warwick rockbass dynamics- the strings??

shpongley · #1 10-24-2010, 09:40 PM

so ive always loved the warwick punch and growl and such, and was wondering if the rockbass line had any of that till i played one today. it was the active corvette basic, w/ 1-piece bridge, MEC gold pups, i think stock strings etc.. now ive tried to figure out what gets that amazing dynamic sound when playing. its like, if i play soft (esp. slap) it doesnt just sound quieter, it has the punch still like very compressed and muted almost. very noticeable when trying to do the bass intro thing to Hand That Feeds- NIN where its muted and quiet then swells up...anyways, is it the pups? strings? im guessing the strings because you can feel the effect on your fingers when you play (sorry hard to explain). this is a friends bass, and i recently put hi-beams on mine- got better grind but not that dynamic effect..any thoughts tb? thanks in advance!

**crustychef** · #2 10-25-2010, 01:56 AM

it's not the strings. I hate Warwick strings. It's the bass. Good strings like DR Highbeams, Fatbeams and Sunbeams(on my Fretless Corvette) sound crazy good on Warwicks, Rockbass or not. I also really like Dean Markley NPS Blue Steels on my Streamer Jazzman.

shpongley · #3 10-25-2010, 09:50 AM

right, that makes sense. its just that there are so many threads w/ people replacing virtually every part (pups, strings, electronics, bridge even?) and still getting the warwick sound, even improved. and the fact that rockbass uses totally different woods (alder, maple, rosewood..) and STILL has it, is it just the overall warwick build process or what? quite a pickle...

dj150888 · #4 10-25-2010, 10:03 AM

I find that their pickup placements are responsible for a lot of the tone from each of the different 'wicks.

mmbongo · #5 10-25-2010, 10:13 AM

Warwicks just have a mojo like no other. I know exactly what you're talking about. I'm surprised that mojo is in the RockBasses as well though!

shpongley · #6 10-25-2010, 11:19 AM

I know man, its ridiculous..i want it! and pickup placement actually sounds pretty key, as i was noticing they seemed a little more spread out than im used to (closer to both bridge and neck) but still, somehow it all comes together. the fact that it carried into a $300 rockbass was what really surprised me!

IngerAlb · #7 10-25-2010, 01:57 PM

The pickups are exactly the same as the ones of their high-end models. The pre is different though.

To me the old RBs didn't sound like a German W, but in the same time those do maintain some tonal characteristics of their big brothers, and their voice is powerful and articulate.

AFAIK Wicks come with stock Black Label strings, that add a specific zing to the sound. But honestly I hate 'em, way too abrasive for my taste. The good thing is though most strings will sound good on these basses, so switching between brands is not a problem.

So yeah, I'd say it's the bass rather than consumables such as strings - prolly using as many identical components to the German Wicks on RBs help these maintain a certain feel & tone.