Thunder I-A V2 - Pickup change

I have a Thunder I-A version 2 guitar. It was recently reviewd by a luthier. He recommended me to change the pickups to make the guitar a better one. He said that the wood and the construction of the guitar is amazing, and it is very well conserved.
I think that the sales price of this electric guitar doesnt compensate, so i want to improve it.
I'm thinking in buying the Gibson 500T and 496R pickups.

So these are the questions:
1- Do you think will it work?
2- Can I use this pickup whith the active cicuit?
3- Do i need 2 or 4 wires pickup?
4- Can you recommend another pickup?

Thanks!

Hi rodolfosrb. This is my opinion:
Changing the pickups won't add to the value of the guitar. Most buyers want the parts to be all original. The only reason I would change the pickups is that I didn't like the sound of them. Gibson pickups are good but very expensive and there are much better value ones out there. If you have a Thunder that is all original and fully working then you are a lucky man!

Hello rodolfosrb and welcome.

Everyone's entitled to his opinion, but I think you'll find the original pups (marked MMK45 on the back) are extremely powerful and versatile. They're roughly equivalent to the DiMarzio super distortions of the period and very well regarded.

Some people do find the sound a tad on the "muddy" or heavy side but then, this is a rock n roll guitar, and the boost from the active circuit puts the output into the stratosphere. There's a reason it's called Thunder!

You can change pups if you wish and the circuit can still be used, but unless you're trying to change the sound for a specific reason my advice is to stay with the original MMK45's. If you decide to change please hold on to the originals, they're very much sought after.
CLICK HERE for a wiring schematic.

David_A wrote:Hi rodolfosrb. This is my opinion:
Changing the pickups won't add to the value of the guitar. Most buyers want the parts to be all original. The only reason I would change the pickups is that I didn't like the sound of them. Gibson pickups are good but very expensive and there are much better value ones out there. If you have a Thunder that is all original and fully working then you are a lucky man!

Yes, it is original and working perfectly. All parts. I am not thinking in change the pickups to add value but to improve the guitar so i don't think about selling it. I saw some deals and the guitar was sold per $500. And i will never sell it for less than $1000. Can this guitar all original can be compared to a top line Gibson?

Barry wrote:Hello rodolfosrb and welcome.

Everyone's entitled to his opinion, but I think you'll find the original pups (marked MMK45 on the back) are extremely powerful and versatile. They're roughly equivalent to the DiMarzio super distortions of the period and very well regarded.

Some people do find the sound a tad on the "muddy" or heavy side but then, this is a rock n roll guitar, and the boost from the active circuit puts the output into the stratosphere. There's a reason it's called Thunder!

You can change pups if you wish and the circuit can still be used, but unless you're trying to change the sound for a specific reason my advice is to stay with the original MMK45's. If you decide to change please hold on to the originals, they're very much sought after. for a wiring schematic.

I am not used to play the guitar using the active circuit. Normaly do you play all the time with the active circuit?
Thanks for all information!

I have 2 Thunder IA's and I love 'em. But, they will never be worth as much as a top line Gibson.

This model Westone just doesn't carry that kind of interest or have that sort of finish. You might have better luck with the Prestige. Even then...

And hell no, you do not want to play with the active boost on all the time! It's there for effect, just like the other controls. You'd find it handy in a loud band if you were wanting to take a lead and wanted to be sure to be heard above everyone else.

I never used the onboard boost in 20+ years of gigging; I found the boost too shrill and the switch was a bit fiddly on a darkened stage, with sweaty fingers - stompboxes do all that for me. My active guitar wasn't a Thunder 1A, rather it was a Vantage VA900... so same company!!
Pickup swaps are easily reversable so I say "Have at it!!" Not sure I'd use Gibson p'ups, though - there are just SO many to choose from; name brand types like the Bareknuckles, Seymour Duncans, DiMarzios et al to the more mainstream like Entwistles, GFS and Kent Armstrong; I've found that the extra dollars you pay for premium brands aren't always refected in an appreciable difference in sound quality....

