Westone Thunder 1A

The features of this guitar are well know here so i will not go into this because of my 2 finger technique of writing.

I'm using it for different styles at this moment. But as soon as i can find my another Matsumoku build guitar it will be set in drop B so i can use it for the death metal band i play in. Because of the many knobs and switches you can create a lot of different sounds. Played on using a Sovtek Mig-100 tubeamp with fame 4xv40 celestions cab it can be used to down enemy fighterplanes. Its a wall of sound but still clear and crispy. Almost have to disconnect a preamp tube.

I bought mine about half a year ago for 200 euro incl a Marshall 30watt master reverb amp. It was set fine but was first puzzeled by the on/off switch untill i discovered the battery cover.
Looked like i was the first because amazingly enough there were 2 9Volt batteries with an expiration date of june 1984!! Luckely they haven't leaked. There is a bit oxidation on the brass but everything works without noises. I've brought it away to have it checked but it was in perfect condition they said and didn't have to do anything.
Because of the farnish finish it's hard to see scratches or dents int the body. After 25 years it still looks beautifull.

My brother owns a thunder1 and has played numerous gigs on it. Never failed him and he has his thunder1 about 25 years.
The hardware on my guitar works perfect. All switches and knobs work without noises. In tune means in tune. You can play like Pete Townshend and it will do the job. I think even Pete would like this guitar.
The strapbuttons work fine and can take stage action easely.
It's as dependable like a zippo lighter.. No more.
I would use it as a stage guitar but I'm the vocalist.

I,ve just started playing again but this one suits me just fine. I will buy another thunder1A in a second if i would find one.
My other guitars are an accoustic Eko aw-n. that's an 1984 rangerlike 6-string. An Eko studio-L (restauration project). And looking around for another westone or Matsumoku build guitar from the early eighties.
Would it be stolen i'd track down the thief and hang him by the balls.
And buy a second one. I love the guitar in all it's simplicity and heldback beauty. My only other e-guitar i had was a fender squire bullit that disseapeared a few years ago but i never missed the thing.
Just good enough to start a fire with.
The only thing i miss is a second one standing next to it.

Many others have described the features but I really rate the choice of active / passive and the coil tap as it gives a wealth of tonal options

Mine is a gorgeous plain wood finish and even though it is 27 years old it has hardly any wear or blemishes. Brass bridge and controls which are solid, relaible and match the wood of the guitar. MAchine heads are Westones and do the job perfectly well - and the guitar stays in tune.

Neck is Rosewood, hard wearing and smooth. No real fretwear after all this time!

I rate the features as matching those found on a top quality bass guitar (I also have Rickenbacker, Gibson and Guild basses). Minor niggle is 22 frets but most basses have that

I play allsorts of music from opo through rock through to folk. The Westie has such a vareity of sounds available from its active / passive arrangement it can play anything - jack bruce, chris squire, tamla sound are all there. I can even get a passable double bass sound! Absolutely no noise from my guitar other than that when i play a string!

I use either a SWR or an Ashdown rig depending on size of venue

No idea about the factory. Mine has a good action and perfect intonation. Action can be easily adjusted as can intonation.

As I said, after 27 years the finish is pretty damn near perfect, only the brass fittings need a polish.

27 years and still going strong so i think its proved the reliability issue. I would be happy to use this on its own in any situation. I love the fact that even if the batteries die the passive tones are very acceptable

Rock solid, robust, totally dependable

Never needed to and they don't exist anymore!

Been playing for 34 years, own rick, gibson, guild, ibannez basses plus a number of quality 6 string guiatars. Amps used now are SWR or Ashdown for bass

This bass is just so versatile in terms of tone, great to play, great sustain (but heavy body), build like a tank, easy to adjust if needed. And they are sooooo cheap - I reckon snob value keeps the price down! Any bassist would like this guitar and rate it highly.

-Made in Japan in the 80s.
-22 frets?
-volume, passive tone, active tone, 3-way selector, coil tap, phase reverse, active/passive
-H/H with coil tap to turn off inside pair
-Westone pickups
-Woods unknown (heavy as hell)
-Beautiful transparent black finish with unstained faux neck-thru
-somewhat of an offset SG shape, but its really a shape all its own
-string through bridge sounds great/sustains forever
-westone tuners
-thinish/finished neck feels great in my hands.
-mine came with a really crappy case, and an Arion headphone amp

My band, Christmas All Year, is somewhat of a jazz/punk/funk/experimental/new wave sound, so as you can imagine I demand alot from my guitar. And it delivers what I need everytime I pick it up.
I use it throught these effects:
Ibanez TS-7 Overdrive
Ibanez DE-7 Delay/Echo
DOD Stereo Flanger
Danelectro Pepperoni Phaser
Dunlop 60s Crybaby
Morley AB-Y
Digitech Hot Rod Distortion
(all powered by Dunlop DC-Brick)
Amp: Laney PL-100 (100 Watt, Solid State, 2x12)

The guitar itself is never noisy. It is grounded very well. It sounds however I tell it to. It is so versitle and great sounding at all times. Lots of variety.

I didn't get this guitar new, but when I got I know it had never had any work done on it. With that said: Great action. Great pickup placementyness. No Flaws. None at all.

This guitar has lived through 6 years of the clumsiest person you will ever meet, being dropped by a blind guy, life in the closet of a spending junky, and tons of live shows. The only problem with it is that once I dropped it in my kitchen (tile) and it hit the active/passive switch just so that it broke off. The finish has lasted perfectly, with exeception of where the blind guy dropped it (chip in the finish near the output jack) and where the headstock had a battle with my cieling fan (more chipping). The strap buttons are very stable, and big enough for a less than new strap. I depend on it about once a week to deliver the goods as my only guitar at our shows. If it ever goes out (which it never will) I would be stuck using... *shudders* another band's guitar.

I've never tried to do anything about this guitar. It has last fine. It would be nice to get that switch replaced but Westone is out of buisiness.

I've been playing about 7 years. I would replace this guitar 100000000043975294875 times. Seriously. But I never will have to, because the thief would bring it back after finding out what its worth. I love everything about it. I especially love all the controls. I don't know what these one pickup/one knob guys are thinking! The ONLY ONLY ONLY problem is that its a bit heavy, but, hey, you can't have sustain and lightness at the same time.

THIS GUITAR IS AN INCREDIBLE VALUE!!!

