Westone Thunder I

it's japaniese made, in 1980, first series model. Features laminated body (varnish, not laquer) of Ash, Maple and Walnut. 3piece ply maple neck, with rosewood fingerboard, brass nut and hardware, PreciseTuner2 machine heads, 2 Hammer 1 Humbuckers, string-thru hardtail bridge with Master Volume, 2 tone controls, coil tap and 3 way pickup selector. It's pretty heavy, heavier than my Les Paul anyways.

This Guitar has a killer tone, i replaced the pickups with EMG HZ's, but the original pickups still had fantastic tone, superb with lots of distortion (i run it through a marshall jackhammer, into a peavey XXL amp) you can hear every single note perfectly clear, with rich harmonics. the clean tone is pretty lush too, especially when you use the pickups as single coils, you get that sort of strat clean tone, this guitar is very versitle. i don't have a single dislike about it.

I brought the guitar second hand, and well, considering it was made before i was even born, i wasn't suprised to find the intonation and action a little problem, but it was easily solved. it's a pleasure to play, nice low action, very fast neck. the guitar being 23 or so years old, is in superb condition, not a scratch or dent on the body, it's been dropped a few times and still is perfect, the tuners do a fine job too. wiring is in perfect condition too. only downside is it's weight.

This is my main stage guitar, and it get's absolute thrashed. i tend to jump around and stuff and this guitar copes absolutely fine with it. it's certainly built to last. the neck has no sign of warp or anything, and the strap buttons are certainly better to those you'd find on modern guitars. i can totally depend on this guitar

never had to deal with westone, tho the original company was taken over by Aria in 1985. the guitars westone make today are nothing like this, if you want a proper westone, you'll have to hunt around for the original ones.

i've had this guitar for almost 2 years now and it's my pride and joy, i use it more than my gibson les paul. it was a godsend when i brought it, but once i fitted the EMG's to it, it became probably the best piece of kit i've ever owned. i never plan to replace this guitar, it's unique to me, as i've never seen anyone else using them!

I`ve had this guitar so long I can`t remember where I got it nor how much I paid for it. I bought it second hand and it`s got the number 3030905 on the back of the headstock.

It`s got the same same number of frets and switches as all the other 6 string Thunder ones decribed on this site. The body is the blonde coloured one (I think there were two colours red being the other, anyone seen any other colours?)

I think the string point about the features is that there is a lot of flexibilty given by the pickup configuration and switchgear.

The sound is great, I use it with a Vox AC30 and I can get a clean sound all the way through to a bloody war! I also have been known to use it with a bagfull of pedals to add to the general confusion but I think the character of the guitar itself always rings through.

As I got it second hand I have no idea what the set-up was like but eversince I have had it it`s been fantastic. The action is low and there is not a buzz to be heard anywhere on the fretboard. It hardly ever needs tuning as everyone else has said it`s pretty solidly built.
Mine is in pretty good condition, the back is patinated from years of belt buckle marking and the front is dullish from grubby fingers (mine) but I think it could easily be polished up.
The plating on the brassware is disappearing.

This guitar is as tough as old boots, I would use it to gig without a backup. The only thing I have noticed is that the strap button at the bottom revolves whilst the one at the top of the body doesn`t, I do not know if this is deliberate and if it is what is the point.

I don`t think anyone would need customer support which is a good job as they went bust years ago.

I have been playing for over thirty years, I own several guitars including a Gibson ES347 an Aria Pro bass and a couple of classical guitars. I use a Vox AC30 amp and Garage band on an Applemac.

If something happenend to this guitar I would get another it is my favourite guitar far better than the Gibson

I bought this new in 1982 for #150.Made in Japan and very well made. Really nice looking instrument with natural light coloured body with darker strips under the strings. Master volume and two tone controls with coil tap switch on twin humbuckers enabling sounds ranging from thin jangly to fat screaming.I don't know the make of the pickups but they are very powerful. Body style is twin cutaway and a bit different from the usual strat/les paul styles, I think it looks very smart. I have found this guitar easy to play up to the 15th fret but quite difficult beyond there but this could be down to my stubby fingers. Also I have never been able to get the intonation on the high E and B strings set up despite taking it to a professional guitar repairer. I compensate by tuning the E and B slightly high. I have an epiphone riviera and a les paul gold top and these guitars can't match the westone's versatility in the sound department. The guitar is looking quite shabby having been dropped a few times but it still works fine. Overall I like this guitar and would hate to part with it in spite of its minor flaws. It is also very rare, will it ever be collectable? I don't know.

This guitar is packed for a passive one, with only two pickups. It has a tone control each, a volume control, a pickup selector at the top (very useful for mid song changing) and a switch which (depending who you belive) either puts the pickups in series/parallel, or otherwise is a coil tap, making the humbuckers into single coil. Whatever it does, in one position you get a less bassy, quiter sound and in the other, of course more bassy.

