The only writing on it is Westbury and custom (on the truss rod cover) and a serial number which is 109057. Any other info gratefully accepted. I can supply a photo if I had an address. 1978-1981 Westbury Standard - Solid-Body Guitar with caseThis guitar has a serial number on it (listed) but I can't find exact dating from it and that is why I listed as 1978-1981. These are the manufacture years on these guitars.Beautiful Westbury Standard, all Mahogany, all original parts, has. Where is the Serial Number on my Mesa ® Amp? If you’ve ever had a hard time finding the serial number on your Boogie, this info will help. Serial number locations have changed on the many different models over the decades but in the last 20 years, the location and format have remained fairly consistent.

The guitar legacy of Matsumoku Industrial Co. Ltd.

Westone guitars and basses were made by Matsumoku (or “Uncle Mats” as we affectionately refer to it) in Japan and subsequently in Korea for St. Louis Music during a period of 10 years from 1981 to 1991. Here, you will find information, history, pictures and specifications of these amazing instruments.

We are also gathering information on the range of Westone Prestige guitars designed by renowned British luthier Sid Poole and built by Status-Graphite in England in the late 1990’s.

Korean

While you may find a few early post-Mats Korean made instruments listed here, we do not feature them, concentrating primarily on the Japanese made Matsumoku’s.

German

For a brief period, roughly late 2010 to early 2012, the Westone brand was revived by a German company, Musik-Meyer, which is still in business but no longer selling Westone guitars. The products in no way resemble the MIJ or MIK post-Mats models, but were copies of traditional guitar configurations.

Our Best guess is that they were likely made in China but under relatively good quality control.

Chinese

Chinese made “Westones” are also seen occasionally but are mostly copies of traditional American styles. They are considered to be inferior instruments and are definitely not covered here. Our advice is to avoid them!

Indian

We’re also aware of the Westone brand that was featured on a now defunct Indian site selling guitars of dubious quality. These were cheap and somewhat gaudy looking acoustics and bear absolutely no resemblance to a Mats made instrument whatsoever.

This site also sold similar poor merchandise under bastardized versions of well known brands such as Givson and Fendar. That should tell you all you need to know.
Avoid!

(More info on Indian Westone in this Forum thread discussion )

Addendum April 2016

“Weston” brand (no “e”)

We have seen instruments stamped with the Westone ‘bird’ logo accompanied by the word Weston. We speculate that this was to avoid any potential copyright infringement at the time. These tend to be Super Strat type copies rather than original designs and as near as we can determine the majority of better made guitars and basses were Korean made. Dates and manufacturer are unknown but some may have been made by Samick.

Korean instruments are identified by checking the neck for a scarf joint. They also tend to have position markers beyond the 12th fret located an the edge of the fretboard instead of the centre.

The Weston brand also appears on some poorly made Chinese copies which appear to be post-Korean era builds. Quality is dubious and it is best to avoid these instruments.

Westone Guitar Forum

If you’re an active collector, player or enthusiast be sure to visit the Westone Guitar Forum the definitive authority on the current state of all things Westone.

There, you can discuss your instruments, recommend places to buy them, and learn how to look after them. Whether you have a missing trem arm, or need to completely rebuild your guitar, the Westone Guitar Forum is the place to go!

If you love Westone, become a member today!

How old is my guitar?

This is one of the two most frequently asked questions on the Forum.
Most Matsumoku Westones can be dated by the serial number, usually found on the back of the headstock, but some early 80’s models have the serial number on the neck plate.

7-digit serials are the most common:

The first digit = the year it was made

For example: a serial number beginning with 2 indicates a guitar made in 1982
It is possible that the second and third digits give the month.

Addendum November 2014:

6-digit serial numbers:

Several Westone forum members have recently presented guitars with 6 digit numbers. Although not as common they do exist.
Looking at dating information compiled by our friends at the Matsumoku Forum we note that 6 digits was in use until mid to late 1981.

