Warwick $$ double buck review

Figjam · #1 07-21-2005, 07:17 PM

Today i played a 4 and 5 string version of these. I will just review the 4 string because they were essentially the same, minus the B string, and ill just say, it was good.

Anyway, the 4 string, it was black (5 was red) and the black looked very nice. The neck was just like any other warwick, although might i add that the ovangkol keeps getting uglier and uglier. :< The body was the swamp ash that theyre using now, although its still pretty heavy for swamp ash. It was comfy though.

Alright so it played well, coulda been set up better (had straight neck, no buzz, coudla lowered action even more) but it played fine.

Slap tone, sounds just like every other warwick ive played. Sadly i thought this thign was gonna blow me away, but it was just over all, mmm warwick normal.

Fingerstyle was very punchy. Im sure if i had more time to figure out the EQ settings i coulda dialed in a nice tone, but it was punchy and bassy. More mellow actually than other warwicks, less growl, more yum.

So i think due to the pickup location the slap tone could be better on other basses, but the fingerstyle tone was very punchy and warm.

I still have yet to play any bass that id take over my musicman sterling, they jsut feel so , quality goodness. The necks, mm. Today i played a Ken Smith (that was nice but im not into 6 strings) a pedulla fretless ( best fretless ive ever played) and lots of fenders that are all blahhh, hate the necks and fingerboards and frets.meh.

The end.

i like tictacs · #2 07-21-2005, 07:20 PM

I thought that the double buck was one of the worst warwicks i've ever played. The tone is like nails on a chalkboard to me.

Figjam · #3 07-21-2005, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by i like tictacs

I thought that the double buck was one of the worst warwicks i've ever played. The tone is like nails on a chalkboard to me.

What amp did you play it through? Did you mess with the EQ at all? i found it very non trebely.

sargebaker · #4 07-21-2005, 07:39 PM

I got a review from Whafrodamus who met up with I like tictacs at GC and played it. he said it sucked...I was hoping it would be the bass that would make me not hate warwank and I actually had minor GAS for it...

Figjam · #5 07-21-2005, 07:40 PM

I gotta tell ya, heres how it ggoes

*walks into store, plays bass'

'hey friend, this isnt as good as i thought itd be' *plays every other bass* 'wow but everything else sucks too' *goes home and plays musicman*

PilbaraBass · #6 07-21-2005, 08:05 PM

90% of the basses that I play in music shoppes are *meh*...mostly because they are seldom set up very well and it would take way to much time to dial everything in...

so when I play basses in shoppes, I set EVERYTHING flat...I also try to use amps that I am familiar with (unlesss I'm trying amps, then I try to use basses that I am familiar with).

But like you, Figjam, I usually leave feeling a bit flat...

I've never played a sterling (only a couple of 'rays...which I liked)...and I've played some really, REALLY nice Fenders...but not in music shoppes....no surprise here.

Funny thing is, when I go and try out acoustic guitars, my experiences are just the opposite...but that's not a subject for this thread (or even this website...), sorry.

So anyway...I'm very verbose today...I'm not a Warwick fan, either...They're just not my thing.

deathbloomslife · #7 07-21-2005, 11:19 PM

So...

Blow the extra money on the Double Buck, or just buy a Standard Corvette Active?

~Ryan

Zebra · #8 07-21-2005, 11:35 PM

Do people really write "reviews" after playing a bass once in a store? You could have titled this thread "played a $$ today." A review is something you write after owning a bass for a few months.
From my experience, most bass will fail to impress in a store. Something about playing basses in a store just doesn't give you the whole picture. Something about that store vibe just makes them all seem pretty much the same. I know on several occasions I've picked up P's and J's and couldn't distinguish the difference in sound. I know when playing a Stingray for the first time, it was nice, but not really nice. The Sterling, after I had played Stingrays on several occassions, was even less so. The Bongo, even less than that. Overall now I feel that I can really emulate the Stingray with my Ibanez.
Well, talk about conclusions that have nothing to do with the topic...

primus_55 · #9 07-22-2005, 04:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deathbloomslife

So...

Blow the extra money on the Double Buck, or just buy a Standard Corvette Active?

