Warwick Thumb BO 5-string opinions

[rewind157]

Hey guys. This definitely seems to be the place to get a well rounded opinion so I figured I would ask yall.
I've been playing bass for ~4 years and have had the intention of upgrading from my poor little stagg to something a bit nicer. I've had my eye on the warwick thumb for a while and it's getting close to me being able to get one.
Right now I'm looking at a 1998 5-string Thumb for ~2000$.
Anyone out there who is playing/has tried one of these with opinions? I wanna make sure I'm getting the right bass before I shell out this much moneyz.

Thanks in advance.

[jpTron]

Where are you from? 2k for a 98 BO seems like a lot considering I paid less from my 01 brand new. As for opnions, ok here goes...

I bought it in 2001 after playing it sitting down and thinking it rocked. I had a love hate relationship with it for years. It's heavy and uncomfortable to play. It neck dives like a mofo and that is obnoxious. Anyone who says otherwise either has never played another bass, or is in complete denial. While this is completely my fault, I knew nothing about eq at the time and kept the dials maxed. It's bass and treble. So I was scooping the sound like crazy and wondering why I got buried in the mix. Once I learned to keep everything flat and upgraded my preamp to an Aguilar OBP-2, and adjusting the pickups, I love it and wouldn't sell it like I debated for so long. Unless it's for a Wal...

[SoonerMatt]

I have a '98 Thumb BO 4 string that I paid less than half that for it. The Just-A-Nut II needs to be replaced and I had to gut the MEC electronics because they were shot. That being said it plays phenomenally. The neck is very comfortable and being solid wenge it's a joy to play on. It growls great and thanks to the preamp swap can be subdued if need be. I don't see this bass going anywhere.

I'd offer the cat $1100 for it, since that seems to be the going rate for Thumb BO5s from that time period.

[grendle]

Cool bass , $2k? the guy is stoned. You can pick up a NT thumb for less. Avg price I have seen for a BO thumb is $800 or less in mint cond. Keep looking. Seen mint NT basses going for $1100-$1600.

[rewind157]

Whoa. Didn't realize the price was that far off. Thanks a lot guys, I'll see if I can find one for an appropriate price.

[Rano Bass]

I used to own a 97 Thumb BO 5 and i also had a love-hate relationship with it.
I loved the look but was a little uncomfortable to wear and heavy, i traded it for a fender 5 dlx plus cash but i still wish i had it.

[Aussie Player]

After 40 years of playing and having owned the 4 string version. The 5, will be my next purchase.

[LarryO]

I have a 98 Thumb BO 5. I paid $1300 for it (used).
Pros: Very adjustable ( nut height, saddle height), quick release bridge, small body allows great access to upper frets, amazing tone, great neck profile (beefy neck not thin and fast like a jazz bass), flatter fretboard than standard fenders (if you prefer that)..........It feels, sounds and looks great.

Cons: The small upper horn can cause a little bit of nose dive (but this is easily addressed with strap position), The neck profile and tighter string spacing can take a while to get used to, no fret markers...

A Pro And Con is the way that the bass "sits". The 12th fret will be right in front of your fretting hands upper arm. If you travel to the higher notes on the fretboard you wont be moving your arm very far to reach them. This does however put the lower notes of the fretboard farther away, so you will extend the elbow farther to reach the 1st fret.

Build quality and tone is among the best, to me you have to play this bass to see if the feel is for you

[GBassNorth]

