166419' date='Mar 30 2008, 06:18 PM']I spied that OLP the other day, although I was looking at the 5 string version. That took some serious restraint to stop me from living on beans for a month.[/quote]
Nice basses them, they've got a really nice sound and pretty damn close to a real MM, also i much prefer them for the fact that the bridge is right, i don't get on with those silly ones that are extended about an inch longer, also sterling ball (owner of EBMM) said of the forum that the last batch of OLP's (the one you were looking at) were much better than the old ones and they're out of production now as they didn't renew the contract so if you're thinking of snapping one up now's the time!

Alternatively you could wait until the NEW olps are released as sterling ball is working on starting a new contract with another company and see what they're like.