Thunder Jet Vs Thunder 1.

I have two Westone Thunders, a Jet and a Thunder 1.

The Thunder Jet is original and has had a tough life, dents and gouges in the body and neck, but it plays and sounds well, and I have very little cash invested in it because I paid only £50 for it. It has the Hammer pickups in it apparently.

The Thunder 1 is a different thing altogether, it is a bit of a mix of parts. The neck, body and bridge are off one Thunder 1A guitar, the rest is parts stripped out of an older black Thunder 1, which had a cracked headstock when I bought it. 

This one has the MMK 45 pickups in it.

Thing is I am stripping back my guitar collection, and I have to choose between these two.

I actually prefer the neck on the Thunder Jet, and I also like the tone of it too. Despite the great love of the MMK45s, the Hammer pickups in the Jet just sound fuller, richer and better than the MMK45. I know they shouldn't. but they do.

The Thunder 1 looks great, it is in good condition, but the whole guitar isn't original, as the active electronics are long gone, the rest is not the original guitar, so it is ripe for being sold or even parted out and sold on. 

Maybe I should try the MMK45s in the Thunder Jet, but two things I have to consider are 1) are the MMK 45s really that much better, if at all than the Hammers and b) can I bring myself to sell on a nice looking, but parts Westone or part out an unoriginal Westone?

First world problems, even;-)

For my two pennies worth, I think we all have bought and owned non original or retro fitted examples of guitars just to experience a taste of that model maybe. At the end of the day I think it comes to down to which bass feels and sounds best or right to you at this moment with the music your playing. 

Maybe to help you decide, have both basses side by side in the room where you play most and after a few weeks, see which one becomes your go to bass...might help

Just to clarify, they are both 6 string guitars

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The clue was in the pickups right!!!.......

Meadows wrote:The clue was in the pickups right!!!.......

I guess so, but I tell you I'd rock a Westone bass and they go for less money than the guitars too.

And I keep a lookout for 'em too, a basic Westone bass will walk all over most basses available for a similar price new these days.

Kicking myself for missing out on a locally listed Thunder 1 bass at a great price, recently.

Firstly, I think you'll find that the Hammer I p'ups are, in fact 45's... and if I had to choose between a black guitar and anything else, then the black guitar is on it's way to someplace else!!

However, if you just sit and play both guitars - perhaps blindfolded and have your wife hand you them without telling you which is what - then pick the one that 'feels' best to play; easy!!

I've never owned a Jet but for my money there are damn few guitars more versatile or comfortable (if a tad heavy) than the IA.

Black guitars are, well...black. What can you say?
The IA has a much classier look, especially when all cleaned up.

Like everyone sez though, it's down to which one speaks to your bad self.

The Jet body is alder and the  Thunder  is obviously not.

Meadows wrote:The clue was in the pickups right!!!

Both the Rail and Quantum bass pickups have MMK45 on the base of the pickup plates.

Have to have a look at my super headless also. Which are apparently the same.

Hey Damian, thanks for the info, didn't realise they put MMK45's in any bass models (the humbucker design makes sense). 

Do you think they would have wound or spec'd the pick up any differently to accommodate the lower bass frequencies?

I guess maybe I'll try a pickup swap.

In the meantime I might try putting one of the Hammers in this and see what it sounds like;-)

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Pickup swaps can be a great way to change a guitars character, I agree! Perhaps a less aggressive, slightly underwound pickup might work in the Clipper - or the Thunders! - .... something like the Tonerider ACII?! 

I do know I'm a believer after putting one into a Vantage Avenger...

Sollophonic wrote:I guess maybe I'll try a pickup swap.

In the meantime I might try putting one of the Hammers in this and see what it sounds like;-)

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You'll find your Hammer I pickup has MMK45 on the base plate

Hey Sollo, didn't you put a P90 in that Clipper?
What happened to that experiment, no joy?

Yep, but the Twelve Gauge sounded better and was much more versatile, especially wired to s series/parallel switch.

P90 was pretty good, but not as much fun as the humbucker.

Yeah, as much as I loves me a P90, it's a bit hard to split one! Carry on.

so, the westone thunder jet in this thread is the one i'm now refurbishing. what a pity he stripped it for parts. and i paid £75+P&P for it too.