Warwick - Differences in the same wood...

[Overdrive777]

Hi!
I have some thoughts I would like to discuss if anyones interested...

First of all, I am an Warwick Endorser and have been for almost 10 years. I really love my basses and have used them exclusively on tour and in the studio.
My main bass is an Streamer Stage II 5-string.

A while ago I bought a new Streamer Stage 1 4-string through their Custom Shop. I tried a mid-90s Streamer SS1 a couple of years ago and really fell in love with that model. I love the P/J-setup and love the feeling.
But ever since I got this new bass, I feel it is so scooped and hollow sounding. No strong (lo-)mids that Warwick is famous for. Pretty ok by itself but in a band setting it totally drowns out, and I have really tried EQing it right... First I thought it was the MEC PUs or a phase problem so I changed them to EMGs. That was a little little bit better but not ok by any means. It doesn't sound like the mid-90s I fell in love with at all...
A few week ago, I tried a friends Spector NS-2A (and old korean made Spector from 1987). That sounded just like the old SS1 I tried. Great low and the strong lo mids.
On paper it is the same bass as my new SS1. Neck-though body with maple in both body and neck. Same NS body design.
So therefore I when to a couple of local music stores (Warwick is not that common here in Sweden....) The two SS1 I found sounded also a pretty scooped but not as scooped as my new one. But the thing that puzzled me was that all three of them sounded pretty different to each other, but non of them like the old SS1 or the Spector.
So to my question: Is it common that the same model sounds that different in that pretty high pricerange? If you order a new bass, it is like the lottery how it sounds. Is this only Warwick related or is this with all other companies?

[seungkoo]

The 91 ss1 I had sounded great! Scooped is not the sound I got out of it. Lots of low mids and bottom. With flats it copped a great vintage p and jazz sound

[Overdrive777]

Originally Posted by seungkoo

The 91 ss1 I had sounded great! Scooped is not the sound I got out of it. Lots of low mids and bottom. With flats it copped a great vintage p and jazz sound

Interesting!
Do you know if they used some other kind of maple during the 90's?

[curbowkid]

It might be due to the density of that shipment of wood they got. I got a corvette std 5 ash and I compared it to the std bubinga and the sound was sooo different. But I use this example because ash and bubinga have different densities

[Overdrive777]

Originally Posted by curbowkid

It might be due to the density of that shipment of wood they got. I got a corvette std 5 ash and I compared it to the std bubinga and the sound was sooo different. But I use this example because ash and bubinga have different densities

That's probably right. Wonder if they nowadays force the trees to grow faster (to get more wood) and because of that it has lower density?

[throbgod13]

i do think there are differences in the same model due to wood differences.. the neck construction is different between the 91 and current models.. the inner two laminations on the 91 were thick, whereas now they are accent lines.. and the maple neck laminations are highly figured and the 91's were not..

you might want to look at the difference between the preamps themselves..

[bassteban]

Wood will often have different-sometimes VASTLY different- density from one part to another. The same would of course go for two different trees of the same species. As for *forcing the trees to grow faster* I believe it's more a case of *cutting them down sooner* which equals the same thing- less density, which will change the tone somewhat(this point has been debated/beaten into the ground,; my opinion is that wood density makes a difference but how discernable is up to the player/listener).

[RCCollins]

There's a huge difference between Warwicks made in the mid-90s and the current product. I'm not knocking the current Warwicks, either. Different factory, personnel, production scale and methods (CNC etc). In the case of an SSI, neither the neck or body wood has changed (unlike many other Warwick models), but even wood IS variable.

[JPSBassist]

Originally Posted by Overdrive777

So to my question: Is it common that the same model sounds that different in that pretty high pricerange? If you order a new bass, it is like the lottery how it sounds. Is this only Warwick related or is this with all other companies?

I promise I'm going to try and address your answer and this is not a SPECTOR vs. Warwick thing. I'm the webmaster for Stuart Spector and own numerous hand-made USA SPECTOR basses, Europe Series SPECTORs and even and NS-2A like the one you mentioned.

I find the tonal consistency to be one of the signature trademarks of what SPECTOR is about. The original NS-Curved body is great, and the build/construction quality is great (although it has improved over time as one would expect... with age and experience one gets better), but most people I know who play SPECTOR do so because of the growly tone that cuts through in the mix and is something of a trademark SPECTOR sound.

I can't speak for why you've had so much inconsistent results with Warwick lately. SPECTOR's Europe line has gone through some changes the past 20 years, but since 2003 has had the same circuit/pickup/wood combination and pretty much any of these basses you pick up (and there's been about 10,000 made since 2003) sound the same. The NS-2 hasn't changed since 1979 when the USA 9v Circuit was added to it and it's absolutely true that the NS-2 always sounds like an NS-2. I've played models from 1983 to the one I own which is 3 months old. And they always have the same distinctive low-low-mid growl.

I hope you find the bass that you're looking for... meaning a Warwick with the sound you want. If not you might want to try another SPECTOR.

[Overdrive777]

Originally Posted by JPSBassist

I promise I'm going to try and address your answer and this is not a SPECTOR vs. Warwick thing. I'm the webmaster for Stuart Spector and own numerous hand-made USA SPECTOR basses, Europe Series SPECTORs and even and NS-2A like the one you mentioned.

I find the tonal consistency to be one of the signature trademarks of what SPECTOR is about. The original NS-Curved body is great, and the build/construction quality is great (although it has improved over time as one would expect... with age and experience one gets better), but most people I know who play SPECTOR do so because of the growly tone that cuts through in the mix and is something of a trademark SPECTOR sound.

I can't speak for why you've had so much inconsistent results with Warwick lately. SPECTOR's Europe line has gone through some changes the past 20 years, but since 2003 has had the same circuit/pickup/wood combination and pretty much any of these basses you pick up (and there's been about 10,000 made since 2003) sound the same. The NS-2 hasn't changed since 1979 when the USA 9v Circuit was added to it and it's absolutely true that the NS-2 always sounds like an NS-2. I've played models from 1983 to the one I own which is 3 months old. And they always have the same distinctive low-low-mid growl.

I hope you find the bass that you're looking for... meaning a Warwick with the sound you want. If not you might want to try another SPECTOR.

Thank you for your very informative post.
Maybe I have check out some more Spectors then
The problem is that I have never seen any new Spectors anywhere here in Sweden so it's very difficult for me to check them out.
Any suggestions about that?

[JPSBassist]

Originally Posted by Overdrive777

Thank you for your very informative post.
Maybe I have check out some more Spectors then
The problem is that I have never seen any new Spectors anywhere here in Sweden so it's very difficult for me to check them out.
Any suggestions about that?

Sending you a PM.

[seungkoo]

The 91 ss1 I owned had wenge stringers and the wood wasn't as fancy as the newer ones they make now. Very light resonant woods