• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Warwick Corvette $$ NT or Spector Euro 4 LX

Well...

  • Warwick Corvette $$ NT

    Votes: 44 42.7%

  • Spector Euro 4 LX

    Votes: 45 43.7%

  • Neither

    Votes: 14 13.6%
  • Total voters
    103
MisterMagician

MisterMagician

Inactive
Dec 31, 2007
1,731
110
Somewhere not here.
#1
Spector Euro 4 LX:
- Ordered direct (Price will be ~$2050 total)
- Maple neck-through neck with alder wings
- Zebrawood top
- Gloss finish
- black hardware
- EMG 35CSTW PU set
- EMG BQC preamp
- 35" scale
- Hipshot detuner
- Coil-tap

Warwick Corvette $$ NT:
- Used (Price is $1999 without shipping)
- Maple neck-through neck with bubinga wings
- 34" Scale
- MEC passive humbuckers with Warwick 2-band EQ
- Series / parallel / coil tap pickup switching system
- Oil finish
- Black hardware

You can look up pictures on http://www.google.com/ :P


Basically I am looking for a punchy Bass with a smooth, articulate growl that will cut through any mix and have enough energy left over to beat down anyone stupid enough to be in the same room as my amp. Basically I just want one mean mother****ing Bass.

I love Warwick necks as well as Warwick's general aesthetics, but I believe the Spector has better features (the active pickups, boost/cut 3-band preamp, the 35" scale, and the detuner).


I hear that both Wicks and Spectors are the basses of choice for the brand of tonal violence I am looking for, and both of the chosen basses feel right in my hands... so I am kind of stumped here. What do you lot think?
 
#4
Euro 4LX hands down. I normally try and point out the finer points of both basses in these "bass 1 vs. bass 2" threads but Euro 4LX takes this one by a mile! They growl like nothing else in their price range and with the options that you have selected it will be a monster bass. Personally, I'd go with a maple top for a brighter tone but because of the maple neck and alder wings it should be plenty bright anyway. And if you want the most cutting, growly tone from it boost the mids a bit and coil tap the pups to single coil mode. You'll probably want to just leave it like that forever, lol.

The Warwick you described actually sounds like it could be alright but I've tried all kinds of Wicks from Corvettes to Thumbs and the only one I liked was a custom shop Streamer Stage 1 and that would cost easily 3x the price of either of the basses you have listed. Yeah the necks suck but I would've been willing to deal if the tone made up for it and they never did. They all just seemed to lack any sort of definition.

Go with the Euro. I can almost guarantee you you'll dig it.

EDIT: ya' probably shouldn't have put the 'neither' option there, it doesn't do much good in these kind of situation?
 
#5
Kwesi said:
Euro 4LX hands down. I normally try and point out the finer points of both basses in these "bass 1 vs. bass 2" threads but Euro 4LX takes this one by a mile! They growl like nothing else in their price range and with the options that you have selected it will be a monster bass. Personally, I'd go with a maple top for a brighter tone but because of the maple neck and alder wings it should be plenty bright anyway. And if you want the most cutting, growly tone from it boost the mids a bit and coil tap the pups to single coil mode. You'll probably want to just leave it like that forever, lol.

The Warwick you described actually sounds like it could be alright but I've tried all kinds of Wicks from Corvettes to Thumbs and the only one I liked was a custom shop Streamer Stage 1 and that would cost easily 3x the price of either of the basses you have listed. Yeah the necks suck but I would've been willing to deal if the tone made up for it and they never did. They all just seemed to lack any sort of definition.

Go with the Euro. I can almost guarantee you you'll dig it.
Click to expand...
Wait, does the Euro 4 LX come with a coil-tap, or will I have to set that up myself?

Kwesi said:
EDIT: ya' probably shouldn't have put the 'neither' option there, it doesn't do much good in these kind of situation?
Click to expand...
I just put it there so people could give suggestions if they thought they had a better idea. In other words, that plan failed :rolleyes:
 
#6
I'd say the Spector. I like the warwick $$, but found it with not as much signature low-mids and presence as other Warwick models (namely, the Streamers, and of course the dark horse, the Thumb).

If you can find a second hand (or discounted) Warwick Stage II, that should rock your boat as well. That and the Thumb have a lot of presence, but I wouldn't recommend a Thumb, they are the 'marmite' of the bass world, you need to try them thoroughly first.
 
#7
LLink24 said:
Wait, does the Euro 4 LX come with a coil-tap, or will I have to set that up myself?
Click to expand...

If it comes with the EMG CS-TWs it better, lol. The pickups are designed specifically for that reason.

I actually just remembered that the coil splitting function of the TWs is usually activated by pulling a volume pot; 1 per pickup. Since there's only one volume with the BQC preamp it could be that you either have a JJ setup or HH setup via a push/pull on the volume or that it's locked into one setting. I'm not sure but I would suggest asking the dealer about it and if you have to choose between JJ or HH I say go JJ because that's where I think the tone you want is. I actually have the PJ setup on my Euro 4LX and it kills.