We presume that the interpretation for those instruments is the same for early Westones, until the 7 digit scheme was applied:

The first digit (0 or 1) = the year
The next 2 digits = the month

5-digit serials appear on some models:

Westbury Guitars Ebay

The first two digits = the year
The last two = the month

It is important to note that these are not really serial numbers, just production dates, and are not unique…84009 is extremely common!

8 digit serial numbers:

These appear from late 1987, in the format NN NN NNNN (eg 87 10 0001).
We think that:

the first two digits = the year
the second two = the month

Any guitar with this sort of number was probably made in Korea.
Later models (1987 onwards) have no obvious serial number and may have originally been on a sticker on the guitar.
These are also Korean made.

Letters in the serial number

Westbury Standard

Many early 80’s models are also seen with a letter prefixing the number.
These represent the production month and are interpreted as:

So, a serial number like D810040 would indicate that the guitar was manufactured in April 1981.

What is it worth?

This is the most frequently asked question on the Forum, and one we wish people would stop asking, for two reasons:

1. We’re Westone enthusiasts and players; we’re not merchants.
2. Fundamentally, there’s no real answer to the question.

If you are selling:
Try selling it. When someone buys it, you’ll know how much it is worth!

If you are buying:
How much are you prepared to pay?

There are too many variables to be able to give an accurate figure. The value depends on the desirability of the model, how many are available, the condition of the guitar, whether or not it has been modified or has parts missing, what country the seller is in, etc.

A rough idea can be obtained by searching completed listings on Ebay. These prices are what people actually paid. Even then, that will only give you a very rough idea. The best you can hope for is a range of prices.

There is really no way to predict a price for any model (So please don’t ask!)

Electra History

These pages are dedicated to the Electra MPC line of guitars Guitars (1976-1983).

Westbury Guitar Serial Number Search

Electra guitars were imported from Japan by the Saint Louis Music (SLM) of Saint Louis, Missouri from 1971 to 1984 (most MPC models were made by Matsumoku of Matsumoku , Japan) . Matsumoku has made many popular guitar brands over the years including; Aria, Westbury, Westone, Epiphone, Vantage & Vox to name but a few.

Electra MPC Timeline

Dating your Electra: Matsumoku made guitars have serial number in which the first one or two digits represent the year of manufacture. A guitar with a serial number that begins in '0' or '80' would have been built in 1980 (this is just a guideline and DOES NOT apply to all Electra models but seems a safe bet for 1977-1981 guitars).

The Electra MPC's claim to fame was, and is, on-board effects (more commonly referred to as effects modules). No stomp boxes required. If you want to use an effect (wah, phase shifter, etc) , all you have to do is flip a switch on the front of the guitar, and turn a knob (also on the front of the guitar) to adjust the intensity of the effect. Twelve different modules were available in all.

Over the years major musicians endorsed the MPC line, such as, Peter Frampton, Leslie West (signature model), ELO, Allen 'Free Bird' Collins, Chris Squire (MPC Bass), The Outlaws (signature guitar & bass), and Rick Derringer (X910 model is also known as the 'Derringer' model). Despite these endorsements, the Electra line still disappeared while the SLM went on to produce Westone & Crate products. Today, SLM distributes Crate, Ampeg, Alvarez & Austin products. So as you can see, it's a misconception that SLM disappeared or went bankrupt...they just changed.

The first school of thought was that the Electra MPC line were shoddily manufactured gimmick guitars. Now, twenty five plus years later, they are finally starting to be recognized for superior craftsmanship and playability. For years many Electra's languished in pawn shops while buyers focused on vintage Fenders and Gibson's. Now, there seems to be a resurgence in both their value and reputation for quality.

Electra MPC's in Print

Westbury Guitar Serial Number

Thanks to all the extremely helpful people who have provided the information and photos to make these pages possible! Page first created Aug 1998 by Mike Cantrell, transferred to Mike H Feb 2001. Page expanded and run Feb 2001- Jan 2005 & Nov 2005-Dec 2005 by Mike H. Page transferred to X189player Dec 2005.Pages updated and transferred to John Thornburg Jan 2006