Warwick RockBass Corvette Basic Active 5 String

Marko5657 · #1 02-04-2011, 03:18 PM

Warwick RockBass Corvette Basic Active 5 String

$374.95 Is this a good deal?

I’m not familiar with these, what were they selling for recently?

http://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-WAW-RBCVT5-LIST

jasper383 · #2 02-04-2011, 05:18 PM

It depends whether this is from the original RockBass line, or the newer ones. If this is from the older ones, that price is about right. The photo on the site is a newer one, but I don't trust internet photos.

If it's a newer model, that is a very good deal. The new RockBasses (they have the Warwick W on the headstock instead of the word RockBass) are almost indistinguishable from the German Warwicks. To me, at least.

Marko5657 · #3 02-04-2011, 05:57 PM

I saw many were out of stock, so I’m going to assume they’re getting rid of the old ones.

Thanks, I didn’t need another bass, anyways.

Pupiit · #4 02-05-2011, 02:48 PM

I just bought a used '06 Rockbass Corvette for 265 used, so I'd assume that the price is about right.

WildStringdom · #5 02-05-2011, 10:39 PM

The specs on the website say it has the Warwick 2-piece bridge. I believe the older (pre-2009) model had a 1-piece bridge. So, if the specs are correct, this should be the newer one that is pictured.

The $375 price isn't bad. I got one in Honey Violin using the Music123 price match in January for $307, and I gather that's about as cheap as they come. You might want to see if they'll price match this one.

fngmoe · #6 02-06-2011, 05:14 PM

I bought the 4 string active Corvette from AMS in November... it's the new style. I'm stoopid happy with mine. Dragged it to GC today for some A/B'ing with a couple of German Warwicks that they had in the store (Corvette standard 5 and Corvette Proline 4). The RB hung in there really well. I had been considering picking up the Proline and using the RB as backup, but after playing them back to back, it was moot. There were some very minor differences.... nothing that I could justify the ~$300 difference between what I paid for mine and what they were asking for the Proline.

Need2KnowBasses · #7 02-07-2011, 05:20 PM

Great price for a great bass. I bought an active 4 string a month or so back and love it. Build quality is very close to that of my German Corvette minus the exotic woods. Believe it or not China is exporting quality built instruments these days.

leegreenman · #8 02-10-2011, 07:25 PM

My new style Rockbass Streamer Std has become my #1 bass. Lightweight and great tone. Picked it up for $384 at Sam Ash a few months back.

jmagoni · #9 02-15-2011, 02:43 PM

Just bought one of these this afternoon with a price match from music123.com. It took a few e-mails back and forth to get details of the deal right, but in the end I ended up with the five string version for $350 and change shipped. Although it's not the best price match deal I've seen on one of these, I feel comfortable about it. Especially since my local GC has the same bass hanging on their wall for almost $800. Like was mentioned before, it is very tough to distinguish between this bass and its German-made counterpart.

morrisonhendrix · #10 02-15-2011, 03:27 PM

So did you get the older one or newer one as discussed above? I wonder what the tone of these sound like compared to a Fender MIM or Am. Jazz?

jmagoni · #11 02-15-2011, 05:21 PM

The one I ordered, as verified through pics and by the customer service rep, is the new style corvette rockbass. Two piece bridge, "W" on the neck, etc...Played the same one at Guitar Center quite a few times with a near $800 price tag hanging on it. Playing the Rockbass Corvette and the German Corvette, it is very hard to distinguish between the two. Besides, of course, the exotic wood on the German Wicks. Definite difference between these new rockbasses and the older ones, though.

Need2KnowBasses · #12 02-15-2011, 06:28 PM

I've only played one of the older style Rocbasses and it was actually a really solid bass as well. I just really hate the old Rockbass headstock. That logo is just huge and horrible IMO. I also think the two piece bridge is more aesthetically appealing but I have no clue what it does for tone.

Bongolation · #13 02-15-2011, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Need2KnowBasses

I just really hate the old Rockbass headstock. That logo is just huge and horrible IMO. I also think the two piece bridge is more aesthetically appealing but I have no clue what it does for tone.

If you believe in high-inertia bridges (more technically accurate description than "high mass"), I think the old is superior. I'm personally not a fan of them.

On the other hand, it was absolutely insane to use those new two-screw stopbars in those awful soft-spruce RockBass Streamers. Those suckers are going to come loose sooner or later. The old bridge would have been hugely more secure if they were determined to use that garbage framing lumber for a body.

Anyway, for the $199 I paid for my Corvette Basic (which at least has real instrument wood for a body), I could live with the logo, but I'm going to dump my two RockBasses.

I got them purely out of curiosity, and my curiosity is sated.

They are as good as these RockBass instruments ever get, but they're just not good enough for me, and frankly the whole Warwick thing leaves me cold.