Dunno what it's made of or when it was made. Is Japanese. Gotta be at least 10 years old.
Inherited this thing from my friend. Was all beat up and uncared for. Had been lying around gathering dust in his parents attic.
I gave it a little TLC and it's GREAT! Had to fool about with the settup, and it's still not perfect, but for a free guitar it has so many features!!!
Mine is a black version with 2 humbuckers, and a fixed bridge. Weighs a ton too. Has active circuitry which can be turned on/off, and an active tone control as well as a passive tone control (i think). Also has pick up selector switch, and single/double coil selector. The middle switch I think reverse the phase but again am not sure. See what I mean......how many features does this thing have!

Really good all rounder. Can get a whole range of sounds on it from blues to metal. Doesn't really excell at any but for what it is it has bang for the buck!

Was in a bad state when I got it so considering that it's in pretty good nick.

Built like a concrete dunny! Strap buttons are particularly good. Hardware has oxidised though which is a shame.

I think they went bust so there is none.

Like it a lot. Well, actually I love it as it has inspired me to play again after so many years.

I own two, one was not enough, both 22 frets, both active pickups sound real good, the fret board is alive, with the gain turned up. The finish on the one I bought new is better than the second hand one, the sound is fatter on the new one with 11s on anyway.

I killed an amp with one, it never got over the active pickups, sounded like it had been turned up to 11 one to many times.

I think they are both Japaneze, the sound through a Roland GP100 is out of this world, the active pickups really fattern the sound. There are so many different tones available.

With the gain turned up, the notes are fat, blue and beautiful, the sustain is from another planet, the feel and power is awsome. It can be played clean as well, but blues and rock is what active pickups really excell on.

Had to set them up a little, the quality against the price is real value. I like the feel of the necks, the frets have worn a little, they will one day be renewed if I trusted anyone enough to let them get near them.

This is one heavy, solid guitar, if you were playing at a medival banquet, hiding behind this would defend you from arrows and axes, if you were faced with some critics.

n/a

Sounds mad, but if I saw another, in real good order, I would find it REAL difficult to walk away. If they were stolen, I would buy 4, just out of spite, as not to own 1As would hurt too much.

It would be nice if they had 24 frets but I can forgive them for 22. I always go back to the Westones, when I die, I am taking them with me.

as per previous revies.

i used to think the sound wasn't that great, except for the active sound, which i always loved! but last year i played it through my mates genesis 1, and it sounded awesome...made me want it back!!!

best built guitar i've ever had, by quite a way...

built like a brick shit-house!

never needed to find out.

i had one of these from about 1983 to 2002. i bought it new for #150 from grattens catalogue. japanese made, from the matsumoku corporation, built like a tank, a nice player, loads of different sounds from the 2 coil-tapped, active humbuckers. bit of a dogs dinner, looks wise, due to the stripey faux thru neck body styling. but good solid woods all of them, so mustn't grumble too much. and the swamp ash did look lovely! actually aged really well. you can still get them for #150 or even less. i gave mine to my best mate(and favourite guitar player), to get him playing again, as he'd stopped playing and sold up a few years before. also, i'd just bought a new epi. les paul hollow body, and didn't think 'westie' would get much of a look-in. i'm a bit sentimental about this guitar, i'd actually advertised it to help pay for the les paul, but i withdrew it. then i got a call from someone wanting to buy it , and i couldn't do it. so i ended up giving it my mate, so it'd stay 'in the family'.

Got this guitar about 18 years ago, no idea how much it cost as my mum came home with it one day for me - she saw it in a second hand shop. Serial number:2021401. I think some one has one with a serial number in the 4000000ands and says it is at least 20 years old.
The finish is satin and has lasted very well, in fact it is just about perfect; and the westone has never even seen a case. The nobs on the pots have long gone, I realy should get some new ones. The tuners are the the best I have ever used. They feel silky smooth and though they don't lock the guitar is always in tune. If it is out I know it has had a knock. The neck is perfect, for me, maybe a bit wider than some and not too deep.
The acctive electronics are ace; at some point you have to stop playing around with the sounds it can make and acctually play the thing.

Music style, ho ho. Well, It does the lot. when I got the guitar I was only interested in Black sabbath, G'n'R, Maiden and the odd forray with pink floyd. I've grown older with the westone - still like all that stuf - but have found it will play anything you ask it, I've just started learing some worship song for church on it!
The guitar isn't noisy, though some of the switches could do with a dust to quiet them down.
It seems like you can make any sound you want on this guitar. Sure it will have it's limitations. But if you ever wanted just the one instrument as a jack of all things you wouldn't go too far wrong with the 1A.
By the feal and sound and build and finnish I always thought this would have been an expensive guitar; but have never seen another one in a shop to price it up. Looking it up on the web was just a whim, but what interesting reading it has made.
There isn't a single thing to dislike about this guitar, I wish there were, then I would have the excuse I need to buy a gibson.

There is a little discolouration on the bridge now, but like I say, no case and who knows how old.
The brass nut is well cut and works well.

This guitar is like a sherman tank that has been made in the rolls royce factory.

If it were stolen I might buy something else for a change, I hate to buy the same thing twice, though I didn't buy it in the first place. But that's the thing, it realy is that good that it has lasted for ever, sounds and plays great and I realy have had no excuse to part with it. I'm not a pro so I would have to justify getting a new one and I can't.

While in school like most young boys i wanted to play the guitar, but where to start? Lucky for me my brother knew of a cheap electric guitar being sold for only #5. When i purchased the guitar i had no idea what it was, except that it was an active guitar. 'Westone', 'made in japan' and 'thunder 1A' were my only indication of its origin. Using google i was able to research this find to learn more about it. Anyway...a couple of weeks later i completely striped the guitar, rewired the electronics because wires were missing and loose inside, sand down the body to the bone and completely re-spray. Now i got my own personnal active guitar for peanuts. When i could play i also bought a epiphone sg copy, but i still prefer the thunder 1A.

Loads of effects to play with, i use it for more punky tunes and it works great. I love the neck and find it easier to play than my sg.

I can't really comment on the fit & finnish because when i bought the guitar it was a wreak. All the components were loose inside where someone had previously attempted some D.I.Y and failed. The body has a small crack running through it. Plus some idiot decided to use normal cream house paint all over, which took a lot of time and detail to remove.

