In China, manufacturers have also commercialized copies of traditional US guitars with the Westone brand. Another revival of the brand came in 2010 when German company Musik-Meyer began producing Weston-branded copies of traditional instruments from other companies, such as the Fender Stratocaster, Fender Telecaster and Gibson Les Paul. In 1998, renowned luthier Sid Poole built some prestige guitars in England under the Westone name. Many Westone guitars and basses have since become collectors items. Though initially popularized as inexpensive, entry-level guitars particularly useful for students, the transition to Asian manufacturing in the 80s brought a fundamental change in production, with designers emphasizing features such as custom pickups and electronics. Whether you already own a Westone guitar or are considering buying one, this site will give you the most accurate information about Westone. Louis Music replaced the Westone brand name by Alvarez in 1991. This site is devoted to the Westone brand of guitars and basses that WERE (note the past tense) made originally by Matsumoku of Japan from 1981 to 1987/88, and subsequently by SLM from 1987/88 to 1991. With Matsumoku ceasing operations in 1987, production was moved to Korea in 1988 and most of the innovative models disappeared. The majority of Westone guitars of the 1980s were made by the Matsumoku factory in Japan and imported by St.
In 1984, they merged both brands to make the "Electra-Westone" brand, before dropping "Electra" from the name entirely from 1985 onwards. They began importing the Westone-branded guitars to the United States as a replacement for their previous line of Custom Kraft–brand instruments manufactured for them by Kay and Valco since the mid-1950s.Įlectra was also a brand of St.
Louis Music registered the Westone mark in the United States in 1976 to market Matsumoku instruments in the country. The first guitars to bear the Westone name were made by manufacturers in East Germany and Italy until 1975, when Japanese company Matsumoku acquired the rights to the Westone name, producing acoustic guitars and copies of some US models.