It has a thru-body solid bridge, no trem, and i think 21 frets. The neck is ahs with a rosewood fretboard. It was made in Japan, has a solid ash body. Its body is a bit like a spiky strat, but not really, its hard to describe...

This guitar has an amazing sound - espescially at the price. It is really powerfull by default, but you can tweak it to create a really treble jangly sound or make it as muddy as you like. It does get a bit hummy if you use the "mystery switch" for the less bassy sound, but that could just be the interference from my computer and the telly.

It is perfect for that loud, white stripes style rock, but can also play just about anything else (voodo chile and layla also sound great on it)

The set up on this guitar was perfect, i got it second hand, so i dont know what it was like new, but when i recieved it it was already in tune and worked straight off. The action is medium-low, but on mine if you lower it much more you get a buzz on the pickup casing. Otherwise, however, it is perfectly set up.

It is also really pretty, its natural wood (i think ash) with dark (possible rosewood) stripes running through the center, in a line from the neck. It is a really origional look.

This guitar is built like a brick. It is totally solid. I dropped it onto a stone floor, and aside from a small dent (which im really annoyed about) nothing chnaged, it didn't even detune. Solid, solid solid.

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If it were lost or stolen i would (aside from crying myself to sleep) definatly buy another. I love the stripes through the centre as well - a very nice touch.

It is just so good.

Westone Guitars were made by the Matsumoko company, from Japan. They made most of their guitars during the 1980's, but went bust in the early 90's (the company name has been revived since, but i dont know much about that)

The Thunder is a fairly standard electric guitar; its got 22 frets, 2 humbuckers, rosewood thin neck, 2 tone 1 volume controls, pretty much the usual.

I dont know what sort of wood mine is made out of, but looks great and gives the guitar a lovely resonance.

The thing that really sets this guitar apart is the sound quality. Its incredible. It makes such a special tone that just makes you think WOW.

The best thing is the versatility; it can produce beautiful pure clean sounds, or a throbbing disto, or a jangly "the coral" style, and you can almost perfectly recreate the eric clapton Layla sound by just switching to the bridge humbucker on the distortion.

There are several different pickup options, so you can really change the sound easily. (also, the toggle for the pickups is in just the right place for changing when your playing, which is very useful)

The Thunder is a great guitar for me, because I play such a wide range of stuff.

The Thunder is beautifully finnished (ok, i sound like a salesman), mine is in plain wood, with the trademark rosewood strips down the centre.

I wouldn't really be able to coment on how well it was set up in the factory, because i bought mine used, but I wouldn't want to change the set up.

The action is nice and smooth, but not annoyingly so, its all good.

Totaly solid, these things could be carved out of stone they're so strong.
Mines about 20 years old and there's not a fault. There are a few scatches on the body, but hey, its about 20 years old, so it's expected.

Erm, They went bust in the early 90's.

But these guitars are so reliable you dont need the customer service!

I think I've fallen in love with my guitar. Its amazing;it looks and sounds amazing, and its got something that most guitars dont have; Character.

I would quite like to have a trem on it, but to be quite honest i wouldn't use that anyway.

i bought this guitar second-hand for 139 pounds at my local guitar shop its maple with a rosewood neck and 4 rosewood stripes through the main guitars body. it also has twin humbuckers and two tone pots and one volume it says ''a matsumoko product'' and ''made in japan'' on a metal plate on the back of the guitar

it sounds real good and real noisy. i like to play it with just the rear humbucker on with the treblle up on my amp, it makes a really messy punk sound that way

its well made with no original flaws, but i bought it second hand so its a lil' beat up. i replaced most of the brass hardware

this guitar is hard as nails, i replaces the strap butoons with fender straplocks

i have no idea

its really good to play and looks great, i have a photo of it on my computer if anyone wants a copy e-mailed to them.

I got this guitar for my 12th birthday and that was 7years ago. Frankly, this is an incredible guitar for the money. I've owned quite a few guitars since i was 12 but i have always come crawling to my westone. The illusive makers, Matsumoku are hard to track down but i believe this guitar to be around 15-17 years old. it has: 2 coil tapped humbuckers, brass hardware, 2 tone controls and one volume, 2 cutaway transparent ash body, maple neck and schaller style tuners. The scope for creativity is huge with all the pickup combinations.

The 2 meaty humbuckers are a vital part of my sound. I play in a rock band and the pickups really cut through for me. I bought an ibanez SA160 a year ago and put a Duncan Distortion in at the bridge but the westone still blows it out of the water. I use a Marshall VS100 cab with various effects. The one problem for me is that the single coils are pretty noisy but this does very little to undermine the quality of this guitar

This guitar was made back in the day when cheap guitars were given a good degree of TLC in the factory. The varnished ash looks a dream with strips of maple and rosewood running up the middle thru the pickups and the contouring of the body was designed with the player in mind. The action has been superb since the day i bought it and so has the intonation. one small pain in the ass however is the socket placement for it it is situated on the top of the body and comes loose a lot as a result

This guitar has been through a hell of a lot over the years and has still kept its playability and asthetics. I use it a lot on stage and i'd be happy to use it without backup.