LLink24 said:
I just put it there so people could give suggestions if they thought they had a better idea. In other words, that plan failed :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Yea, people are jerks :hmm:.
 
#14
PJ has just informed me that since they they have switched to the EMG CS-TW soapbars this year, all of their Euros come with a coil-tap standard. The Auguilar OBP-2, EMG BQC, and Spector Tonepump all have them.

That is another hardware plus for the Spector.


Wait... the Wick has a coil-tap as well :hmm:
 
#17
I´m not sure about the scale length you chose for the Spector, i don´t know if you want to use it for lower tunings or what...i own an Euro 4lx - 34" and the string tension is pretty high, i sacrifice my playing comfort because of its monstruous tone, it growls like a mad dog and on top of that the sustain is insane, the options you have selected make that bass an absolute beast, the Warwick is very, very nice too but for sheer "tonal violence" the Spector is the way to go...

P.S.: I dont know about any of the coil tapping options that Kwesi is talking about on Spectors at least.
 
#18
Both have a maple neck, which is the most important wood factor in a neck-thru (duh). The difference in sound will arise mainly from the different electronics in this case.

For $2000+, I'm going with something like:
Invalid Link Removed
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Not that I like 5 strings, but you get the idea...lots of quality in that price range.

If you really really like Warwick, I like the Thumb or Streamer a whole lot more than the Corvette $$.
 
#19
Kwesi said:
Euro 4LX hands down. I normally try and point out the finer points of both basses in these "bass 1 vs. bass 2" threads but Euro 4LX takes this one by a mile! They growl like nothing else in their price range and with the options that you have selected it will be a monster bass. Personally, I'd go with a maple top for a brighter tone but because of the maple neck and alder wings it should be plenty bright anyway. And if you want the most cutting, growly tone from it boost the mids a bit and coil tap the pups to single coil mode. You'll probably want to just leave it like that forever, lol.

The Warwick you described actually sounds like it could be alright but I've tried all kinds of Wicks from Corvettes to Thumbs and the only one I liked was a custom shop Streamer Stage 1 and that would cost easily 3x the price of either of the basses you have listed. Yeah the necks suck but I would've been willing to deal if the tone made up for it and they never did. They all just seemed to lack any sort of definition.

Go with the Euro. I can almost guarantee you you'll dig it.

EDIT: ya' probably shouldn't have put the 'neither' option there, it doesn't do much good in these kind of situation?
Click to expand...

total biased post. So, not valid.

The $$ NT bubinga will have more growl than the Spector (I've A/B both). It will be tight and will be less dark than the normal $$ because of the maple neck through but still darker than the Spector. But, both don't have the same sound and ergonomics. The $$ NT does not neckdive (maple neck) as well as the Euro LX but the warwick will be significantly heavier than the Spector. The $$ NT bubinga does have a growl that is more in the low mids while the spector is more in the high mids. The $$ NT will be a more versatile bass tonewise thanks to the coil tap switches. I do not recommend the ash version for what you like. It is not true the neck on the warwick still sucks because they have changed the neck profile as of '09 to their older profile which is much much slimmer and traditionnal (C vs the chunky U)

Both basses are great and as well built. All depends on your tone preferences.

Now, for my biased opinion, I can't stand the Spector neck, way too thick (not chunky but thick). The growl, being in the high mids do not cut through as much as the warwick growl. I can't stand EMG pickups or electronics being too lifeless. The Spector lacks a lot of mids vs the wick and sure as hell ain't as much punchy as the bubinga version of the $$ NT.
 
#20
flipper_gv said:
total biased post. So, not valid.

The $$ NT bubinga will have more growl than the Spector (I've A/B both). It will be tight and will be less dark than the normal $$ because of the maple neck through but still darker than the Spector. But, both don't have the same sound and ergonomics. The $$ NT does not neckdive (maple neck) as well as the Euro LX but the warwick will be significantly heavier than the Spector. The $$ NT bubinga does have a growl that is more in the low mids while the spector is more in the high mids. The $$ NT will be a more versatile bass tonewise thanks to the coil tap switches. I do not recommend the ash version for what you like. It is not true the neck on the warwick still sucks because they have changed the neck profile as of '09 to their older profile which is much much slimmer and traditionnal (C vs the chunky U)

Both basses are great and as well built. All depends on your tone preferences.

Now, for my biased opinion, I can't stand the Spector neck, way too thick (not chunky but thick). The growl, being in the high mids do not cut through as much as the warwick growl. I can't stand EMG pickups or electronics being too lifeless. The Spector lacks a lot of mids vs the wick and sure as hell ain't as much punchy as the bubinga version of the $$ NT.
Click to expand...
The Spector will be a fresh-out-of the factory '09 Euro with their new EMG pickups and coil-tap system. It also has the zebra-wood top for added mids. Plus it has an EMG preamp which is special-order only.

I am not sure what year the Warwick was made, but I severely doubt it is '09.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back