Spectrum ST, S and Thunder I-A

[Barry]

Hello everyone, and thanks for the forum and the information herein! I have been lurking in the shadows for awhile, browsing and researching, and I thought it was about time to make a contribution.

1985 Spectrum ST


My first Westone which I bought new in 1985 in Scarborough, (Ontario, not the real one!). I was the lead singer in the band and played mainly rhythm guitar. I was gigging with my Gibson ES330 and Ovation 1983 Collectors Series, both beautiful guitars, but while the Ovation is a tough trooper, I was getting nervous about having something awful happen to the Gibby--especially in the bars! So I went out looking for a "nasty lil rock roll guitar" that I could bang around instead. The sales guy showed me the Spectrum, and I figured it would do.

We had two lead players both on Strats so I didn't need or want another, neither did I need the weight around my neck, singing's tough enough! The ST was perfect. Looked like a strat but lightweight and easy to play. And that neck!! Outa sight. I was a happy camper.


The more astute of you may notice a couple of things amiss, namely no trem bar, and the bridge pup is not original. Well, therein lies a small tale.
First understand that before I bought his thing I had no idea who Westone was. I was just buying a cheap guitar to use in bad playing environments, and didn't much care about it! I also didn't really need the tremolo since I was a rhythm guy, so I almost immediately screwed the bridge down. (It also helped to keep the little bugger in tune.)

The other "problem" was that we tended to be a *ahem* somewhat loud band at times! I found that while the neck pup was fine, on the few tunes on which I played a little lead, the bridge just didn't have enough umph to compete with the other two jokers on their Strats. So...I swapped it out for used Seymour Duncan rail type (sorry dunno the exact model off hand--fog of time and plain laziness to look).

Well, that made a hell of a difference! No problem now getting on top of the music--the joke was that you could jump start yer car from the juice off this thing! So, it remains as you see it above...and don't ask me what I did with the original pup. I can't remember, and I can't find it anywhere. I must have had a really good time!

I gigged this thing throughout the latter half of the 80's and into the 90's, and recorded a bit with it. Aside from normal cleaning and occasional string changes, I confess that I treated it with casual neglect. And despite a few dings, bruises and assorted war wounds, she's still a looker, and still plays great. Now of course I love it!

That brings me to today and my terrible affliction of GAS of late.
I went on a guitar buying spree for unknown reasons starting last summer. I already had 5 guitars and didn't really need more (I thought). Then I bought a Vintage TC200 (great Telecaster clone), a Danelectro U2 (so-o-o kewl) and another Ovation 1868 (beautiful), then in rapid succession, an Epiphone Les Paul Studio (faded cherry beauty), a Westone Thunder I-A, a Westone Spectrum S, and a Parker Hornet PM-20! (whew, I'm pooped--and broke!)

1981 Thunder I-A



I saw this on a Kijiji ad in a small town about 20 minutes from home. Until I laid eyes on it the name "Thunder" only rang a vague recogition bell, something to do with basses?!
I loved the look, then I came here to these forums and the Matsumoku site to do some research. Imagine my surprise to find that this was rated very highly by players both here and on Harmony Central. So I went to look at it, and it was love at first sight!

The guy selling it was a nice young feller, heavy metal type, who wanted something funkier to play. His loss my gain! It even came with the original case!




What's not to love? It has everything I loved about the Spectrum, plus an un-freekin' believable range of tones and sounds! Plays like a dream. It has a bit of belt buckle scuffing on the back and light pick scratching, but other than that it was in great shape except for a good amount of cleaning needed!
I had to pry it out of my guitar playing buddy's hands to get it home! I could do without the weight, but it makes up for it with its incredible versatility. I wish I had had this in the band days!

1985 Spectrum S



Shortly after I got the Thunder I saw another ad for a Spectrum S (no tremolo). The guy was selling it cheap too! I of course had to have it.



Unbelievable luck! It looks like it just came of the assembly line, nary a mark on it. And it makes a great companion to the black ST. Domestic bliss (sigh)

Thanks for reading,
Cheers everyone!

[Steve777]

Hi Barry and welcome,

Great story and some very, very nice Westones. I dont have a Spectrum myself ( always fancied an FX) however I do have a Thunder 1a and 2a, as well as a Genesis II and Dimension IV. I also have a custom built special built by Rob Armstrong. As you have mentioned guitar weight, the custom job ( all mahogany ) comes in at a massive 9 Ibs !! Dont play it much nowadays .... just too heavy, but oh boy, does it sustain.

What would say the main differences are (in terms of tone) between the Spectrums and the Thunder?

Keep well

Steve

[Pollyanna]

Hello Barry and Welcome!

Thank you for sharing your story and your photographs with us, it is really appreciated. The guitar perverts in here will be happy!

I just love that white Spectrum, she's certainly pretty! Is she all original too? I've owned a Thunder I and a Spectrum SX and although both very different, they are equally lovely to play, I'm sure you will agree.

