Pics are here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/11497627...eat=directlink
This bass is a Warwick Streamer Stage II 5 string, made in 2000. I bought this bass new in 2000, and I've been the sole owner since then. I have taken great care of it! I know very well what these basses are worth, and in fact, I love the model so much that I just bought a replacement for this one. So here's why this bass is listed at such a low price:
In early October, at some point overnight, the truss rod failed inside the neck. The nut became separated from the rest of the rod, likely due to a deformation or developing twist in the rod, that in hindsight was probably manifesting itself for at least the last few months if not the last couple years. It always took a good amount of adjustment to get the neck to do anything, and in fact, about 2 months ago I took the bass to Mike Lull to remove all the frets, plane the fretboard as it was not perfectly flat (possibly due to these truss rod issues), refret the bass with genuine Warwick fretwire, and put it through the PLEK machine he has - all costing about $650! When I picked up the bass, the technician there commented on how the neck didn't really want to be significantly adjusted. However, at that time, it was almost where I liked it, so I didn't much care.
So a couple of weeks ago, I went to the bass to make a truss adjustment, and noticed the nut just spun and spun. I took it back to Mike, who verified that the rod failed spontaneously, and actually worked with me to try to get a claim approved on an insurance policy I have that covers my instruments. Unfortunately, they did not cover it, and I bought a replacement, due to the difficulty and time involved in repairing this issue.
The truss rod on this bass, like all Warwicks made after the mid-90s, is a 2 way, non-removable rod, supplemented by two steel bars inlaid into the neck. The only way to access the rod is to take off the fretboard. Mike had concerns about doing this and being able to get the instrument back to as-new, so I ended up speaking via email with Hans Peter-Wilfer, President of Warwick Germany, about repair. He suggested I send the bass back to the factory in Germany for them to assess and repair, since they have all the raw wood stock and parts that might be necessary. That option was too slow and unsure for me.
But if you have a luthier who feels confident about working on this, or have an alternate solution, here's your chance to pick up one of these basses for less than half of their usual used value. Here's a quick breakdown of the specs as they stand:
-10 years old, great care taken.
-Brand new Warwick frets, literally 2 months old, on freshly planed and trued original fretboard.
-Bass has been PLEKed, and includes the pictured Mike Lull certificate of that operation.
-Supposedly has an ovangkol neck as opposed to wenge, but check out the pictures and you be the judge. Looks like wenge to me. The fretboard is definitely wenge, and in several of the pics you can very clearly see that the laminates right at the edges of the board look like exactly the same species of wood. Models from this year should have ovangkol necks, but stranger things have happened.
-Original MEC 3 band preamp included and installed, however I have not connected/soldered the preamp to all the controls and output jack, as I took out the Aguilar preamp. This will have to be wired in, but all parts are there and installed inside the control cavity
-Original MEC pickups
-You may notice that the control cavity cover is signed by a few artists - I'm going to be keeping that, but I'll put the cover from the new bass on this one, so it'll be fresh and new.
-There is a small indentation in the body wood at the bass edge of the neck pickup from my thumb, as you can see in the pictures.
-There are light scratches on the back, but we're talking very light. You have to hold the bass up to the light to even see them in the reflected light.
-Regularly waxed and cleaned.
-All other hardware not mentioned is original - the tuners even still have the little vinyl protector stickers on the backs of them, as the pics show.
-Original hardshell case included. This is not the current flight case, but is the original Warwick-branded hardshell case that the bass came in. A little beat up, but still very functional.
-The original Warwick truss rod tool is also included.
-Note from the pics that the original serial sticker that is included with new Warwick basses is still preserved, and lists all the specs on it!
I'm asking $1,200, as a new fretboard can be fashioned and installed over a replaced truss rod for a few hundred dollars typically, or this board may be able to be reused depending on the luthier and techniques. And if so, you can take full advantage of the new Warwick frets and the PLEK set up. This gets you an otherwise excellent condition Warwick Streamer Stage II 5-string for as little as $1600 dollars, which is around $600 - $1,000 less than you can get another one of these in good shape, used, for. Feel free to ask me any questions you may have. Thanks!
