Looking to trade my Westone Thunder 1 for an El Degas

[DanW]

Hi. This is my first post on this site. It's really cool to read all this stuff about El Degas (I can't believe six weeks ago I knew nothing about these wonderful guitars.) SIx weeks ago I was introduced to El Degas guitars when I picked up an El Degas 680 (best $200 I've ever spent on a guitar) on a whim because I wanted an Ibanez Artist but couldn't afford the price tag. What can I say? I love the thing. Forget Ibanez. The ED 680 is a real monster. I'm hooked.

Unfortunately, I don't really have any spare cash at the moment to buy a second El Degas. So I'm wondering if anyone here might be interested in trading an El Degas for a Westone Thunder I (MIJ, early 80s)?

(Hopefully it's ok to post this here since a Westone is not an El Degas but it is a similar era Made in Japan guitar, maybe same factory even.)

You can see pics in my ad here:
http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell ... Z371466148

I'm mainly looking for an El Degas Les Paul or SG copy but would definitely consider other models.

I live about 10 minutes north of Toronto.

[charles]

That Westone is quite pretty. Best of luck, I hope you find a trade here

[Barry]

Hello Dan, I'm a member of the Westone forum and I had posted your ad in the For Sale section there already. Although these are fantastic guitars, the knock against yours is that the original pickups were removed! That's not to say that the replacements are poor, but the MMK45's are very much coveted by for our members and hard to come by.

That said, you might try contacting board member Frenchy here. He's both an el Degas collector and a Matsumoku collector. I'm sure he would be interested in talking to you.

[DanW]

Thanks Barry. I'll do that. And thanks for posting my ad.

Good point about the pickups. It's too bad the guitar didn't come with them (I got it in a trade a while back) but that's how it goes I guess. It's definitely a fantastic guitar but I find myself playing my 680 a lot now and not the Westone as much.

Do you think the price I'm currently asking ($360) is about right? (I'm hoping to get a trade for an El Degas, obviously, but cash is just as good. Then I can just buy a second El Degas )

[Barry]

I was not aware that you had lowered the price Dan. $360 is certainly better than the originally asked $425 but I think you may still find some resistance. Particularly since the pup is missing. These also originally came with solid brass knobs which have also been replaced. we do have a replacement source for these now so that is not as big an issue.

I just checked my old post and I see the original link is dead since you've re-listed. I will update the info on that old post and see if we can generate some interest. I still think Frenchy is your best bet though.

[DanW]

I was not aware that you had lowered the price Dan. $360 is certainly better than the originally asked $425 but I think you may still find some resistance. Particularly since the pup is missing. These also originally came with solid brass knobs which have also been replaced. we do have a replacement source for these now so that is not as big an issue.

I just checked my old post and I see the original link is dead since you've re-listed. I will update the info on that old post and see if we can generate some interest. I still think Frenchy is your best bet though.

Ok, thanks again. Who's the source for the replacement brass knobs?

[Barry]

Check here: http://www.westoneguitars.net/shop/
Scroll down to the armadillo guitars notice.
You may be able to get some original knobs from one of the Westone members too.

[DanW]

Check here: http://www.westoneguitars.net/shop/
Scroll down to the armadillo guitars notice.
You may be able to get some original knobs from one of the Westone members too.

Cool. Will take a look!

[DanW]

Well, I ended up trading the Westone today for a G&L Tribute Invader XL. I wasn't exactly what I had in mind but turns out its a really nice guitar. Also, judging by the serial #, it's the MIK version, which I believe are better regarded than the newer Indonesian Tributes. Never owned a G&L before. So far I really like it. I guess another El Degas will have to wait a while

[charles]

There's always tomorrow. Every day is a good day to get a new guitar

[DanW]

There's always tomorrow. Every day is a good day to get a new guitar

That's what I'm afraid of! Let's see, so there's 365 days a year (and every four years 366!), so that's how many guitars per year...

[Barry]

Well, if you're happy Dan that's all that matters.

But from my perspective, you've traded away one of the finest MIJ guitars made in the 80's, and I think you've made a mistake.
G&L was an attempt, primarily, by Leo Fender along with George Fullerton, to improve on Leo's Stratocaster design, and make it closer to what he had in mind in the first place. On the whole, the single coil guitars that he produced under the Legacy line were good sounding, solid instruments with that unmistakable Strat sound...only better.

What you have here, of course is, a Tribute humbucker model with a coil tap...not quite the same thing, but similar to what you just got rid of! Except Westones' design is head and shoulders above G&L in this area. (Their single coil models too like the Concord.) The irony of course, is that if you had managed to get an MIJ el Degas Les Paul for example, the chances are good that it would have been made at the Matsumoku plant (the builder of Westone).