Thanks again for sharing with us and I look forward to seeing you around these parts more often as I'm betting you must have a tale or two to tell.

Pauline

[corsair]

Indeed; welcome and "Hi!" Nice kit there, my man - just love that Spectrum S; I'm a Spectrum fan too and have an ST, a GT and a GT Bass, all in pretty good nick: maybe not as good as that S but good enough!

I'm surprised that the ST couldn't cut thought the mix, though - I used mine once or twice in a live situation and found it more than adequate for any lead than I played! The pickups used by the early 80's Matsumokus were very, very good, still, the main thing is that you like it and that it rocks!

Is there any tonal and/or volume difference between the ST and the S? And what p'ups are in them, do you know? MMKs are marked on the bottom with a stamped MMK into the baseplate and a rubber stamped number in a square beside that....

[Barry]

...Great story and some very, very nice Westones...
What would say the main differences are (in terms of tone) between the Spectrums and the Thunder?

Hi Steve,
Good question! And a tough one for me to answer.

I haven't had the Thunder more than a couple of months and have not used it in a band situation so it really would be a premature comparison at this stage. But I will say, they don't call it "Thunder" just for the hell of it!!

Lordy what a machine! The pickups are much hotter than the Spectrum's and seem to have a wider "presence" if that makes sense. Of course, much has to do with the electronics behind it and the unbelievable sustain gained from that solid, heavy alder/maple/walnut package. The range of tones is stunning. It can sound very close to Strat-like or it can get kinda Les Paul bluesy, and even close to acoustical. It's a rhythm players' friend and a lead player's dream. Very impressive. But, it is a heavy bugger and plays hell with my arthritic old neck!

The Spectrum by comparison is like mother's milk (no pun on the white one intended!) .
Comfortable, natural, relatively light and within its own range quite versatile too. The neck pup is very bluesy and mellow, and in the mid position, especially with the Seymour Duncan installed at the bridge it's a fantastic sound for most pop rock stuff. In straight bridge position it's just a "balls to the walls", let's rock!

Just a great guitar to play all night. You never got tired of it. The only time I had to switch to the Ovation was for ballads and few Eagle-type country rockers that needed an acoustic rhythm background!

[Barry]

Thank you for sharing your story and your photographs with us, it is really appreciated...
...I just love that white Spectrum, she's certainly pretty! Is she all original too?

You're welcome Polly, and thanks for the great site.
Funny how everybody seems to gravitate to the Spectrum S. Must be the white-ness of it or something.

And yup, she's all original as far as I can tell. As I said in the original post, it looks like it just came off the showroom floor! I couldn't believe it. Doesn't look like it's really been played at all.

The same friend of mine with whom I've played in bands for years, who went gaga over the Thunder, went even more goofy over the S! and came back for a second session with it. He's a long time Strat and Schecter player but he just couldn't get over the fantastic neck on it! He couldn't believe he had played along side me all those years and had never picked the Westone to try it until now!
He's still shaking his head.

[Barry]

Indeed; welcome and "Hi!...
I'm surprised that the ST couldn't cut thought the mix, though...
...are there any tonal and/or volume difference between the ST and the S? And what p'ups are in them, do you know?

Thanks corsair.
Well, I did mention that these guys I played with were LOUD! Me included I guess. We were damn good and versatile...but LOUD! Maybe the ST just seemed quieter by comparison with those screaming Strats! At the time we played quite a few bars which tended to get rowdier as the night went on but in more reserved situations like a wedding it wasn't so much of an issue.

Like the Thunder, I've only had the S a very short time and haven't played it much. I think my buddy has played it more than I have! The general feel and "naturalness" is there as with the ST and the tonal range is similar, except of course for the mod on the ST's bridge pup which makes an A-B comparison impossible. I did however get a flash back as to why I took out the pup, it's definitely "duller" sounding to my old ears at least. Very good mind you, but not quite the range for the sound we liked.

The neck pup is really nice on both and I wouldn't change them. Neither do I plan to do anything to the S. It will remain "stock". As God and Uncle Matt intended!

[anaerobe]

Cool guitars Barry - all of 'em are lookers.

Best,

Ian

[Barry]

MINI UPDATE
I recently had the Spectrum S out on rotation and since I don't have a separate dedicated post for it (yet) I thought I'd put her pup readings here for documentation purposes. I used my 'QUICK N DIRTY' method to take them:
NECK: 6.52 K (3.30 K split)
BRIDGE: 6.23 K (3.12 K split)

[Barry]

MINI UPDATE 2
I decided, bugger it, why wait for the next rotation? So I went through the whole herd today and took pup readings!

So, here are the numbers for the Thunder IA:
NECK: 10.92 K (5.66 K split)
BRIDGE: 11.04 K (5.57 K split)
COMBINED: 5.60 K (2.84 K split)

Oh yeah, she wails! And that's without the active boost!

(The ST's info is HERE)