Wow...this guitar is invinsible. Even when treated so badly for god knows how long, with a bit of free time and energy the guitar is back to its best. Solid is not the word, if anyone wants a guitar to pass down as an airlome for some novice to learn on this is the guitar, it will take many beatings.

I love this guitar, i learned to play using it and also had the opportunity to rebuild and custome the guitar in my DT lessons.

Produced in the 1980's in Japan, this guitar was built to last.
The basic features are, double humbuckers, active electronics, rosewood fret board, well crafted machine heads and a lovely neck.
Loads and loads of tone variations.

From jazzy tones to wailing rock solo sounds, this guitar provides a huge selection of sounds.
The neck pickup is so powerfull it seems to play for you, and the bridge pickup is perfect.
I use the out of phase setting for a funky stacatto sound, the full neck pickup for a bluesey rock sound (with pedal distortion) and clean for jazzy solos. I have had this for 14 years now and it still kicks ass. I learned on it and have played strats, les pauls and ibanez guitars yet this one seems to have that little bit more when you need it.
The active circuitry is mad, it gives a real boost to the whole tone and volume of the guitar, but even if you never keep batteries in the power (2 9volt ones!) the active switch can be used as a simple on off switch instead, which is a cool effect in itself.
It does growl a bit on a clean setting but this can be overcome by backing off the volume control (on the guitar) if needs be. To be honest though I think it adds character!!!

My dad bought me the guitar to learn on when I was ten in 1989, and the guy who sold it said no work had been done on it. I haven't set it up, yet it still feels great to play. I think the guys in the factory must have set the machine to optimum when they built this because it has been dropped downstairs without a case (sorry), drenched in gig sweat and even seen rain at a bike festival, yet there are no crackles in the circuit, now bad markings and the tuning is always reliable.
I've just realised how bad a lot of the guitars are that are made now!

As I've said before it was built to last, and it has.
I think it needs a once over by my trusted local guitar repair man (Phil Boot), but thats just to clean it up really, I will be very surprised if it needs a major repair.
The few dents on it are actually caused by HEAVY knocks it has taken over the years, they do give it personality, but when I picture the accidents it has survived and think of other guitars in those situations I wonder if they would have been picked up in one piece afterwards?

I don't know if the westone company exists anymore, so I can't comment on customer support, but I do know a couple of people who have sold their westones and regretted it dearly, so I guess somewhere out there someone might be planning the return of the Thunder 1A

I learned on this guitar, I have owned and do own other guitars, but I would never part with my Westone Thunder 1A, because it is so good and reliable.
I have used it onstage in front of big crowds, in the studio (because it always has a trick up it's sleeve tone wise), and at home to just to play for pleasure.
I own a Fender Strat plus deluxe that I play more now, (only because I want to), yet I still return to the westone for inspiration with sound. The strat can get some cool sounds easily, but with just a little bit more work, the westone can shine!
Some guitars are like tools, they break or get worn down after a while, and some guitars are like part of the family, there in times of need, reliable and when all is well, they can even lead you to great things!

Made in the 1980's in japan, this guitar is heavy but has a solid built, has a wide neck but very playable and looks stunning. It has string thur body bridge. It has 2 buckers each with a vol. pot but only 1 for tone. Each pot has a small 2 swich under it, but I'm not sure what they do, they make it sound good. It has piezo electronics. Its edge laminated with mahogany with a maple inlay and a rose wood fret board. It is shaped a bit like a gibson SG but with no scratch plate and the top cutaway a bit ferther foward. Finished with a transparent gloss this is the best guitar I've owned

It suits my style to a tee. I love this guitars distortsion, even on a crudy amp with crap over-drive the distorstion rings through like a bell! Thought I'm less impessed with the clean sounds they have their charms. This guitar is best played through an clean amp, maybe with a effects pedal to get the most out of it.

This guitar it the the toughest guitar I've owned, cosidering it was made 1980's. I've dropped it several times(crud straps) and there has only been a few scuffs. I got this guitar from a friend who brought it new and I've seen this guitar go through the normal wear and tear and it still looks fine. The guitar has never gone through a set up from perchase but the action is perfect

Brillient never gone out of tune unexpectedly and has never had to take it to a shop to have something checked. Has never had any thing changed on it.

From new the warranty was 2 years but 23 years old it is way out of its warranty! But I understand that the company has long stopped so I cant really say.

this guitar is the best guitar ever and if it broke or got stolen I don't know what i'd do

It was made in Japan, unknown date, 22 frets, six string, two volume and one control dial, 3 way pickup selector (2 humbuckers) and a mystery (possibly defunct power) switch.

The body is made of what I think is ash with rosewood stripes, the neck is rosewood and the headstock ash.

The bridge is fender style, without the lever and the tuners are self branded.

I got mine second hand from a friend and it came with a case and leads.

My style is sorta rock/metal and it has a very solid sound. When overdriven (with my crappy 10w amp) it sounds perfect - nice and loud. The guitar doesnt change much however, it all has to be controlled at amp level.

The guitar was in tune out of the case and holds its tune for weeks of gentle play ;). All the bits were in the right place but there are a few very minor knock marks on it. The brass is losing its shine somewhat also. Once all the little nuts had been tightend it soundes fine.

This guitar has been through 20 years (approx) of solid use and still looks great, the finish is quite thin but is intact all over - so it must be quite strong. Everything about it feels solid.

None - companys bust

It is a lovlyey instrument, and excellent strength considering its price.

Let me tell you a story..About a year ago a work colleague of mine told me he played guitar. Oh, says I, I didn't know that. Whatcha got? A Westone Thunder, says he. A Westone? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!! says I.

Forward wind six months. I was walking past my local junk shop, and there in the window was a Westone Thunder 1A. Golly gee! (they weren't my exact words). That's the guitar that whatsisname's got. Let's have a go on it for a laff. So I went in and 300 SECONDS later walked out with the guitar, having parted with 90 quid folding money plus nine quid shrapnel.

