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These are not remotely the same as the typical Spectrums with creaky trem units and ugly headstocks which are what unfortunately Westone later became known for.
Likewise Aria was once nearly on a par with Ibanez and Yamaha - their SB basses in particular were some of the highest-quality instruments to ever come out of Japan in the late 70s and early 80s - but after the Matsumoku factory closed they moved production to Korea and went very rapidly downhill. By the mid 90s they were terrible, and although they're a bit better now, they've never really recovered their reputation.
It's a bit like wondering why JV Squiers sell for upwards of £500 if you're only familiar with the Affinity Series...
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
Each to their own and all that but if you search you can find a Gibson 335 for only a couple of hundred more.
I agree with you about many of the models - they were always a bit 'lumpy' even compared to the Arias of the same period - but the Rainbow really is surprisingly different and good, in fact the ones I've played have been better than an Aria TA series and not far off an Ibanez AS. It is a big problem with some of these older Japanese brands, there can be huge differences between different parts of the range.
Have a look at these pics and see if you think it looks like the type of Westones you remember…
https://www.greenwoodsmusic.co.uk/product-page/1982-westone-rainbow-1-birds-eye-maple-natural
Trust me, the Rainbow is a good guitar.
And the Watkins Rapier isn't .
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
Totally agree, the ones I played never felt as sophisticated as their competitors. Always willing to be proved wrong though, so might have to try another rainbow before taring with the brush of memory.
And Watkins are best kept for firewood!
https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/lot-images.atgmedia.com/SR/10623/2872028/4-2013530135819_540x360.jpg
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
https://reverb.com/uk/item/4648454-nice-original-westone-thunder-1a-guitar-1980s-with-westone-period-case?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI0fTfjMz01QIVrbztCh3hcAFPEAQYASABEgIRbPD_BwE&pla=1
I was always dismissive of them because the "through neck" was simply a cosmetic feature, although some of the better models did have proper ones. Subtlety is not a feature of the active circuitry either, if I remember!
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
I'll give you that the rainbow looks much closer to an Aria or Ibanez of the era and some of those were very good solid instruments.
I do think some Westone models are overpriced at the moment, but the really nice models are right up there on quality with he best.
Formerly TheGuitarWeasel ... Oil City Pickups ... Oil City Blog 7 String.org profile and message
You can play spot the Rainbow in this ( FF to about 4:35 for a clearer shot) .
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I was lucky enough to buy a beautiful sunburst Rainbow II from a guy in a brocante in Belgium for the equivalent of £70 about twenty years ago. The electrics were somewhat corroded, but the body pretty well unmarked, so I replaced the pickups, and pots - and having had it professionally set-up a little over a year ago, absolutely love it. As guitar reviewers have said since, these Matsuko guitars are beautifully made and finished, and it's a real pleasure to play, as a Gibson-style twin humbucker alternative to my Fender Strat. There are some notable detractors commenting here, but no-one should be put off buying one, preferably if they have the chance to try it first. I think these are nice, playable guitars - and yes, I say that as someone who used to have a Les Paul. As far as I'm concerned, my Westone Rainbow II is a very good alternative to a Gibson 335, as well as being a very good lookalike! I'm happy with it, and love it!