2 single coil pickups (HOT!
Easily the best single-coils I've ever come across), single volume and
tone controls, Bendmaster Deluxe trem with locking nut (Early models
only - by July 1988 they were supplied with a standard trem) Unusually for a Westone, the body
is laminated (Sandwich/sheet style) all the way through, something I'd
normally associate with cheap (Usually plywood laminate) guitars.
Whatever this is made of, it's not plywood, this is a fairly heavy
guitar. The pickup switching strikes me
as very odd. On a two pickup guitar, I'd expect a three way switch. On
this one, each pickup has its own on/off switch, so if you want to
switch pickups you have to switch one off then move to a different
switch to turn the other one on. Since the trem arm naturally hangs
over the switches, that can be a pain.
This guitar is the only example of bad quality control I've seen in a
Westone. It buzzes through an amp, and looking inside it's obvious why.
There is shielding foil on the back of the control cavity cover, but
it's not actually connected to anything, and there is no earth
connection to the trem/bridge (The body isn't even routed for this
connection so the guitar left the factory like this) Easily fixed, but
it should never have happened.
The numbering system for the Clipper series is quite straightforward.
The first digit is the number of pickup coils on the guitar (2, 3
or 4) the next three
describe the pickups from neck to bridge (1 for single coil, 2 for
humbucker). If there are only 2 pickups, the second digit is 0.
See also the 1988 catalogue
As far as I can tell the Clipper series were manufactured during
1987/88, they may only have been available in the UK/Europe, there is
no mention of them in the US pricelists
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