Spectrum II Review

Features:	10
Sound:	8
Action:	8
Reliability:	10
Impression:	10
Overall rating:	9.2
Users rating:	3.4
Comments:	7

This is a fairly Strat shaped guitar with no pickguard. It has 22 frets with a rosewood fret board and a maple neck.

overall: 9.2

Reviewed by: BassDude2737, on may 19, 2005

Price paid: $ 250

Purchased from: Small Dealer

Features: Vintage guitar made in the '80s. The company that made it went out of buisness but was baught by Alvarez. It has 22 frets with a rosewood fret board and a maple neck. It is a deep black color and has a Strat body style. I had had a Ibanez before it with a non-locking whammy bridge so now I really apreciate the locking floyd rose. It has a volume a tone knob and a humbucker selector. This selecter really gives the guitar a warmer sound when turned on. It has two humbuckers and one Strat. I know that almost nobody has heard of this brand but it is really awesome. // 10

Sound: It goes along with my eighties hard rock band wonderfully. I use it with a crate thirty watt amp coupled to a 200 watt driving head that goes into an eighteen inch woofer. It is noisy all the time it just depends on what setting. However I got the guitar used, so it could be that the jack hasn't been replaced since it was made. I really haven't opened it up to see. There are a ton of screws in the back panel so that kind of sucks it a realy hassel to get the back off. I normally keep the guitar with the selector between the front and middle pickups. It gives the guitar a warm sound, but with a slight, shall we say, twang. It give a great blues sound. But it can be also very raw when set on rear pickup with tone down. Perfect Yngwie sound. This thing handles like a champ. I'm doing deep whammy dives a lot and it never goes out of tune! // 8

Action, Fit & Finish: As I said I got it used so I think the guy I got it from adjusted some stuff so that he could sell if more easy. The action was fine although I would like the pickups to ride a little higher, I don't think that they are getting a really good signal. The top frets are corroded I'm still trying to figure out why. There is some super glue on the thriteenth fret and the quarter inch jack needs replacing. There are some minor blemishes on the body, but it is a realy champ. // 8

Reliability & Durability: This guitar will last forever. The strings never break, I bend the crap out of them and I have never had one pop. I love the floyd rose. The finish although it looks to have been bashed around will last forever. Just like this guitar was made to do. // 10

Impression: I was playing on an Ibanez before I got this guitar. I perfer the pickup configuration of the Ibanez but you just can't beat the tone of the dual humbuckers. If it was stolen I probably wouldn't be able to replace it but, if I could I would. My favorite feauture is the floyd rose absolutely beautiful. But the thing is, is that it's not about the name it's about if you like the chunk of wood that it's built on. // 10

Comments

[dmking2]

I had a Westone guitar YEARS ago, and unfortunately can't remember what model it was, but that thing kicked serious ass! Definitely a guitar that could take a serious beating and still out-perform the competition. I would love to have that guitar back, but unfortunately at the time, life got in the way and forced me to sell it. If you have a chance to pick up one of these gems, do it without hestation. You absolutely will not regret dropping the cash on it!

[broozer]

i just bought a westone the other day and it has a floyd rose too and im thinkin that its prolly the best thing ive ever bought

[FACE_MELTER666]

i have a westone pantera x 390 its insane

[tt44]

I've got a Westone Pantera too, it's green and has 2 humbuckers and a Kahler tremolo. I got it for 20 bucks, it kicks some ass. It's great for bluesy rock

[Demonikk]

Got me a Westone Goth a few years back. Taken a helluva beating, almost half the paint's been thrashed off but it keeps on playing great!

[d3zza]

ive had a 2nd hand westone spectrum gt for 2 years now, its copped some abuse from the previous owner, but it still plays well, the action is great for soloing. this thing is built to last! they should change the definition of durable to "westone".

[Morbius77]

My First Guitar with a Floyd Rose Locking Tremolo was Westone Spectrum. I bought it second hand back in the early 90's (1993 I think). The Previous owner was my guitar instructor's son. It had a Seymour Duncan Invader in the Bridge and a run of the mill bucker in the neck.

It had the nicest fretboard I had ever seen, with a custom inlay job. and the neck was FAST as all get out.

Was a GREAT deal for $150 on my student discount, and with that invader, it was a MEAN Distortion Monster with a nice FAT sound.