So what did I get for my money? Well, the guitar has a multilaminate body which appears to comprise ash wings with a five piece maple/walnut/maple/walnut/maple central section. It looks like one of those neck-through-body designs but the neck is actually a bolt-on. The guitar has an asymetric double-cut design with pointy cutaways, two exposed black-coil humbuckers, brass Strat-style bridge, three piece laminated maple neck with a seriously chunky slab rosewood board, three single-throw toggles (coil split, reverse phase and active select), brass knobs (same to you, sir!) for tone, volume and active EQ and the customary three-way toggle for neck pick-up, bridge pick-up or both. The tuners are Westone-branded enclosed types and are extremely smooth and accurate (in fact, they are better than the Grovers on my 1800 quid Heritage jazzer). The headstock is back-angled like a Gibson, but is NOT scarf jointed. The strings mount through the back of the guitar like a Telecaster. The quality of the workmanship is quite extraordinary considering the price that these things originally retailed at. The guitar has a natural finish which appears to be quite thin but extremely tough. There are a few very minor dings to the body but overall the thing is in amazing condition for its age, which I guess is about twenty years (serial no. is 4100709). The action was perfect straight out of the shop. I checked the intonation with an electronic tuner and it was spot-on.

I play mostly blues and funk, and the first time I took this guitar out on a rehearsal I thought it stank. The humbuckers sounded very harsh and brittle, with little warmth. Couldn't get a single good sound either in passive or active mode. Especially in active mode. The problem, however, may have been largely to do with the amp (a Peavey Delta Blues with 15" speaker). Sometimes this amp sounds great, sometimes its a dog (irrespective of the guitar plugged into it). Even so, I was convinced the problem was with the guitar so I changed the pick-ups to Schaller Dual Sounds. MY GOD!!! WHAT WAS I THINKING????? These things have the output of a neutron bomb. Now the guitar's only good for moshing. What it really needs is a nice pair of PAFs.

The guitar was bought used so I don't have any idea of what it was like straight out of the factory. However, you can see from my comments above that the playability when I bought it was superb. The guitar fits like a glove, is extremely ergonomic and is probably indestructable. Oh, those inscrutible Japanese!

Although this guitar is the cheapest instrument I've bought in the last twenty years, it's a keeper. No, I'm not entirely happy with the sound at the moment, but I figure it's only a matter of time before I stumble across the perfect pick-ups for this beauty. If suspect a pair of P90 types in normal humbucker dimensions might do the trick. Are these called P94s or something? Let me know! I will probably also disconnect the active circuitry since I feel it gets in the way of the guitar's real tone. In terms of reliability though, this thing is absolutely bullet-proof. It's weathered the last twenty years better than I have.

Not applicable.

The thing I love most about this guitar is its unique feel. It's neither Fender nor Gibson - it's BOTH. The back-angled headstock, the two humbuckers, the chunky fretwire and the 24.75" scale length are pure Gibson, whereas the bolt-on neck, bridge and through-body stringing scream Fender. Westone got it right with the Thunder 1/1A. They took the best features of both camps and combined them to produce a winner. I have to knock points off for the sound, but you must understand THIS IS ENTIRELY SUBJECTIVE! If you are thinking of buying one of these instruments then please bear in mind my comments but use your own common sense and judgement to decide. For me, it's probably the best 99 quid I've ever spent.

Bought for me as a present from my dad at age 14, so that was 20 or so years ago, it cost him #135 brand new from a shop in Wolverhampton England. Anyone remember Langdons? anyway I digress.
I remember the 2 twin coil pickups, coil tap, phase switch, active circuitry...very nice, lovely wood finish, brass knobs I know this sounds a bit simplistic but I loved this guitar and haven't seen it for about 17 years. Anyway, yes it had loads of features and they ALL worked...nuff said.

I was a drummer in a crap school band at the time so most of my playing was just for pleasure and yes it gave me lots of it. In fact the guitarist in our band loved the sound. I think it had a very full sound, and with the active kicked in it could really drive, in fact my mate used it regularly when he moved on to a pub rock covers type band a few years later. He just couldn't get the right sound from his squier strat. I recall he would use it with an MXR distortion pedal through a Laney combo, a bassman I think?? I just used it through an old 50 watt combo jacked right up with the active on larrvely.

Only problem was the bridge, mine was a very early one and I think they changed the design to like a strat type after? or did they I don't know? it used to very often come out of adjustment and was poorly made, that was it really, I did see others with a different bridge.
action low
loses a mark for bridge

top stuff never let me mate down EVER.

n/a

Been playing 25 years, wish I could get this guitar again, would buy a secondhand one
Also own a cheap strat copy {encore i think) and a Fender Mustang, which really belongs to my sister, but am currently looking after it, beautiful guitar I weep when I look upon its greatness....just wish I could get the bastard in tune !!!!!!!
Peavey bandit combo.
small practice amp.

(With thanks to previous reviewers) Early '80's, Japan solid-body double cutaway asometric contoured electric, (22 frets. Body solid wood not plywood, but laminated from 5 pieces top-to-bottom (not front-to-back like plywood). Volume control, passive tone (treble cut like most "tone" controls are) and active tone- clockwise boost treble counter clockwise boost bass- this is what a tone control SHOULD be! 3-way pickup switch on top horn, 3 mini-toggles for coil splitter, phase and on/off of active electronics. 2 open-coil black humbuckers, ala Les Paul. Natural honey wood finish, quite heavy. Double skunk stripe down middle of body giving it a neck-thru look, but is a bolt-on. Neck same finish and wood. Semi-satin finish, maybe was shiny just dulled with use and time. Tele-style bridge, non-tremolo. Bridge and knobs made of brass : mini-switches, 3-way, pickup-screws and tuners are all chrome. Westone-stamped tuners. Neck is pretty thin. Active circuitry is driven by two PP3 batteries which fit into a compartment in the back of the guitar.

Modifications: Added Floyd Rose type trem and locking mechanism at nut, otherwise as original. The omission of a good trem was a big mistake in my opinion (although it undoubtedly kept the price low) since the guitar?s tone makes it eminently suitable as a Vai-type wanger. Nevertheless I have ignored this omission for my rating because of the affordability of the guitar when bought.

Can now only be obtained second-hand.

