philwood Posted May 28, 2019 Share Posted May 28, 2019 Bought this awesome bass this last week for £150 and it really is a belter. Nice set of flatwounds on it and previous owner had a bridge cover installed with foam etc. The Pick up is one of the best i've heard and I've own at least 35 basses from all the big boys in the last 20 years. Well recommended if you ever get the chance to buy one Looks like something from the back cover of 1986 Guitar magazine but I don't care. Mainly using it for studio work anyway! Just can't go wrong with a 'P' type bass. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted May 28, 2019 Share Posted May 28, 2019 I just sold one and I agree - monster tone. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted May 28, 2019 Share Posted May 28, 2019 Agreed x2. Having recently got my hands on a 1A, my bitsa P bass is now gathering dust. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted May 28, 2019 Share Posted May 28, 2019 So why did I sell it? Too many basses too little money. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pineweasel Posted May 28, 2019 Share Posted May 28, 2019 Mine has been in the loft for twenty years. Maybe I should get it out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted May 28, 2019 Share Posted May 28, 2019 3 hours ago, pineweasel said: Mine has been in the loft for twenty years. Maybe I should get it out? I sold two almost the moment they were advertised. In good condition you should be able to ask a fair bit more than my battered ones achieved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlfieC Posted May 28, 2019 Share Posted May 28, 2019 I have a Thunder 1 (not a 1A though), and its tone is just incredible. Super resonant, punchy, bright, but with low-end for days. Such an incredible instrument. In the future, I'd love to pick up a 1A and some of the other Westone models. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philwood Posted May 29, 2019 Author Share Posted May 29, 2019 Yeah the active is a nice option to have although I've not really used it. It's just a one knob for treble boost clockwise and bass boost the anti-clockwise. That being said it leads to a wide variety of potential tones coupled with the phase switch and tone knob. I'll probably never tap into that as I'm over the moon with the passive tone. Toying with the idea to sand and re-finish but then part of me is happy with the condition as it is for a 35 year old instrument c/w original case! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul S Posted May 29, 2019 Share Posted May 29, 2019 I absolutely love these old ones with the split coil pickup. Sadly they are too heavy for me. The later models (version III?) with the Magnabass pickups were lighter in weight but don't have the same dark quality about them that those beefy old basses have. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted May 30, 2019 Share Posted May 30, 2019 My first bass...much better than the Fenders of that era which suffered from poor build quality. As you say, monster P bass sound. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edwn Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 This thread is useful -- I've been considering getting a Precision as you have to have one once in your life right? But I am wondering if it will sound any different or better than my Thunder 1 ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MoJo Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 1 hour ago, edwn said: This thread is useful -- I've been considering getting a Precision as you have to have one once in your life right? But I am wondering if it will sound any different or better than my Thunder 1 ... Not really. Not as you’d notice anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WHUFC BASS Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 On 30/05/2019 at 18:30, TheGreek said: My first bass...much better than the Fenders of that era which suffered from poor build quality. As you say, monster P bass sound. Mine too. Bought it for £40 in 1983 and it was one of the early ones with the "Westone" lettering. Super heavy, although I didn't realise it at the time but it sounded great. I used it for years and still don't know what happened to it. Not sure i miss the weight but I do remember playing through an old valve head at a rehearsal studio in the mid-80s and it sounded immense. As mentioned, the build quality was brilliant but I wouldn't expect anything less from them early Matsumoko basses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stub Mandrel Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 (edited) I bought the Thunder 1 Stew sold. Used in in anger (rehearsal) for the first time this week, it sounds more precision than a precision does - as in that cliche rumble when you hit the e-string, like a touch of distortion even when you are playing quietly. Gratuitous picture, just to make Stew wish he hadn't sold it... It does appear to have the control cavity stuffed with neutron star matter, so no neck dive issues then... I'd forgotten but my brother* had a 1A he converted (tastefullyish) into a lefty so it looked like an SG. Also i hadn't realised his current bass is a Westone Spectrum DX, the top of the range and a proper lefty. *the ukelele/bassy one, not the guitary one. Edited July 11, 2019 by Stub Mandrel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visog Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 But, here's the thing.... new strings on any bass with a neutral setting is a 'killer P-sound' right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stub Mandrel Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 23 minutes ago, visog said: But, here's the thing.... new strings on any bass with a neutral setting is a 'killer P-sound' right? Nope 🙂 None of my others sound like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visog Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 14 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said: Nope 🙂 None of my others sound like that. "This one go plunk".. P-bass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krysbass Posted July 13, 2019 Share Posted July 13, 2019 (edited) A Thunder 1A was my first "proper" bass - by that I mean one with a body not made out of a slab of plywood. 😁 I think the woods used and heavy construction have a lot to do with the tone which is why I next had the Thunder III that I still own. But I replaced the pickups and electronics last year with a Bartolini system, with 3 band eq. Despite such a major change, the ringing piano-like original tone is still there, but with better/easier control than was possible with the original pickups etc. Edited July 13, 2019 by Krysbass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted August 6, 2019 Share Posted August 6, 2019 On 13/07/2019 at 08:19, Krysbass said: But I replaced the pickups and electronics last year with a Bartolini system, with 3 band eq. Despite such a major change, the ringing piano-like original tone is still there, but with better/easier control than was possible with the original pickups etc. I hear ya. The dead circuit in my 1A has been replaced with an EMG 2-band and the result is, as you say, a lot easier and more flexible in operation. I've still got the series/parallel switch in place, but the redundant active/passive switch is now a simple kill switch. I'm pondering the idea of fitting a J bridge pickup... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.