NATIONAL WESTWOOD 75, 1964

When you think about "cool '60s guitars" your mind goes to odd-shaped, unplayable 'modernistic' instruments, with plenty of knobs and gadgets, flashy finishes and heavy unfunctional hardware. And odd-shaped this Westwood is! But it's also a highly playable guitar with a strong personality and a great sound. The map-shaped body, the oversized headstock, the see-through plastic pickguard, everything gives it a nice sixties look.  Unlike the similar-shaped Res-O-Glass Nationals of the same era, the body is entirely made of solid mahogany, lightened with many cylindrical holes in the back which are also used as pots and circuitry cavities and are hidden by a screwed plastic cover. Circuitry deserves a few more words. Two pickups, one at the neck and another sunk in the bridge, which has a wooden saddle over a plexiglass base. One three-way selector switch, one master volume plus three controls on the upper bout: when you select only the humbucker the first little knob works as a tone control, and when the other two positions are selected the remaining two knobs work as individual volume for each pickup, both with some frequencies cut-off by capacitors. Personally, I find that while these latter options provide interesting sounds for some context, the first position - with the neck pickup only selected and all the caps bypassed - delivers a full, rich and warm sound with good output . Original electronics, Switchcraft jack socket, pots dated 41st week of '64.  Kluson Deluxe single-line tuners, the same model used by Gibson for Les Paul and SG Juniors & Specials, ES 330s, etc.) but with a larger plastic button. Nice fat neck with perfect action, easy-playing block-inlaid fretboard with zero-fret. Semi-hard (and semi-soft...!) original case.

ww75w case - front - body - back - body back - body back2  - headstock - knobs - bridge- pots - tuners