NBD - Westone ‘the rail’ Bass

[Alan Rider]

This looks like it was a little beat up to start with @Happy Jack ?  That's a lot of wear on that pickup.

[Happy Jack]

38 minutes ago, Alan Rider said:

This looks like it was a little beat up to start with @Happy Jack ?  That's a lot of wear on that pickup.

Yup, it was tatty - though still fully functional. My previous red one was in rather better nick but the two basses sounded just the same (a thin, unsatisfying sound) and both had endless crackles from the jack socket and volume control.

These basses were 80s design statements and sat alongside plenty of other minimalist designs that looked good with spandex and big hair, but they were all built down to a price. If you can track it down, there's an excellent interview with the original Japanese designer out there on t'Web. I had the link once, but I lost it ages ago. It's the sort of thing that @Bassassin might be able to help with.

Thing is, most of the non-electrical components from the 80s compare pretty well with the cheapo stuff being used today. If you rip out all the electronics ("all" in this case meaning little more than a pickup, a volume pot, a jack socket, and 30cm of cable) this is a really easy upgrade..

[Alan Rider]

Thanks @Happy Jack  Now I have a quest to find that interview with the designer.  I may upgrade the wiring but I think I may keep the original pick up still, warts n'all.  I tend to whack my basses through pedals anyway so thin becomes thick pretty quickly 🙂  Now where did I put my spandex trousers and bandana?

Edited February 13, 2021 by Alan Rider