~Ryan

The double bucks are cheaper than the swamp ash and bubinga Standard vettes.

Figjam · #10 07-22-2005, 04:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by primus_55

The double bucks are cheaper than the swamp ash and bubinga Standard vettes.

How much are they? I thought they were around $1300 unless that is the list price or just innacurrate?

primus_55 · #11 07-22-2005, 04:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Figjam

How much are they? I thought they were around $1300 unless that is the list price or just innacurrate?

The shop i go to, bass centre in melb. Im australian, as you might know.

The owner says he does the 4 string for about $1800 AUD, and he does the bubinga standard active 4s for about $2200. The ash body vettes are about $1900 - $2000 to my knowledge. Im not sure whether the double bucks are dearer or not, but they aren't lots of money more if they are dearer.
Double bucks are very cheap, put it that way.

RE:PEAT · #12 07-22-2005, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by primus_55

The shop i go to, bass centre in melb. Im australian, as you might know.

The owner says he does the 4 string for about $1800 AUD, and he does the bubinga standard active 4s for about $2200. The ash body vettes are about $1900 - $2000 to my knowledge. Im not sure whether the double bucks are dearer or not, but they aren't lots of money more if they are dearer.
Double bucks are very cheap, put it that way.

I recently paid US$1,170 for my $$, about $100-$150 dearer that the Standard Active vette. So, about in the price range of an American Deluxe J or P. At this price, build quality and tone are excellent.

Fig, you have to like the Corvette (or Warwicks) in the first place to appreciate the $$. The variations in pups (IME) aren't going to change the Corvette's fundamentals but rather flavour it differently. I felt the $$ gave the Corvette more versatility that the Standartd Active model, likely due to the series/sc/parallel switching choices.

Aj* · #13 07-22-2005, 09:50 AM

I had breif gas for one but have since found the joys of Drozd...

Anarchyok · #14 07-22-2005, 08:26 PM

primus, the double buck retails over here for $100 more than the Vette standard swamp ash. Vette is $2,399, $$ is 2,499 for the 5 string versions.

main_sale · #15 07-24-2005, 06:39 PM

I too have gone cold on Warwicks. I have a NT thumb that I like alot. I bought a 2004 limited Jazzman that jsut left me cold. The control don't make any sense to me and tonally don't do it. It looks nice but sounds sterile. I'm done with Warwick but will keep my thumb.

DeadRBassistNJ · #16 07-24-2005, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deathbloomslife

So...

Blow the extra money on the Double Buck, or just buy a Standard Corvette Active?

~Ryan

Neither, get the FNA Jazzman.

Vic · #17 07-24-2005, 08:45 PM

I played a $$ 4 stringer today and thought it was a great bass. Tons of growl, excellent tone and playability.

octaverazor · #18 06-21-2009, 01:21 AM

I have a 4 string $$ i've had for about 6 months now. I can honestly say it is the best bass i have ever played. The build quality is bar none, woods are exellent, brass frets are awesome, the feel is awesome, tones are out of the world. There seems to be a lot of haters out there about this bass. Get a life. This bass dares to not try to be a fender, and people give it ****. It doesn't sound or feel like anything on the market. Great bass

Vinterless · #19 12-05-2012, 12:52 PM

Anyone tried a fretless $$? I haven't heard anything about those.
I love bubinga std fretless, but I think an ash $$ fretless could give me more interesting tones.. anyone?

IronLung1986 · #20 12-05-2012, 01:13 PM

i played a german $$ for a while. still have it, just don't use it much. they're extremely well-made but halfway up the neck the notes just start to get lost when you're playing with a band. that was always a real bummer to me, having come from a rickenbacker that owned mid-neck notes. the warwick was all about super lows (awesome) and harsh, barky highs (yikes). one thing that helped was to use it like a P bass, with the neck pickup solo'd. that's a great tone, but not as great as a real P bass, which is my main bass now. however, i will say that the $$ is the best recording bass i've ever worked with - every track i put down with that thing sounds great.

i guess that would summarize my feelings about warwicks:
fantastic in the studio, kinda disappointing live