westone bass

[phil moore]

Does anyone else think that westone basses are just such an amazing amount of good bass for the money. I have a thunder 1a and the pick ups and tone variation are amazing for the price that they seem to sell for.

[BluRay]

completely agree! Westone Thunder 1a is a killer P bass. I've wasted loads on "upgrading" to different basses - only to come back to the westone poorer and wiser. Doesn't stop GAS tho. When will I learn?

[jezzaboy]

I had a Westone that I bought for 50 quid and the P style pickup was one of the hottest I have ever heard. But I couldn`t keep it as it was far too ugly and heavy! I should have took the pickup out of it before I punted it though.

Jez

[ripper1888]

I had one back in the eighties ! It mas a black "metalshaped" beast called Westone Raider II . Sold it in 92' or 93' . One of many things I regret !

[Lozz196]

I remember looking at the Westone Thunders longingly, in Kays catalogue - the natural finish was the one that really caught my eye.

At some point I`ll have to get one. Only 30 odd years after first seeing them

[icastle]

I used to sell these back in the 80's in a shop I worked in.
Like the Arias of that period, these were made in the Matsumoku factory and we sold absolutely loads of these straight from the box, no setup needed and never found a defective one.

Real groundbreaking basses for £129 and obviously well made to still be around and lusted after 30 years later...

[Count Bassy]

I have a Westone Quantum (32" headless) with the 'Magnflux' pick ups. Staggering output level - equal to my active basses, and an excellent range of tones from two pick-ups, two volumes and a shared tone control. Probably the favourite tone of all my basses.

[Kostas]

I just bought a Westone 1A Thunder and I'm waiting to arrive. I have a Jazz and I wanted to try the precision sound but also a bass with a wider nut.
Do you know the nut size of the Westone?

Edited January 3, 2012 by Kostas

[TheGreek]

Thunder 1A was my first bass!!!

"upgraded" to a Hohner Cricket Bat which turned out to be the biggest pile of cr4p...I sold the Westone to a friend in 1990...it went round in a big circle before ending up with another friend who paid a tenner for it..I tried to get it back only to find he'd given it to the bassist in his uncle's band..

Never noticed that it was supposedly heavy...

[mrdreadful]

Had the option of taking a Thunder 1A or a Jazz copy off Mr. Foxen once. Went for the Jazz. It's a fine bass and has series/parallel switching so is reasonably versatile but most days I can't help but wish I'd gone for the Westone.

[phil moore]

[quote name='Kostas' timestamp='1325588797' post='1484658']
I just bought a Westone 1A Thunder and I'm waiting to arrive. I have a Jazz and I wanted to try the precision sound but also a bass with a wider nut.
Do you know the nut size of the Westone?
[/quote]
This looks like a nice one,same as my 1a, the nut on my 1a and 1 (passive with ash body) is about 42mm wide but I think you will like the neck, very quick and easy to play. The solid colour westones like yours will have a maple body which is very resonant.Hope you enjoy it.

[KingBollock]

I think I may have already mentioned (read: gushed about endlessly...) on these forums about my undying love for my old Westone Raider I. Losing that thing has been like losing a body part.

[iconic]

Just bought a thunder 1a off here, do believe the hype, fantastic necks, super hot pups and very good active amp, I think mines one of the first and built like a tank......nice bits of kit

[margusalviste]

I once recorded a local band and their bass payer had a Westone bass. It had a really nice tone, warm, supportive and in the same time kind (in a good way) of agressive. All the frequences were there and it was one of those no-need-for-EQ-tweaking takes. Great basses!

[la bam]

I had 2 Westones.

Thunder 1A was my first bass - great bass to learn on, tough as they come too.

Also had a black Westone headless Steinberger copy - great great sound - just too shorter scale for me as I was used to playing a precision.


For the amount of £100 basses out there nowadays - these are a steal if you get chance to get one!

[chaypup]

Westones are beautiful and amazing to play! I would really like a Thunder IIa, the version with 2 precision style pups and the xlr output if anyone has one to sell...........

[Paul S]

Search 'Westone' on here and I am usually one of the first to chime in with praise. Awesome value for money - the necks are as good as anything I have played. Mine were all 40mm wide at the nut, incidentally. Too heavy for my particular brand of lumbar problem, sadly, so I no longer own one. My pimped Westone Thunder Jet is lighter and does sterling service.

[fender73]

[quote name='la bam' timestamp='1325696001' post='1486260']
Thunder 1A was my first bass - great bass to learn on, tough as they come too.

[/quote]

ditto - bought from RockBottom in Croydon - i wanted it cos it was red like Mark Kings bass! :-)

[FlatEric]

[quote name='Count Bassy' timestamp='1325438184' post='1483146']
I have a Westone Quantum (32" headless) with the 'Magnflux' pick ups. Staggering output level - equal to my active basses, and an excellent range of tones from two pick-ups, two volumes and a shared tone control. Probably the favourite tone of all my basses.
[/quote]

I've got one, as well VERY powerful - real punch.

Just sold my Westone Rail - plug that in after you have set up the amp
for a Jazz and you had better duck for cover!!

NB.

I have some Westone Circuits and other odds and ends, so if anyone has lost
their active, I may ge able to help.

Cheers.

[Leon Transaxle]

I have a Red Thunder 1 that I got from my parents for my 18th birthday (way back in '83). Apart from the kids this is the one thing I would haul out of a burning house.

[Paul S]

Possibly worth mentioning at this point that I am looking for a Westone Pantera Deluxe X790 bass. Just in case there actually is someone out there with one going spare who just so happens to be reading this...

[chaypup]

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1326818045' post='1502370']
Possibly worth mentioning at this point that I am looking for a Westone Pantera Deluxe X790 bass. Just in case there actually is someone out there with one going spare who just so happens to be reading this...
[/quote]

There's one here but it'll cost yer AND you have to get it shipped from the 'States.

Looks pretty good though, I only wish Westone had made a 5-string Thunder or even a Superheadless 5-er..*sigh*

EDIT: I should put the link in shouldn't I!

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/circa-1987-Westone-Pantera-Pro-Bass-X-750-guitar-X750-MATSUMOKU-Japan-MIJ-/380374739531?pt=Guitar&hash=item589019ea4b"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/circa-1987-Westone-Pantera-Pro-Bass-X-750-guitar-X750-MATSUMOKU-Japan-MIJ-/380374739531?pt=Guitar&hash=item589019ea4b[/url]

Edited January 18, 2012 by chaypup

[Skybone]

Good memories... my second ever bass was a Westone Raider, Explorer stylee with a split P-bass style pickup and two-tone paintwork, though thankfully not as garish as some that were available at the time! Mine was the red/metallic charcoal version. Think I paid about £100 for it.

My second Westone was a truly superb Thunder 1A (with old style script on the headstock), sounded amazing with the full 18v active circuit in play, think I paid about £40 for it from a mate of mine. Sold it a few years later to another mate for about £50. Need to get in touch with him & see if he's still got it!

[Paul S]

Thanks for that - but it is the X750, I'm after the X790! A rather special beast

[url="http://www.westone.info/cats/86pantera/06.html"]http://www.westone.info/cats/86pantera/06.html[/url]

[Kostas]

I have my 1985 Westone Thunder I-A for over a week and I'm very impressed. It is in near mint condition, completely stock and everything work as it should be. Both passive and active sounds are useful and it's easy to play. I really didn't expect this quality, I'm going to leave it stock as it is. I'm wondering if anyone has done an A-B test with a Fender Precision, it would be interesting to read your opinion.