YMMV. 

corsair wrote:I never used the onboard boost in 20+ years of gigging; I found the boost too shrill and the switch was a bit fiddly on a darkened stage, with sweaty fingers - stompboxes do all that for me. My active guitar wasn't a Thunder 1A, rather it was a Vantage VA900... so same company!!
Pickup swaps are easily reversable so I say "Have at it!!" Not sure I'd use Gibson p'ups, though - there are just SO many to choose from; name brand types like the Bareknuckles, Seymour Duncans, DiMarzios et al to the more mainstream like Entwistles, GFS and Kent Armstrong; I've found that the extra dollars you pay for premium brands aren't always refected in an appreciable difference in sound quality....

YMMV. 

So you dont think it worth to improve the pickups?

corsair wrote:I never used the onboard boost in 20+ years of gigging; I found the boost too shrill and the switch was a bit fiddly on a darkened stage, with sweaty fingers - stompboxes do all that for me. My active guitar wasn't a Thunder 1A, rather it was a Vantage VA900... so same company!!
Pickup swaps are easily reversable so I say "Have at it!!" Not sure I'd use Gibson p'ups, though - there are just SO many to choose from; name brand types like the Bareknuckles, Seymour Duncans, DiMarzios et al to the more mainstream like Entwistles, GFS and Kent Armstrong; I've found that the extra dollars you pay for premium brands aren't always refected in an appreciable difference in sound quality....

YMMV. 

I have a Ibanez with Dimarzio pickups. Thats why i was thinking in put some kind of Gibson Les Paul pickups, to have a vintage sound to play Led Zepelin. Wich pickups do you recommend?

As I have the Thunder instead of investing in a Gibson guitar i was thinking in improve the Westone. The luthier told me its not easy to find good body guitar nowadays, only if you pay a lot in custom guitars, and its worth to collect the westone guitar and improve it. Does it make sense?

rodolfosrb wrote:Does it make sense?

I think we've answered your question.

Of course it's worth changing the p'ups out -  as I said it's an easily reversible alteration! I just caution against blindly buying pickups on the name: find out what pickups you like the sound of on a recording, and then do some research into said pickup: magnet type, impedance, wire type etc. and then see what's out there.... Google is your friend!

corsair wrote:Of course it's worth changing the p'ups out -  as I said it's an easily reversible alteration! I just caution against blindly buying pickups on the name: find out what pickups you like the sound of on a recording, and then do some research into said pickup: magnet type, impedance, wire type etc. and then see what's out there.... Google is your friend!

Thanks a lot! I will follow you up with the news!

I'm thinking about the seymour duncan 59. Do you think will it work better than the original ones? Thanks!

rodolfosrb wrote:I'm thinking about the seymour duncan 59. Do you think will it work better than the original ones? Thanks!

yes

Westbone wrote:

rodolfosrb wrote:I'm thinking about the seymour duncan 59. Do you think will it work better than the original ones? Thanks!

yes

Thanks! And after the change the active and tone swiches, will be still work?

rodolfosrb wrote:

Westbone wrote:
yes

Thanks! And after the change the active and tone swiches, will be still work?

If wired correctly, yes

I know, a bit late posting on this thread but I was curious to know if anyone has any details of the original spec for these pick ups?
ie dc resistance, magnet type etc.
I love this guitar and the versatility of the switching options, but do find it occasionally to be just a bit too powerful and difficult to get that really clean tone. Yeah I could switch to my strat, but that means carrying another guitar and buggering about with the amp eq mid set.
Had been thinking of a set of Alnico 2 using the coil tap/split to warm it up a little and minimize the harshness.
Any information would be welcomed.

boabby50 wrote:I know, a bit late posting on this thread but I was curious to know if anyone has any details of the original spec for these pick ups?
ie dc resistance, magnet type etc....

See THIS POST

Check this out could be the answer for you ....  ...and a whole lot cheaper.

https://westone.forumotion.com/t5338-mmk45-magnet-swap?highlight=mmk+45+magnet+swop