I'd agree with most of what LarryO said.
I also have an early 1998 model Thumb BO5 that I paid about $950 used in mint condition 2 years ago (I suspect the asking prices havent changed any since then).
I bought it sight unseen and uplayed based on a number of rave reviews here on TB and other sites. After getting it I fell in love with the sound and look of the bass. It sits better in a driving blues riff or a vintage hard rock mix than any other bass I've played. Is the BO5 neck heavy, yep. Mine naturally hangs at about 3:00 so I have a tendency to play it sitting down more than standing up. I've tried the wide roughback leather straps as others have suggested and all that did was pull my shirt along with the bass. This could be a show stopper for some, not for me - the tone and looks and feel of the neck far outweigh the nose dive. My advice is to try one before you buy one. They are very consistant from bass to bass so don't worry about trying the exact one you buy, but at least try one in a store first if possible.
If you're buying used there are some versions of the BO5 that are more desireable than others and may hold their value even better than most (which is very good by the way). Look for the holy grail of BO5s in the pre 1999 age group with a bubinga body and wenge/wenge neck all original and unmolested with MEC electronics and well cared for wood (yes you do have to keep these things oiled a bit), the thin profile neck vs the baseball bat neck and the complete original flush mount straplocks. You can get all that on ebay or talkbass for $1000 give or take a hundred just about any day of the week.
Good luck and be sure to post some Pics of your prize catch so we can all drool a little more.

[GBassNorth]

A newer one, nice looking, will probably sell for about $1000 or less.
WARWICK THUMB BOLT-ON 5 STRING BASS with Rockbag! NICE! | eBay

[GBassNorth]

And this one is a KILLER deal! On our very own TB classifieds site. Heck, I might even consider buying this one if it's still up for sale next week. Should be a very desireable bass to a collector in the next 10+ years.

FS/FT 2007 Warwick Thumb LTD 'Flamin Blonde'

[staccatogrowl]

I recognize and respect all opinions stated here. A few other things to consider:

1) 1998 Thumbs typically have Wenge necks with a desirable profile. Many folks are willing to pay more for a Warwick with this neck.

2) Neckdive can be greatly addressed by using a 4" wide strap.

3) The US dollar has tanked, with further devaluation likely to occur. New Warwicks are more expensive in US dollars, and fewer dealers are stocking them. As prices for new basses increase, it is possible that prices for used basses could increase.

4) The most important opinion is yours. It will be up to you to play some different Thumb basses for your specific evaluation. If you find a bass that "sings" for you more than any other, it is reasonable to pay more. This assumes that yours is not an impulse buy, and that you will play the instrument for years.

[eastcoasteddie]

I've never owned one, but played a few over the years. I really love these basses, but I will probably never own one. I like a heavy, woody bass and this is it. The tone is, for me, to die for. String spacing is a bit tight, but I can get used to it (should be more or less like my L2500, 17.5mm maximum)

[rewind157]

Thanks a lot for the opinions guys. I had played a...2003 thumb I think it was and was extremely satisfied so I knew it's what I wanted to pick up.

Anyways just made the purchase of a '98 5 String wenge neck/ovangkol body for 1100$. Hopefully not too bad of a deal? It's in near mint condition so I think it's not too bad.

Yay for good basses.

Thanks again guys.

[GBassNorth]

Originally Posted by rewind157

Thanks a lot for the opinions guys. I had played a...2003 thumb I think it was and was extremely satisfied so I knew it's what I wanted to pick up.

Anyways just made the purchase of a '98 5 String wenge neck/ovangkol body for 1100$. Hopefully not too bad of a deal? It's in near mint condition so I think it's not too bad.

Yay for good basses.

Thanks again guys.

Perfect! Welcome to the world of Warwick, you'll love em.

[Vlad5]

Vey nice! I paid $800 used for mine (2002), it was in bad cosmetic condition and the neck was twisted (probably paid too much for it)... but... after dropping about $100 more bucks into it to fix the neck, replace the nut with a JAN III, and refinish it, the thing looks and plays amazing!

I feel like I found and restored an old beat up Porsche or something, now I have a sweat 'race car'!

Cheers man, and welcome to club!

[Dr. Eagle]

I don't have a Thumb Bolt or otherwise but have played them at GC and Like them fairly well. I do own a Warwick Buzzard and had to change out the electronics from the MEC. I really didn't care for the sound much from the pickups and EQ.
Like others have said the guy is high if he thinks he can sell that bass for 2K.

[flipper_gv]

It's my all time favorite bass and I tried the NT version and a lot of boutique basses.