Can you help me identify my Westone ?

Hello all, first time post.

I have this guitar since a very long time, my father gave it to me actually. He buyed it to a friend back in the 80's.

However, I cannot find any perfect resemblance with any of the models listed on the site. So since there are experts here, I hoped you could help me to have the complete identification of this beautiful one.

Thanks in advance !

1984, April, Thunder I, looks in good nick... .

Have a look around here,,,,Westone link

Yep nice Thunder
try this link and scroll to bottom of page
Thunder 1

Oh yes, a Thunder IA. The Trusrodcover ist missing.

I may have a TRC here for that...

Hi Pewee Westbone is correct, not Rio Thunder 1A - the guitar you have is definitely a Thunder 1
The Thunder 1A has three switches below the control knobs, the Thunder 1 only one
The Truss Rod Cover will also have Thunder 1 written on it

The TRCs I have here are blank...

What you have is an early 1980s Westone 'clone' of the original late 1970s Ibanez guitar (the original 'threat' to the Gibson SG , next to the 'hard to find' B.C. Rich guitar that Rik Derringer use to play). The neck is a two piece 'construct' (with an 'insert' on the underside of the neck were the Truss Rod was added). The original Ibanez was done in 'dark' wood stain , and your is done in 'light' wood stain. The pick-ups are said to be 'clean' (but emotional lacking). It is still a 'clone' guitar. Hope that helps.

Not sure that is correct at all - the serial number says it is a regular production Thunder 1 from April 1984
Maybe the more knowledgeable members will throw some more light on that
Looks like a regular 3 piece bolt on neck, just like mine, which is from July 1984

Sorry Leftie, you are way off in your assessment.

As Ian says this is a regular production Thunder model which was available from 1980 with several prototype versions before that. It is not a clone.

The neck is a solid 3 piece Maple neck with thin walnut accent strips. There is no "insert" or "skunk stripe" there.

The truss rod is installed from the player side as is typical of most guitars and the Rosewood fret board covers it.

I could be wrong but I think what Leftie was trying to say is that the Thunder body was based on an Ibanez (ST100?) from the 70s. 
Possibly, but the stuff about the Ibanez being a threat to the SG or BC Rich and especially the neck construction theory? 
No.
Clearly, the Thunder and Ibanez use traditional construction methods where the truss rod is inserted under the fretboard.
And, I really don't think Ibanez or BC Rich was ever a considerable threat to Gibson.

I think it is pure speculation to to say that one guitar was a clone of another. Hoshino Gakki (Ibanez) was certainly around a very long time before Matsumoku and was likely an influence on them and as well as many others.

But during this time there were many excellent instrument makers and they all seemed to have been making variations on the same sort of construction approach: multi-woods / natural or trans finishes / brass hardware / split coil / phase shift / boost circuits, etc.

Ultimately, Matsumoku under the Westone label, was more noted for innovation than imitation.

The 'original' Ibanez used 'oversized' (later called Medium Wide) Frets , that is what made it a 'threat' to the Gibson SG. Both B.C. Rich's Premium Series and Westone quickly adapted to this concept , making Gibson the 'Odd Man Out' , at least for a while. That is what I meant here. My 1986 DX Spectrum has these 'oversized' Medium Wide Frets , that is what makes this guitar so hard to master (the play action is just beyond my capability).

Your guitar is as close as the could come to as a 'clone' of the original Ibanez , without being confused for an Ibanez. Funny thing is , Ibanez didn't have their guitars Copy Righted back then.

WestoneDX'Leftie'Owner wrote:Your guitar is as close as the could come to as a 'clone' of the original Ibanez , without being confused for an Ibanez. Funny thing is , Ibanez didn't have their guitars Copy Righted back then.

Absolutely nothing to do with Ibanez.

Which model Ibanez are you confusing it with???