Missing serial number on my German Warwick SN Vampyre
 

Hello. I have a beautiful Set Neck (SN) German made 5-string Warwick Vampyre that I am about to sell. I bought it here a few years ago and don't remember who I bought it from. PMs have been erased long ago. No problems with the bass, it is great and is a German-made model. I have had several other German Vampyres as well as the Rockbass versions before. I have experience with these.

So I'm about to list it on Ebay (I've grown out of this extreme gothic shape) and in doing so I looked for the serial number. There is none. Not stamped on the headstock anywhere. Not on the edge, not on the back, or the front, not faded or with a faint impression. Not sanded out because these basses have the thick black glossy paint on the whole body, neck and headstock. Not stamped in the electronics cavity either. Just not there!

I looked up on the Warwick website and it talks all about depending on the year, it should be here or there on the headstock. Well, not on this one! Though I know this is a German bass, it also does not mention where it was made anywhere on the bass. No, it is not a knockoff either.

I was looking around online (maybe it was here) and read a few theories from other Warwicks that had missing serial numbers and one of the theories is that if missing a SN it could have been stolen from the factory?

I have no idea. I want to sell it and the bass is a beauty, but I don't have a SN to list and should mention this when selling.

Any ideas?

If it was in fact stolen from the factory, you are in possession of stolen property, regardless of where it came to you from. You need to check with Warwick.

I have no idea. That was just one theory I read in another case. My guess is that it was just overlooked? Unless I can find something out I will contact Warwick to see if I can get some kind of info.

OK, I found it! I looked online some more and found another guitar forum where someone asked the exact same question about the same model. Someone from Warwick (I am assuming) chimed in with the info. On some high polished Warwicks they do not stamp the serial number on the headstock. If they had, it would have to be some kind of decal and they don't do that, though I thought I have seen some numbers under the paint, but maybe that was just with other brands. So yes, it was in the electronics cavity. But get this, it is on a small wooden piece attached to the bottom on the cavity, partly obstructed, with a faint impression of the number stamped into it. And that number isn't even colored, just stamped in and hard to see. There was no mention of this on the Warwick site, apparently they just left that part out!

Hmmm. Usually all the serial numbers are stamped on the headstock, even in high-polish. You can always send detailed photos to serialnumber@warwick.de for complete information. Thanks!

Usually maybe but not always. Definitely not in this case. The serial number was stamped on a little wooden piece attached to the bottom of the electronics cavity. I would have NEVER found it if not knowing where to look.

This is the forum where I found the info, and it did indeed end up being true in my case.

http://forum.warwick.de/archive/index.php/t-1912.html

Send me pics.....I might save you the Ebay fee's

Sure thing! I'll PM you photos if I can figure out how to send them in a PM. Now that we know it does have a serial number, all is good!