Westone Super Headless Bass #2

guitarz.blogspot.com:

Steve Conner writes:

I was reading your Guitarz blog and came across a picture of a Westone Super Headless! I have one too, which I bought second-hand 2 years ago, in McCormack's Music in Glasgow. I couldn't resist the bird's eye maple finish. The frets were badly worn from the previous owner's slapping and popping, but it plays fine, and I used it for quite a few gigs with my old band.

I've attached a pic and would be very happy if you'd feature it.

Steve

Nice one, Steve. I think I prefer that finish to the red and black example we looked at before, as striking as that was.

I notice that this one has different pickups - they were more Jazz Bass-like on the red and black bass (X900TPR). Do you know if yours has a different model designation?

G L Wilson

ADDITIONAL - Steve replies:

Re your question, the Super Headless came in a few different versions:
http://www.westone.info/cats/1985headless/p3.html

The "FS" with single coil pickups and a choice of red or light oak finishes, and the "RC" with humbuckers and birdseye maple, which is the one I've got.

Mine is missing the cover plate with the Westone logo.

Steve

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Westone X900TPR Super Headless Bass

guitarz.blogspot.com:
In the 1980s Westone guitars and basses seemed to be everywhere. Built in the now legendary Matsumoko factory in Japan, these instruments offered high quality at an affordable price. Another factor in their favour was that they had their own original designs and were not merely copies of the same old Fender and Gibson models. I remember when I was looking for a bass guitar on a budget, I ended up buying a new Westone Thunder I-A fretless for £175. There was no way that I was going to buy a "copy", that would not have been cool. Even though I thought the Westone was ugly (and to be honest, I think a lot of their designs were) I could see that it was a well-made instrument.

It's nice to see that these old Westones have kept their value. If I'd kept my old Thunder I-A fretless, I could probably sell it now for over £200. Bearing that in mind, the above-pictured top of the line Westone X900TPR Super Headless Bass seems a mere snip at a Buy It Now price of £299. It is of through-neck construction, as were Westone's higher-end instruments, and features an active EQ. Unlike many Westones, this isn't ugly at all. The curves of the body are quite attractive, to my eyes at least. Note the interesting contouring with a lower-levelled area around the lower horn. This was probably designed to aid the slap and popping style of playing that was popular in the 1980s, but we won't let that detract from the beauty of this bass.

It's nice also to see a headless bass from this period with a full-size body instead of being another minimalist rectangular-shaped Steinberger rip-off.

G L Wilson

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Westone Rail Bass

Following the introduction of the revolutionary Steinberger bass in the mid-80s the market was soon flooded with cheap copies and clones of these minimalistic small-bodied headless basses.

One of the more unusual was Westone's Rail Bass, as seen here.

The minimalist body looks especially peculiar as it is divided into two sections connected only by two metal rods - the "rails" in the bass's name - upon which sits a sliding pickup. This is a very cunning way of getting a whole bunch of different tones out of a single pickup.

Of course, sliding pickups have been done before - Gibson's Ripper Bass, and Wilkes Guitars "The Answer", but the Westone Rail must be the oddest looking. There was also a Rail 6-string guitar, although this may have been a prototype only, I don't think it ever went into production.

Gene Simmons autographed Westone Warlock bass

This Gene Simmons autographed Westone Warlock bass is quite neat, as apparently he won't sign guitars any more. Being a Westone it ought to be a nice quality instrument too. I had a Westone Thunder I-A fretless bass years back and it was a fantastic bass. I always regret getting rid of that one.

Pictured below is another bass that looks like it should (or could) be played by the Kiss bassmeister himself. Apparently it's a Toshiya bass (never heard of them) and to my eyes it looks as if the design has been based on a left-handed Rickenbacker.

Your Guitars: Andy's Pew Bass

Andy's done it again! Following his Les Pew guitar build, Andy found he still had some offcuts of the church pew he'd used left over.

I'll let him take over and tell you the story in his own words:

Here's my home made headless bass. It has a pine body made from wood from a 1856 church pew and keeps the original finish! (We've been there before haven't we?) The hardware and neck are from a Westone Thunder I-A. Unlike other headless designs it uses the original standard bass tuners which are spaced apart by running the outer (E & G) strings around rollers which were made from the Westone's brass control knobs!

The body is largely hollow and contains the active electronics and two 9 volt batteries (the lower fin or wing unbolts to access them). I feel my mini head is a better idea than the 'standard' headless design as it does away with any wood screws going straight into the neck's end grain and weakening it, also it prevents any string tension being transmitted into the fingerboard which could cause the glue to fail and the board detach from the neck.

It has a great vibrant tone (far better than the Westone's muddy thud!) and sounds quite loud acoustically. It also balances perfectly on a strap and on your lap. (More by luck than judgment!)

Please post you comments, either good or bad I'm interested in what you make of it! And I'll try to answer any questions.

Andy

More guitars, etc, on my myspace.

It's nice to see imaginative recycling such as this in action. Andy claims that this build didn't cost him a penny!

UPDATE: Andy has provided some more photos so as to better illustrate how the tuners are located.


Andy says that the roller support bracket in the tuners photos was made from a bracket from an old school chair!