The Guitar Gallery Forums - The Guitar Legacy of Matsumoku

Tom Presley was the principal designer at Westone, Electra-Westone, SLM and Alvarez Guitars, to name a few.
A few years ago he participated in a detailed Q&A on the Westone Forums, then "disappeared".

He's now back on a Facebook page started by a new Westone Forum member, and we're in the process of linking it to the existing Westone Forum for continuity and corrections, etc.

Tom was intimately involved with Matsumoku and pretty much every major Japanese builder of that era and can likely shed a lot of light on your favourite label. (He has a few things to say about Aria in particular during the Mats era).

If any Guitar Gallery members are curious about the brands mentioned above and would like to ask Tom a question you can do one of two things:

1. Funnel your queries via this post on the Westone Forum:
https://westone.forumotion.com/t7118-happy-birthday-tom-presley-post-your-questions-for-tom

2. Connect with him on the Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/westone.electra/

IMHO the Facebook format is a lousy one to discuss things like this and information quickly scrolls away and gets buried.
So far, Tom has been active only on Facebook but we're hoping he will also check in on the Westone Forum where his info can be searched and retrieved.

Regardless, the intent is to curate all info and amend the current website content where needed:
https://westoneguitars.net/history/

Please join in!

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Guitars: https://legend.barryeames.com
Music/Pix/Videos: https://getback.barryeames.com

I met him some years back when a handful of us Uncle Matt fans got together in Indiana. He has an unyielding passion for guitars. I got to see some of the prototypes he took to Japan and later Korea.

Very cool!

Everyone who has met him says much the same thing Neal.

Quite the gentleman as well as a hell of a designer. He was very generous of his time (and patience!) with us at Westone a few years back.

You're lucky to have met him in person.

_________________
Guitars: https://legend.barryeames.com
Music/Pix/Videos: https://getback.barryeames.com

I have never seen so many Uncle Matts in on place like I did there.

He had one Alvarez there that he used roofing nails for pole pieces in the pickups. Believe it or not it sounded great!

That's the inventor's mind for ya, use whatcha got to get whatcha need.
Hey, metal is metal!

_________________
Guitars: https://legend.barryeames.com
Music/Pix/Videos: https://getback.barryeames.com