introduction

Hi All,

I stumbled upon your site looking for info on possible replacement pick ups for my Westone Thunder one (after reading the forum, I am not even sure if there is a benefit to be had in replacing them).

After finding the westone.info site I know that my westone is a thunder 1, version 2 build in '83 (serial number 3030924). I bought it second hand in 1987 for something like 150 florin (+/-75 euro today) and never looked back, nor did I ever buy another guitar (even though the weight is more than just impressive). I just could not get used to the neck shape of other guitars (ok, currently I am looking for an acoustical guitar, if anyone knows one with a similar neck).

All this to say thanks for a great site, the info and the easy relaxed atmosphere.

Friendly regards

Leon

Hi Leon, welcome to the club !

At a guess, you're Dutch. I don't whether we have any other guitarists / collectors from the Netherlands so you maybe unique. On the other hand, it you're not Dutch then I am completely wrong ! hey ho !

It would great if you could get some pictures up so that we could see what she looks like. As for changing the pickups, I guess Corsair, myself and many others would argue that Matsumoku PU's are perfect in their own right. But there again, this your guitar.

As you have had the Thunder for some time, have you gigged with it?

All the best

Steve

Hi Steve,

thanks for the words of welcome. Yes I am Dutch but I am living in the south of France at the moment.
I never gigged with the guitar since I torture the strings for my own private pleasure and do not venture onto stage.

After reading all the comments on the pick ups, I will try to get my hands on a few to try and see what I can expect from a pick up change but I am starting to think that I better change the amp to reach for the sound I want.

I will add some pictures soon.

Friendly regards

Leon

Hello Leon and Welcome!

It is nice to see you and to hear that you have had a long term love affair with Westones. Well done you!

Looking forward to seeing what you have got.

As for an acoustic with a nice neck, I have a LAG 4 Seasons Summer 200BCE electro-acoustic and I can heartily recommend them.

Pauline :flower: :queen:

Hi Leon,

No Problem. By all means, try as many PU's but hang on to the originals. Future buyers tend like these guitars as original possible. Wow, as for an amp change, again subjective. One many meat is another mans poison. I used have a mint 70's Orange 100watt Matamp combo. All valve with a studio cut switch that allowed me overdrive the preamp. Second harmonic distortion to die for. Sold it to go travelling around South Africa and regretted it ever since !

I now have a Carlsbro 100 watt combo with more knobs than the Starship Enterprise ! It does a good job for the money but ........ I want my Orange back !

By the way, Het Yak and Florin gave the game away!

Keep well

Steve

I've with Steve - hang onto the OEM pups, bro! And as for changing them out, well, go for it; part of being a guitar player is piddling about with your sound, so find something that works for you! That said, personally, I value the difference that is the MMK pickups - they cannot be mistaken for anything else unless you want them to: I can get quite a convincing strat/Gibson/ Rick out of an MMK equipped guitar. And anyway, I'm not one to say "don't do it!" as I stripped out a '58 telecaster and whacked in Dimarzio Fat strats... a long time ago but there you go!!

As for the amps, well, get the guitar to where you're reasonably happy with it, and then take it into a shop and whack it through all of the amps that they have in stock to see which one you like the best. Do this in 2 or 3 shops and you'll have a clearer idea of what you're looking for.

I, too, had an amp I should never have sold - a Dynacord Imperator - absolutely monstrous sound and I don't even know where it came from!! These days, up till I put my kit in storage, I was using a NZ built Holden 100W (2 x KT88's, 4 x EXX83s) valve combo, miked through the PA which has been my gigging amp for 15 years.

So, knock yourself out, and have fun doing it!!

Hi All,

Thanks again for the welcome. Looking at the ample supply of different humbuckers, I noticed that everybody talked loads about the pick ups but nobody talked about setting them up properly. Then I got to the bill lawrence website and found a short discription of his way of setting them correctly (string distance). Checking my guitar, I have to say the distance to the strings was waaaay to close After correction, no more need to seek different humbuckers. these do just fine.

I have changed their settings in the past, but never really paid serious attention to them. Bliss is in the details.

Leon

That was remiss of us; I think we all sort-of assume that everyone knows what we do and pick-up height is one of those details that can get lost in the shuffle!
I do know that my MMK 45 equipped guitars can fair roar when asked to....

I would have though that after owning the guitar for such a long time i would have delved a bit deeper into the mechanics of things;-) I am amazed at the difference in sound a few mm make. I will take her to a pro and have her properly set up.

Leon

You know, it is possible to do that yourself with a little patience and a decent reference book - I use Ritchie Fleigler's one - , and we'll help! Won't we, guys?!!