Guitar Info

Recently on Guitarz we've been looking at several of the 1980s Matsumoko-made Westone guitars. The above-pictured guitar is another of the pointier examples of the species, the Westone Raider I, this one currently being offered for sale on eBay UK, with the auction ending in just over 12 hours as I type this.

Of course, with a pointy guitar of this age there are the inevitable knocks to the extremities, but that considered this example looks to be in very good condition.

When we looked at the Westone X5RD Monark the other day, Grk! commented "I've a soft spot for Westone's pointy guitars. The only really gruesome one is the Raider, especially with that two-tone sparkle. Have you ever seen any actual metallers play one of those? I've only seen it on the cover of a Culture Club single & being twanged by one of We've Got a Fuzzbox & We're Gonna Use It!"

Well as I recall, it was one of the cheapest guitars in the Westone catalogue at the time so perhaps many bands thought it was too "budget" to be seen with. But I also remember The Damned appearing on the BBC comedy show The Young Ones in 1984 with guitarist Roman Jugg using a Westone Raider I in two-tone glitter finish. (The Damned later toured their "Phantasmagoria" album with lead singer Dave Vanian playing this same guitar for one song each night.)

G L Wilson

© 2011, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!

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Back in November 2010 here on Guitarz, David presented us with what he called The Coolest Guitar Ever Built, and - hey - if it's that cool, it's worth looking at another example. This particular example, as pictured above, was recently offered for sale on eBay and sold for $1,299.

And if you want to see it in action, here are a couple of Sharp Fives in the hands of The Ventures.

G L Wilson

© 2011, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!

Bertram

© 2011, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!

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We've looked at a very generic 1960s Japanese guitar bearing the Noble brandname here on Guitarz before. The above-pictured Noble guitar is much more interesting. It has a few Mosrite influences, but still manages to look original. Well, having said that I'm sure I've seen some similar Kawai guitars. Notice also the N-shaped inlays on the fretboard, which are identical to those used on guitars from this era bearing the Norma brandname.

G L Wilson

© 2011, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!

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Now do you see what I mean about Westones often being ugly?

Yes, this is another Japanese Matsumoko-made Westone guitar from the 1980s. I'd guess mid-80s because it seemed that about then every guitar manufacturer was trying to come up with some twist of their own on the V-design. This Westone X5RD Monark looks like a sawn-off Flying V, or else an inverted Jackson Randy Rhoads style. In keeping with guitars of this ilk it is very very pointy; it's another one you could impale yourself on.

G L Wilson

© 2011, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!

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Westone Guitars, built by the now legendary Matsumoko factory of Japan, were hugely popular in the 1980s and rightly so. They were exceedingly well built but at the same time were usually very affordable. The one drawback, for me at least, was that many of their models were decidedly ugly looking (which didn't stop me owning a Westone Thunder I-A fretless bass). This one, however, the Westone Rainbow from 1981 is quite a beauty, which I guess is understandable seeing as it was their top of the range model at the time. Obviously it's inspired by the Gibson 335 semi-hollow body, and I'd guess that it'd have the same construction featuring the solid block through the middle of the body. This example also features a discrete flower design, which is said to be original to the guitar and not a later addition (the seller says it was a "review model").

This guitar is currently being offered for sale on eBay, and with less than eight hours to go as I type this it has garnered quite a lot of interest and bids already.

G L Wilson

© 2011, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!

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Eric Mecum
www.ericmecum.com

© 2011, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!