I've had this guitar for around twenty years now. I tend to play a lot of blues and rock, although more recently, I have moved into the more demanding world of jazz. I'm afraid that the Westone is not the guitar for the latter category, but for Rock and Blues I have found the Thunder 1a to be almost ideal. If the guitar were only to have the passive circuitry, then it would be only a mediocre instrument at best, having an uninspiring, muddy sound and low output. However, at the flick of a switch, the guitar becomes a different beast. The transformation owing to the active circuitry is startling and improves the marque's tone remarkably as well as boosting the output significantly - enough to drive even the most demanding of amp input stages. The output has no significant noise in humbucker mode. With all this in mind, I wonder if some of the criticisms that have appeared in other reviews in this section (low output, muddy tone) are from guitarists who don't realise that batteries are required! The most usable tones are certainly those utilising the full humbucking power of the guitar. I have found that the coil taps to single coil mode and phase switches are of limited value, preferring to switch to a Strat if such timbres are required. Nevertheless, the sounds available in the 'full humbucking' mode using the tone control (with built in taps) and pickup selectors are among the most useful for rock, blues and metal (whammy a must for latter) that I know of, and is still my first choice when a 'kick ass' tone is required, hence the high score for sound.

From what I remember, the guitar was well set up when I had it, but benefited from some hours spent with a screwdriver, resulting in an extremely low action without buzzes, which was carried over when I added the whammy. The guitar was very well built for a guitar of this price, and everything hung together well, but the cheap plastic pickup knob top broke very early on. After fixing this many times, I eventually discarded it and the switch works fine without it. The guitar itself is no looker, but the natural wood seen covered with the matt/eggshell finish over the has a certain rustic charm of its own and I have never been tempted to change it. The chunky brass pot knobs and tiny microswitches are well positioned and pleasing to use.

My Thunder 1a was subjected to around 10 years of gigging, with rock bands and in 'rock opera' / musical situations and has been used in numerous recording studios. In the past 10 years, it has been resident in my study (uncased) and been abused by a succession of rugrats. It is testimony to this marque that I have never had to replace any of the original components due to wear/breakage (crappy plastic pickup switch extension excluded). Although there are a few very minor dings in the woodwork, these are not easily spotted owing to the natural wood finish. The electrics, including all pots (still silent in use) and pickups have always behaved themselves and, provided I feed it new batteries (a rare event given the lifetime of modern cells), the guitar has never once let me down either on stage, or in a recording situation.

Never needed it!

I've been playing for around thirty years and have had a succession of guitars, all a damn sight more expensive that this one. The Westone and an early 80's Fender Strat have been the only two that I have been unwilling to part with. If the Thunder 1a went AWOL, I would move hell and high water to find another. Although I've found that the single coil/out-of-phase sounds don't really cut the mustard, this shouldn't deter people from considering this guitar - would you not buy a Les Paul because it has no usable single-coil sounds? The real strength of this marque is its (active) tone which, in my opinion, up there with many of the best humbucker-equipped guitars and wouldn't hesitate recommending this model to anyone who could pick a not-too-battered example up second-hand.

Made in 198someting in japan its got 22 frets

NOT the bass this is 'squalid-top' 3 knobs, volume, tone and another tone.

Let me just note that mine is getting repaired for #50 this very moment cos it got all the controls sliced off in an accident and the insides are a bit mashed!!!

active on/off switch is bust so it keeps flicking!

another switch, which works, adds alot of bass whilst cutting out the mids which is real basssy in rhythm mode.

I think theyre the original westone humbuckers but im changing them cos they sound pretty shitty.

fretboard is maple with free syrup! (just joking but it can be sticky at times!)
dont know about the other woods but it weighs a ton!

i hope itll look half decent when it comes back from the repair shop cos it sure looked shit before!

im giving it a 7 cos theres so many fiddly switches and things!

the sound is muddy and not very good for clean effects but crank up a bit of distortion and the bass response is nice.

with the middle little switch flicked down, the middle harmonics become very clear in a fuzz kind of effect.

It can be noisy but compared to other guitars its clean and it never hisses.

I like the fact that it sounds very grungy but i dislike the fact that it switches itself off every 2 minutes and you have to slap it to start it up again! (yes, im still talking about a guitar!)

but im getting that fixed...

set up is solid it feels and looks like it was hand-made but the pickups are not directly under the strings, in fact theyre miles out!

the action is a bit clumsy but its brilliant for power chords and sliding (not for bending).

this guitar would withstand loads if it wasnt so heavy it just wants to fall from your hands in live perfomances! luckily it has wide strap buttons so it doesnt happen too often.

i can believe that the brass looked nice once upon a time but it looks terrible now.

the finish is thin and worn off in some places

i would take a backup guitar because after a while i would probably get back ache and fall over and die with the weight of this one.

other gear: epiphone SG copy, various electro harmonix pedals.
the SG is great but it puts out zero bass even in rhythm,
so i use the westone for all the rest.

it only deserves 5 because i would never buy one.

Features : Black ,Three knobs ohh err ! (british humour)
I thought they were all the same ,shows how much I know .Love the active feature ,use it all the time gives a real punch.

Use a trace ellott ,love it ,really versitile but like most of us stick to our fav sound all night.

Given to me for my birthday 15 years ago after giving up my "rick" to get married ,not regretted the change in bass or getting married .The finnish is great ,now a bit chipped in places and needs a good clean but still looks and sounds great.

The battery has given up at at the wrong time (does not give you any warning) still my one and only bass ,a bit heavy after breaking my shoulder bone ,but thats another story .100% dependable .

never needed support so no comment

If nicked I would try and find another but I would not hold out much hope of finding one.

Mutsumoku, Japan, SN#2010188, early 80ies. Laminated body made up of three pieces of maple the center, two thin pieces of rosewood and two pieces of ash at the sides. I have added some Wenge at the sides just for good measure. Three piece maple, 22 fret, bolt on neck. Indian rosewood fretboard. Two Westone humbuckers (10K), volume control, balance tone control, three-way toggle switch, coil tap switch, on/off switch for the built in Pre-amp and Active tone control. Seperate volume control for the Pre-amp.
Modifications I have made: New body shape, new headstock shape, Schaller mini tuners 3L/3R, graph tech nut, removed phase-switch, replaced fixed bridge with an ABM tremelo, Schaller strap locks, new Poly-Urethane paint job (black).

When I bought this guitar, I wasn't very impressed with the sound, it was too 'muddy'. After I replaced the fixed bridge with a tremelo the sound just sorta 'opened up' and the sound improved a great deal. The active tone-control and the built in Pre-amp make this guitar very versatile, I can get anything from jazz to Mega-distortion leads from this thing. the only thing lacking is the Fender single-coil sound.
(I play a Laney GH50 valve-amp, a Marshall VS40 and Pod II).

