Westone Thunder III

[Oopsdabassist]

A mate of mine has been offered a Westone Thunder III for just under 300 quid and is asking me if thats a good price, I HAVE NO IDEA!! In you infinite wisdom gents..waddya think?

I believe it was made in Japan in the early 80's

Thanks

[Leon Transaxle]

Seems high to me BICBW.
However I am more used to 1s and 2s.
My Thunder 1 cost £118 new back in 1983 - not that that has any real relevance!

Having reread you post I notice you don't specify if its a bass or a guitar. I followed a direct link from the front page and didn't realise you had posted in 'other instruments'.

Around the time I got my bass I was playing in a band where both guitarists had Thunder 2As. These were one of the few decent yet affordable instruments you could get at the time. No Squiers in my day!

Edited June 15, 2012 by Leon Transaxle

[Oopsdabassist]

Yeah its a guitar sorry about that!

more info

[size="2"]Body - Canadian Ash, Hard Maple and Walnut
Neck - through neck, Hard Maple and Walnut 5 piece laminate
Ebony fingerboard, brass nut. 25.5 inch scale, 24 frets
Steel tailpiece and bridge with brass saddles
Metal backplates (Presumably like those on the Thunder II and III basses - anodised aluminium, not brass)

2 Magnet-F530 pickups
Controls - Master volume, tone, equalizer volume: coil tap, phase and active EQ switches, 3 way pickup selector
Active EQ is + or - 25 db with a centre zero position, gain is adjustable up to 13db. [/size]

[Paul S]

Sounds high to me, too. Nowt much wrong with the Thunder range - great range of tones. I have one, Thunder 1T (with a whammy bar) that cost me under £40 on eBay and it does a passible Gibson SG impersonation! Best place to ask in on here [url="http://forum.westoneguitars.net/"]http://forum.westoneguitars.net/[/url] - what they collectively don't know isn't worth asking about.

[Oopsdabassist]

Thanks Paul

[Ancient Mariner]

It does seem quite a bit, although 'vintage' Japanese guitars are appreciating in value.

[Mr. Foxen]

Sounds a lot for a Westone, but at the same time, you'd have trouble getting that much guitar for that price any other way.

[ianrunci]

I have seen the tunder IIA's recently changing hands for anything between 300 and 800. Anything under 300 for a thuinder 3 is a bargain. Tell him to put it on the westone forums. These guitars make gibsons sound like a plank of wood, they are the best pick ups and active system I have ever come accross

[noelk27]

When the pound in your pocket was buying Y250 then no one was paying circa £300 for a Westone Thunder III here, given what you could import for. But, those days are long since gone, and the prices you have to pay here now reflect that. There were two versions of the pickups used in the early III, leaving aside the version with the XLR output system, one with covers, one without. The pickups were made by different suppliers, so it does make a minor difference to the sound, but it's not something to get hung up on unless you're an obsessive collector. Unless you come across a Vantage 900 series, then the active version of the III is about as good as you can get if you want something made by Matsumoku. In good, original condition, in the right colour, with branded case, I'd pay circa £300 for one these days.

[Ancient Mariner]

[quote name='ianrunci' timestamp='1339840596' post='1695139']
I have seen the tunder IIA's recently changing hands for anything between 300 and 800. Anything under 300 for a thuinder 3 is a bargain. Tell him to put it on the westone forums. These guitars make gibsons sound like a plank of wood, they are the best pick ups and active system I have ever come accross
[/quote]

I do remember these guitars when they were new and whilst they were OK, just like a mid-range Washburn is now, that's pretty much where they were in terms of quality. Nostalgia is nice, but lets not push our luck too hard.

[Oopsdabassist]

Thanks for all the feedback guys, I didn't realise my mate was looking to get one for his brother who learned to play on one back in the day, as a suprise prezzie, I think he is gonna pull the trigger

[ianrunci]

[quote name='Ancient Mariner' timestamp='1339856093' post='1695470']
I do remember these guitars when they were new and whilst they were OK, just like a mid-range Washburn is now, that's pretty much where they were in terms of quality. Nostalgia is nice, but lets not push our luck too hard.
[/quote]

Not nostalgia for me I own two of them. And the washburns i.e eagle, falcon, raven series were excellent instruments. these guitars were finished to an extremly high quality and certainly better than anything Gibson was producing during the 80s. the woods, electronics and overall finish of the Westones are certainly far above the expression "ok"

[bassatnight]

The Thunder 3 is a great Bass and frankly £300 is about right for the top of the range, I always remember Henry Thomas playing one on Rockschool, I think it was fretless.

The Thunder 1's go from £50 up the 1A for £100 up and the 2's £150 up a 3 in good knick between £230 £300 but no more than that.