No way. Matsumoku went bust in the early nineties. It seems that they have disappeared off the face of the planet.

Personally, i think this guitar is up there competing with ur epiphones and other mid-range guitars. The range of sounds availabe is astounding and for the price you definitely cant go wrong. If it were stolen i'd cry and probly end up selling my gran to get another one. Another good thing about a guitar this old is that it feels nice and warm. There's nothing like a vintage instrument.

It was made in Japan, but when...?
I found it on a garbageheap. I liked the double humbuggers, and the (non original) schaller bridge and -tuners and was planning to replace the bridge (singlecoil) pickup of my Strat by one of the humbuggingpickups of the Westone to get a fatter sound.
But after cleaning, repairing the electronics and putting on a new set of strings I like it even better than my good old Strat.
It is solid, well trimmed and very sturdy.

I'm stuck in the sixty's and it is unbeatable for 'heavy' sounds.
And afte switching to 'single coil' it gives a (rather soft) transparant sound, very much like the Strat.

After spending (how long?) time on the garbageheap in rain and wind it was still in good playable condition. After readjusting it to my way of playing it plays like a dream.

See above. Everything just had to be cleaned up, and worked. I think it can withstand everything.

I play the guitar for some 30 years. I own a Fender Stratocaster for many years. This Westone I found one month ago, but I use it more then the Fender. If I would loose it, I would definitly go looking for another one.
I like the sound, and the playability, and it scratched and battered body shows its heavy life.
Maybe a third pickup would be nice, but on the other hand.. Why bother

My dad bought it around 1983 and then it was second hand. it has 22 frets and i think a solid top. It has the 2 tone controls, and one volume. a 3 way pickup switch and wot i think is a tone switch. It is a dual humbucker guitar. It has a natural wood finish which i think looks good but the use of a pick on it has scratched the softer wood away abouve the bottom e string.i think its a rosewood neck and fret board.

it ROX!! i play on a peavey pacer amp (150 watt). sounds quite weak with no effects but add overdrive and i dont think u can beat it. i also use a zoom 505ii effects box. The guitar works well with this and gives a clean, loud sound. Excellent.

All Very nice. the fretboard is smooth even after 25 years or so of play. one thing though. the connection to the amp cable comes very loose.

The guitar is excellen live especially with a good amp. the pickups are Amazing!!. they are as good as the day it was made. I would reccomend it as an excellent gig guitar.

never needed any

i have been playing for almost a year now and i wouldn't swap the guitar for the world. Its just so smooth and the sound is just so good. in the future i would love to refurnish the guitar to its former aesthetic glory. Overall its has to be one of the finest guitars of its time.

My Thunder I is a 6 string model made by Matsumoku Made in Japan. Serial #2050291 I bought it in 1997 from a private owner and am unsure of its age.
The neck has 22 frets on a rosewood fingerboard. The neck is a 3 piece maple I belive.
The body is a 9 piece laminate changing from natural maple to rosewood.
The hardware is the classic 3 control pot with 3 way toggle at the top horn and a tap near the volume.
There are two humbuckers in black.

The only drawback I've found with the guitar is its sound. Although this seems like a huge problem under normal circumstances, I've found that I can compensate for it with a compressor and effects pedals. The major drawback is that the humbuckers seem a bit too muddy for me. The overall tone is quite low end. There isn't much brightness at all on its own.

The actual assembly of the guitar is great. However I would have added a better set of pickups with a bit more growl. The action is good and I've been using a set of 9's on it with no buzz. The nut and bridge saddles are brass so this aids a slight bit in tone but again, the pickups ruin the setup.
The bookmatching is perfect and I wouldn't change a thing.
Since I bought the guitar used, there are many flaws but nothing really worth mentioning. The drawback here has to do with the type of finish the guitar came with. It was more of a natural finish that allows the grain to be felt. Unfortunately, where the grain is soft, picks have gouged the surface. I've been in the process of refinishing the instrument to fix this issue.

The guitar is very reliable and has never broke down.
With any luck the pick ups will die soon and give me a good excuse to replace them.
The finish is lousy and I'm refinishing it.
The strap buttons are not even slightly loose. Fortunately, the previous owner didn't abuse it.
I generally use a second guitar when I'm playing out as my other guitar is a Schecter Telecater style and its about 30 years old. It's a far better guitar for my needs.

LOL

As a picky guitar owner, appearance isnt always the biggest deciding factor. The playability is usually the thing that gets me. However it's a very attractive guitar with many possibilities. The design problems with the finish and the pickups are minor when you look at the overall quality. The guitar was well built and has survived so far. After making the adjustments I'd like, It'll remain in my arsernal.