I bought this guitar used, so nothing I can say about the factory set-up. Fit and Finish seem to be at a very high level though. The original hardware was very high quality, even though I have replaced most of it for aesthetic reasons.

This has been my main guitar for the last 10 years, the only problem I have had is that the toggle switch had some corrosion, but nothing a little contact spray couldn't solve.

I bought the guitar used, and I do all my own repairs, so no rating here.

I own 12 other guitars, including 7 U.S. made Kramers and two home-made custom guitars, but this is still my main guitar. The built in pre-amp / active tone-control is the best in the bussiness.

Year, unknown. it looks pretty battered though. 22 frets, but its a left hander strung right handed! you cant reach the top easily. the body is solid wood with a fetching dark two stripe pattern running from the bottom of the neck to the back of the bridge. main 3 way switch with 3 others for more tone and thickness! and an on/off volume switch too. 2 humbuckers, model unknown (possibly originals)
Types of wood are unknown at present (i cant really tell). At first guess all components are original; tele style bridge etc.. possibly even the strings!! no locking nut. I bought it coz it looked nice+ it looked like no-one else would have one.

I was dubious to whether it would give me the sound i needed, but after 2-3 mins of fiddling I got almost exactly what i wanted. a bit of R.A.T.M and Led Zep. incredible sustain suprised me and it sounded just as good at the top end of the neck. as good clean as it is distorted. I use a Fender Rockmaster amp (100W) No dislikes so far!

From what i can tell (im no expert) the whole guitar is built rather well. nothing has been replaced and it suits me just fine. The only thing that worries me is that its left handed but if Jimi can do it, im gonna have a bloody good try!

Solid as a rock, it could have been built with children in mind. maybe they borrowed some design criteria from fisher price! I would always take a backup but my only real concern is the durability of the strings. no laminates, no flakey wood!

I haven't had the guitar for very long. it was bought second or maybe even third hand from a shop in Yeovil. I'm looking for more info on it and i will try to contact the company. Im sure i wont have too many problems i cant deal with

Ive been playing for about 4 years, i can play every kind of music i'd need on it and it looks pretty cool too. my favourite feature is its left handed and that must be fairly rare. i wouldn't part with it for anything less than a signed strat by jimi hendrix, or maybe a bit of a profit. All in all i am very pleased with my bargain find and im sure you will see me using in the future on KerrangTV and wish you had one too. Never mind eh.

Made in Japan, 22 Frets, Laminated top, 3 controls (volume, tone, treble/bass), 2 Westone Humbuckers, active electronics, double-cutaway, Westone tuners, thin neck. Red all qver, exept top of bridge.

I play indie-rock, and through my Korg AX1500G, it can produce clear, unmuffeled sounds , to suit all types of playing. Great for playing all types of music.

When i got it, it was set up perfectly, with well ajusted pickups. all joins were well built.

After numeruos knocks on various items the guitar has only a few, very un-noticable knocks. Big, solid strap buttons, and very depenable.

N/A

Been playing it 4 years, never let me down once. if it were lost i would never find a guitar that could match it for #100, let alone #40!!!

As far as I now it was made in Japan. It is a 4-Stringer. There is one volume control and two tone controls. There are two small pick-ups and one long one. I have changed the pick-ups becaise the old ones had awful gold plugs in them.The finish is red metallic and the shape is a little "batmanLike".

My style is a little grungy and the bass sounda great in that genre. It has no flaws, it never fails and it is absolutely beer proof.

The bass sounded just fine, but the gold parts were getting very old and the gold paint was falling off. I have chosen to change everything and make it a own brand bass with black hardware.It looks awesome.

This bass will last forever. It even ended up in a swimming pool one time.

Westone? I saw the name in a book somewhere but I bought it second hand

It is the best! I have had some different stuff but this will always be there

Had it from new, nearly 20 yrs. Natural finish.Ash/maple ? Jap built. 2 hums,coil tappable, active circuit.Master vol/tone.As many features as you could want on one guitar, I reckon.

Heres where it lets itself down a bit.Loads of sounds, most of 'em not so good. Sounds a bit 'muddy' to me.Only really 'cuts through' in active mode, then it really does the shit.I use it through a zoom 1010 into a digital 4 track. I suppose the clean sounds are ok really, it's when I want to get 'dirty' it sounds crap.

Played like a dream right out of the box. I've tweaked it a tiny bit , as you do , to get it just right for me.

Broke one of the mini switches early on, replaced it with a superior , but non-matching switch ,(anyone got one to spare?). Otherwise solid as a rock, built to last forever.The finish appears to be very thin, but it's still there after nearly 20 yrs.

N/A

Been playing 20+ yrs. Also got Epi LP Special2, one I built myself,Eko accoustic,Takamine accoustic,zoom 1010, fostex FD-4.If it were stolen, Ithink I'd get another, dunno. We've been together a long time . I might buy something else tho' cos of the muddy sound. The thing I love most is the neck, its the greatest. If I could find something that plays like the westone , but sounded better, I'd sell the wife to get it !But I still don't know what guitar is ' the one '.
Secondly I love the active sound, It's the bollocks ! It's also beautiful to look at, not to everyones taste of course , but to my eyes it's beautiful

My particular guitar was bought in 1982(ish) and was reputedly one of the first in the country. Made in Japan, it has 22 frets, rosewood fingerboard, 2 humbuckers (active) and a natural wood finish.

At the time, I was playing the pub'n'club circuit in S.E. England using a Marshall 50 watt combo and Boss delay pedal. The sound, although different to other guitars that I had played, was usable in all pickup settings. A unique sound could be obtained using both pickups in double coil mode, but out of phase, through the o/d channel of the amp. The single and double coil sounds (in phase), both clean and distorted, were all usable, but not like other guitars.

The action was extremely low with no choking, pickups were properly adjusted with no detectable flaws straight from the box - amazing for a guitar of this price!

I used this guitar from 1982 to 1987 as my ONLY instrument. The tuning was rock solid. A problem with the saddles which materialised after few months use (it kept breaking strings) was cured FOC by the retailer promptly. From 1987 to 2000 it saw service as joint first guitar alongside a Japanese Strat. From the middle of 2000 it has been replaced on stage by a Burns and now hangs on the studio wall ready for recording duties - I still love the o/d out of phase sound!

The saddle problem mentioned above was cured, without quibble, by the retailer and importer supplying modified parts as soon as the fault appeared.

