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'84 Westone Thunder III and '06 Stagg BC300


Krysbass
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Apologies in advance to those of you who’ve previously seen my 1984 Westone Thunder III on Basstalk or on the Westone site, but it seemed worth posting it again now we're on Basschat. I’ve used all new pix this time in an effort to keep it interesting!

Not posted previously is my “bargain basement” Stagg BC300 fretless. I bought this new for its price (£99) and its looks at the beginning of 2006 and since then have shielded the control cavity using conductive silver paint and replaced the stock pickups with a DiMarzio P + J set for more output and better tone. I've taken a bit of time to set the guitar up properly (re-shimed the neck) and treated it to a set of Rotosound Jazz Bass strings and the end result has been well worth it.

Hope you enjoy looking at them both.....

[attachment=557:WTIIIall.JPG]
[attachment=558:WTIIIangle.JPG]
[attachment=559:WTIIIbody.JPG]
[attachment=560:WTIIIbody2.JPG]
[attachment=561:WTIIIthruneck.JPG]
[attachment=562:BC300all.JPG]
[attachment=563:BC300body.JPG]
[attachment=564:BC300_DiMarzios.JPG]
[attachment=565:BC300angle.JPG]

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Thanks once again guys for your compliments on the Thunder III. If we ever do decide to part company, you'll certainly hear about it thru BC first.

Moving to my other bass; the Stagg, I know it isn't up there in the desirability stakes, but I included it as it's the only other bass in my "collection" until I can replace it with a Warwick Thumb NT4 (this may take a while). In the meantime, it's probably a good example of a basic but competent bass not necessarily having to be expensive.

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Martthebass: "Sure I've said this b4, but just love that T3. Does it eat batteries like a mutha? Mine did!"

I often wondered about this too and only found the answer out a couple of years ago, when I downloaded a set of instructions from the Westone owners site (I never got any with either of the Westone basses I've owned from new, so was in blind ignorance for over 20 years!)

The key to saving the batteries (and it's a bit of a pain) is you have to unplug the lead from the guitar when you're not using it. Apparently, when you plug in, this switches the active circuit on - regardless of whether you have the bypass switch on or off, ie whether you're playing in active or passive mode. I now use one of those silent switching leads so I'm not always having to turn my amp down etc.

Apparently you should get about 200 hours out of each pair of PP3's and following the above rigmarole, that's probably about right.

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[quote name='MB1' post='15673' date='Jun 11 2007, 03:58 PM']MB1. be)

How long have kays catalogue been selling porn?

MB1.[/quote]

The Stagg's origins were probably even worse than Kays catalogue - it was a "buy it now" through an Ebay store.

As for the Thunder III - well, it's not so much porn as maybe just "a nice old slapper"! :)

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[quote name='Krysbass' post='16499' date='Jun 12 2007, 08:46 PM']The Stagg's origins were probably even worse than Kays catalogue - it was a "buy it now" through an Ebay store.

As for the Thunder III - well, it's not so much porn as maybe just "a nice old slapper"! :)[/quote]

MB1. be)

The catalogue companys managed to get a supply of westone guitars and basses i remember my mate bought a westone thunder 1 active guitar,basses were also available.they were very well made.The stagg was a tree once,just minding its own business and then.........................................................................................................................................................

MB1.

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[quote name='MB1' post='16513' date='Jun 12 2007, 09:08 PM']MB1. be)

The catalogue companys managed to get a supply of westone guitars and basses i remember my mate bought a westone thunder 1 active guitar,basses were also available.they were very well made.The stagg was a tree once,just minding its own business and then.........................................................................................................................................................

MB1.[/quote]

:) Well that'll be the "something new" I've learned today - I never knew Westones were also sold through mail-order catalogues.

Some might say that a Stagg was a lot more useful when it was still a tree, and I've got to admit that when I first received my BC300 it had some "issues" that I've had to sort out, though maybe they were forgiveable at the price.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

[quote name='Krysbass' post='14615' date='Jun 9 2007, 02:01 PM']Apologies in advance to those of you who’ve previously seen my 1984 Westone Thunder III on Basstalk or on the Westone site, but it seemed worth posting it again now we're on Basschat. I’ve used all new pix this time in an effort to keep it interesting!

Not posted previously is my “bargain basement” Stagg BC300 fretless. I bought this new for its price (£99) and its looks at the beginning of 2006 and since then have shielded the control cavity using conductive silver paint and replaced the stock pickups with a DiMarzio P + J set for more output and better tone. I've taken a bit of time to set the guitar up properly (re-shimed the neck) and treated it to a set of Rotosound Jazz Bass strings and the end result has been well worth it.

Hope you enjoy looking at them both.....

[attachment=557:WTIIIall.JPG]
[attachment=558:WTIIIangle.JPG]
[attachment=559:WTIIIbody.JPG]
[attachment=560:WTIIIbody2.JPG]
[attachment=561:WTIIIthruneck.JPG]
[attachment=562:BC300all.JPG]
[attachment=563:BC300body.JPG]
[attachment=564:BC300_DiMarzios.JPG]
[attachment=565:BC300angle.JPG][/quote]

I have a left handed thunder 3 which i bought in 83. Thought mine was in good nick but yours looks mint.

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[quote name='bigash' post='27963' date='Jul 6 2007, 04:17 PM']I have a left handed thunder 3 which i bought in 83. Thought mine was in good nick but yours looks mint.[/quote]

Thanks for that. I've got to admit that I've cheated slightly with the bass's condition. When a great little band I had going at work folded in 1991 when the guitarist and keyboard player got made redundant, I got really disillusioned and the bass pretty much stayed in its case until a couple of years ago!

Trying to make up for it now though.

By the way, I'm left-handed myself but joined the other side at an early stage in my bass playing career, due to a lack of affordable leftie basses. There was a thread on here about this not so long ago and it emerged that a fair number of us are actually frustrated left-handers.

Edited by Krysbass
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  • 4 months later...

That Westone III is a beauty...lovely guitar

I have loads of them... my ambition is to own at least one of each model... I have recently acquired a Thunder III in the fretless version.. Still trying to get to grips with it though as I've been used to fretted basses for so long..

I think my pride is a Thunder II heelless in Pearl... Don't see too many of them around...

I've been a fan of Westones since the early 90s.

Are you on the westone forum?

If, by any miracle, you choose to sell it then I'd be happy to give it a loving home.... :)

Anyway... enjoy it....

Peace

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[quote name='Boy Thunder' post='93897' date='Nov 24 2007, 08:16 PM']That Westone III is a beauty...lovely guitar

I have loads of them... my ambition is to own at least one of each model... I have recently acquired a Thunder III in the fretless version.. Still trying to get to grips with it though as I've been used to fretted basses for so long..

I think my pride is a Thunder II heelless in Pearl... Don't see too many of them around...

I've been a fan of Westones since the early 90s.

Are you on the westone forum?

If, by any miracle, you choose to sell it then I'd be happy to give it a loving home.... :)

Anyway... enjoy it....

Peace[/quote]

Thanks for the compliment - it's good to hear from another Westone devotee. I'm on the Westone forum too.

I must admit, I've thought about selling the Thunder III a few times, but I've never been able to find anything to replace it, up to the same standard in materials and build quality, that doesn't cost 3 or 4 times the money I'd get for the Thunder III.

Have to say that I enjoy the rarity value these days, since there's nothing new out there that looks like a Westone Thunder. No offence to anyone; but visually it can't be mistaken for a copy of anything else, so it's probably going to stay with me for the forseeable future. It's my main bass in the band I've recently joined, so hopefully its retirement is some way off yet.

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