After 18 years continual gigging and recording it is only now due for a re-fret. It would still go gigging now if I had the energy to carry three guitars with me. I suppose that it's obvious that I love the instrument - even the way grooves have been worn below the pickups and the way that the "gold plated" hardware has turned green. A tremolo arm would have been nice, but I would still search out another one if this one disappeared.

Dunno, but it does everything it needs to.

I play everything from Jazz to Rock and Blues to Heavy and it suits me just fine. I have an old Korg effect machine and Hartke B30 amp.
It's great that it diesn't go like snap, crackle, pop, when i adjust volume or something else (as example warwick does, at least mine).
It's good on live, 'cos it is good.

I bought it second-hand and it was bit dirty and stuff but i cleaned it and it is working well (and looking nice).

I have had it for three years now, and all i have had to do to it was change strings. I have used it on a gig and it is great. I've dropped it acouple of times too.

I've played it for three years for now, and i actually don't have a bad word to say about it.

Not a clue!

I could create a variety of sounds with the features available suiting the sonic noises I attempted to create in a predominantly rock band. I had to be very diverse as we were a three piece relying a lot on each others creativity. The Westone handled it all in its stride. Volume is pretty weak though!

Terrible action, but useful learning platform as it developed a strong grip which facilited my speed on other easier to play basses.

Hard as nails. You could easily kill a man with this piece of machinery. Yes, I have dropped it, many a time, and yes it continued to rumble on.

I believed Westone stopped producing guitars for a while and only re-opened recently, but I've never used them so can't comment.

I played this bass for about four years and subsequently sold it, traitering the bass profession to play the electric lead guitar. I have sold it to a friend who appreciates it as much as I did. (By the way he bought it for R1 000. Ha!) It's a good base to learn on.

Early '80's (Thank you Michael Wright of Vintage Guitars for the info) Japan solid-body double cutaway asometric countoured electric (whew!), 22 frets. Body solid wood not plywood, but laminated from 5 pieces top-to-bottom (not front-to-back like plywood). Volume control, passive tone (treble cut like most "tone" controls are) and active tone- clockwise boost treble counter clockwise boost bass- this is what a tone control SHOULD be! 3-way pickup switch on top horn, 3 mini-toggles for coil splitter, phase and on/off of active electronics. 2 open-coil black humbuckers, ala Les Paul. Honey-tone finish HEAVY wood- this thing weighs about the same as a Les Paul- maple, maybe? Double skunk stripe down middle of body giving it a neck-thru look, but is is a bolt-on. Neck same finish and wood. Semi-satin finish, maybe was shiny just dulled with use and time. Tele-style bridge, non-tremolo. Bridge and knobs made of brass- nice cause their different, but tarnish easily, and mini-switches, 3-way, pickup-screws and tuners are all chrome- they shoulda gone all brass or gold, I think. Westone-stamped tuners, but I think they are Gotoh's- round and closed. Neck is pretty thin- measures same as my Strat, but feels thinner, faster and better. Big strap buttons- a plus. Was originally sold thru Andy's Guitar Workshop and Centre, 27 Denmark St, London- sticker still on back of headstock. I wanted to see if they were still in business when I was there in June, but forgot. 10 rating is true- this thing has more features than anything without on-board effects.

I play blues, rock and folk- suits them all, and altho I don't particularly like jazz, this could do it. I've played it thru GK-250, Art T-28 and Crate KX-80, and thru Digitech RP-7. No noise from guitar at all. Brite sound compared to hollow-body, but richer than an alder Strat. Lots of variety- more sounds than I can tap into, esp. with RP-7- too many, really, as it can become hard to recall how I got a particular sound. Sometimes I like the sorta wierd body shape, sometime I hate it, same with the finish- I sometimes want more flash. 9 here cause it can't sound like a hollowbody- duh!

Set up was good when I got it, I tweequed it a bit. Pickups adj. good, good bridge set. No flaws, given it's almost 20 years old.

Tank-tuff. Big, solid strap buttons. Maytag-dependable. Strat is backup, except when I want more flash, but don't need one.

Out of business for years. End of story.

"Been playin' since I's babies" Well, 11 at least. Got other electrics, this is number 1. If stolen, I'd HAVE to get something else- 1A's are rare, and lefties much more so- I guess I'd just hot-rod my Strat, while crying my eyes out. Compared to my Strat, it's 1) much more versitile, 2) different (2-edge sword there), 3) nicer to play, 4) at least AS durable, 5) sounds nicer both electrically and acoustically, and 6) CHEAPER! All that would go for a Les Paul, too- esp. the price thing. If you can handle unusual looks, what's not to like? Value Value Value. And, no, I dont work for Westone, either- they are defunct, remember? May not be too many here in the States, I think, so rare, too.

Early '80's (Thank you Michael Wright of Vintage Guitars for the info) Japan solid-body double cutaway asometric countoured electric (whew!), 22 frets. Body solid wood not plywood, but laminated from 5 pieces top-to-bottom (not front-to-back like plywood). Volume control, passive tone (treble cut like most "tone" controls are) and active tone- clockwise boost treble counter clockwise boost bass- this is what a tone control SHOULD be! 3-way pickup switch on top horn, 3 mini-toggles for coil splitter, phase and on/off of active electronics. 2 open-coil black humbuckers, ala Les Paul. Honey-tone finish HEAVY wood- this thing weighs about the same as a Les Paul- maple, maybe? Double skunk stripe down middle of body giving it a neck-thru look, but is is a bolt-on. Neck same finish and wood. Semi-satin finish, maybe was shiny just dulled with use and time. Tele-style bridge, non-tremolo. Bridge and knobs made of brass- nice cause their different, but tarnish easily, and mini-switches, 3-way, pickup-screws and tuners are all chrome- they shoulda gone all brass or gold, I think. Westone-stamped tuners, but I think they are Gotoh's- round and closed. Neck is pretty thin- measures same as my Strat, but feels thinner, faster and better. Big strap buttons- a plus. Was originally sold thru Andy's Guitar Workshop and Centre, 27 Denmark St, London- sticker still on back of headstock. I wanted to see if they were still in business when I was there in June, but forgot. 10 rating is true- this thing has more features than anything without on-board effects.

I play blues, rock and folk- suits them all, and altho I don't particularly like jazz, this could do it. I've played it thru GK-250, Art T-28 and Crate KX-80, and thru Digitech RP-7. No noise from guitar at all. Brite sound compared to hollow-body, but richer than an alder Strat. Lots of variety- more sounds than I can tap into, esp. with RP-7- too many, really, as it can become hard to recall how I got a particular sound. Sometimes I like the sorta wierd body shape, sometime I hate it, same with the finish- I sometimes want more flash. 9 here cause it can't sound like a hollowbody- duh!

Set up was good when I got it, I tweequed it a bit. Pickups adj. good, good bridge set. No flaws, given it's almost 20 years old.

Tank-tuff. Big, solid strap buttons. Maytag-dependable. Strat is backup, except when I want more flash, but don't need one.

Out of business for years. End of story.

"Been playin' since I's babies" Well, 11 at least. Got other electrics, this is number 1. If stolen, I'd HAVE to get something else- 1A's are rare, and lefties much more so- I guess I'd just hot-rod my Strat, while crying my eyes out. Compared to my Strat, it's 1) much more versitile, 2) different (2-edge sword there), 3) nicer to play, 4) at least AS durable, 5) sounds nicer both electrically and acoustically, and 6) CHEAPER! All that would go for a Les Paul, too- esp. the price thing. If you can handle unusual looks, what's not to like? Value Value Value. And, no, I dont work for Westone, either- they are defunct, remember? May not be too many here in the States, I think, so rare, too.

Light oak body with faux "through body neck" laminated middle section, Roland Guitar synth sort of shape with 2 cutaways, bolt on neck, headstock reminiscent of Aria-Pro, rosewood fingerboard. 2 Westone covered humbuckers. Les Paul style switch for pick-up selection (i.e. toggle for bridge, neck or both), push-pull pots for coil splitting (volume pot), coil phase (tone pot) mini single throw switch for active circuitry + treble-bass boost pot for actives with centre stop for straight volume boost. Westone tuners, 3 a side, fixed bridge, separate intonation adjusters, through the body string fixing.

OK, it's not a '52 tele, it's not a PRS, it's not a Les Paul Custom. But I only paid # 189 for it. I love this guitar, I love it more than my Strat. There is a great versatility to the sound, I can get just about any sound I want from it, from hollow, bottly sounding, Robert Cray-esque blues to thrash metal hell. Splitting the humbuckers down to single coils and putting them out of phase gives a real nice mid cut, great for jangly numbers, add a chorus pedal and it sings like an angel. Both humbuckers, out of phase, with the actives turned on and all the way to the bass side, full gain on my GK amp, heavy metal heaven, oh yes. My only quibbles with the sound are: 1) that without the actives switched on the pickup output as a touch on the low side, and 2) With the single coils selected there is also a fair amount of hum using either only one pickup or both in phase. These are very minor gripes, the active electronics easily compensate for the lack of output. For the hum, well that's all part of the magic, jeez, what do you want for 190 quid, the moon ??

I've seen a dozen or so of these babies in different shops and they've all looked different, different switching for the actives (switches instead of push-pull pots), different woods, different knobs and pickups, different body shapes too. This suggests to me that they may be hand built, or made of spare parts. I have had mine for over 10 years now and I've had no problems with it at all, except the time I took the chip out of the active electronics and well and truly busted it (luckily it was within the warranty, I played dumb and just said it went funny on me - it was replaced with a whole new active circuit which had to come from the land of the rising sun, so I was "sans guitar" for a month or so - the replacement was a better circuit though, so, who's the fool ?). The finish has definitely improved with age, although it has quite a few dents and chips to show off too. It could probably do with a refret also. It's still my favourite, I have a Strat now too, which is great, but I paid a lot more money, so it should be great. The Westone Thunder 1A fells as though a lot of work has gone into it and 10 years later it's still solid as a rock and can still cry like a baby in an ant's nest.

This guitar will withstand being thrown into a volcano or being dropped from the space shuttle. It's withstood me knocking the crap out of it for 10 years, I'm going to play it again tonight. The hardware will last, there is no finish, it's made of wood, no paint, no sunburst, no flamed maple, just a thin coat of varnish, satin varnish, it's gone shiny now, though, due to my sweaty paws. I've just swapped the strap buttons with the straplock compatibles from my strat, the original ones were real nice, machined brass, curved in the middle and twice as wide as normal ones, Combined with a rubber ring seal from a beer bottle, the strap would never fall off, even in an earthquake. I can depend on it, I have depended on it and I will depend on it, it could definitely be used for gigging without a backup or a safety net, I don't, however, it IS my backup guitar.

I didn't really deal personally with them, the guys at the shop I bought it at got it done for me. Warranty was from the shop itself and was I year. It was fixed inside a month which, considering the guitar had to be sent to England and the parts had to come from Japan is pretty good in my book.

I love everything about this guitar. Well, slightly beefier pickups would complete the package, but for under # 200 you can't have everything can you. Definitely excellent value.
I do not work for Westone - honest.
But if there are any jobs going there ....

Light oak body, rosewood fingerboard. 2 humbuckers. Switches for pick-up selection, coil tap, coil phase and active circuitry (variable bass or treble boost. Pots feel very sturdy. The whole guitar was very well put together.

With all the pick-up options (humbucking, single, phase, active) this is a very versatile guitar - warm humbucking sounds, thinner signle coil and an almost acaustic sound on some settings. It does a lot of things - but a bit of "Jack of all trades, master of none". I found the humbuckers fuzzy, and in single coil mode there was quite a lot of hum. I think with a change of pick-ups the sound could be v.nice. The active circuitry can add treble/bass and volume but I never used this much - I would have preferd it to have had less of an effect.

Action is very good, though I always found hammer-ons required a lot of force. Pick-ups seem slightly wide for the string spacing (poles not directly under all strings). Construction was very good. The brass saddle did tarnish over the years but it never got so rough it broke the strings. Tuners are very smooth.

I had the guitar for 10 years with no problems. It stayed in tune well and the pots never got crackly. All the switches were as positive after 10 years as they were new. The natural wood finish aged very well - more character as it got older.

Not needed.

This is a very versatile guitar and allows you to get a feel for a wide range of sounds. In the end I traded in for a Gibson as I found I was always playing in humbucking mode but needed that extra something. They were very well put together (mine was a Japanese model - I think they switched to Korea which may affect the qulaity). I think with a change of pick-ups the sound could be very nice and still versatile. I never much liked the active circuitry.