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ANOTHER VS. thread (Musicman/Warwick content)

R

rapturebass

Dec 6, 2008
741
3
Connecticut
#1
Hey guys, here's ANOTHER vs. thread. This time, I have been saving up for along time, you know, mowing lawns, what not (and for some reason, my relatives thought that graduating 8th grade was to be rewarded, whatever, I'm not complaining!)
And so while i've been comapring several basses I noticed instead of spending 6-900 $ on a new bass, why not get a 1000+ used bass for that money? So now the question i have, Sterling, Stingray, Or Sterling HS vs. Warwick Double Buck? I am a fan of the humbucker tone, obviously, but i also have a sweet spot for some single-coil action (Hence the checking out of the $$ and the HS) I am that if i wanted the "most bass" for my money, i should get the $$ becuz of the options, but i'm concerned mainly about the neck. I am a big fan of Musicman growl, and the feel, as much as I am a fan of Warwick growl (albeit i have yet to play one). I am interested in all music, mianly indie/alternative and some metal/cores of sorts. Which bass should suit me better? Mind you, I am still growing. I am going to try a Warwick when i can, but is the neck profile really as bad as people suggest? Yeahh. There was something else but i forget what i was gonna write. Cheers.
 
#3
The old Warwick neck profile is very love/hate with a lot of people. Some people get on with it, some people don't. You'll just have to find one and try it out to see if you like it. The new Warwicks have a C shaped neck profile like Fenders, so if you're lucky you could find used and try that, or if not go try one out in the shop if you can find one, then save up a little more if you're willing to buy it new.

I would personally go for the $$, but either way, Musicman or Warwick, you'd be getting one hell of a bass :)
 
#4
Thoughts.....

- there are different neck profiles on different eras of Warwick bass - not all of them are "bassball bats".

- Don't just take other peoples opinions that Warwick neck profiles are bad - you might like them.

- TOTALLY go used. Buying new basses is for other people! (LOL)

- Personally I prefer the tone of my Warwick Srteamer Jazzman (HS) to my Musicman Sabre (Pre EB). If I had to describe it in a few words it would be: 'thick' and 'substantial'. The brass frets give a real precise 'click' where the Musicman is a 'clack'.
 
#5
If you're only looking for a 4-string, the Warwick neck profile isn't so bad. It is thick, but not unreasonably so. It gets a little tougher when you step up to a 5-string, but on a 4, it's no biggie IMO. And, I am no Warwick lover. However, if you compare it to a Warwick, the Sterling's neck is just amazing. Great profile, great feel, great everything.

I've played PLENTY of examples of both, and I am a bigger fan on the Music Man sound when my hands are involved. I hear other people play Warwicks and they sound awesome, but something about them just doesn't work for me. No such issues with the Music Man though. I get great tone them with minimal effort, and they feel very comfortable with me. Point is, you have to try them both somehow and see which one feels/sounds right in your hands. You might be surprised at your own preferences.
 
#8
My bias towards MM Stingray is less because of neck profile, and more because of sound and overall feel in my hands. I've played a few Warwicks and personally they feel foreign in my hands for some reason. Not to the degree of "What is this instrument I hold in my hands?" but it's just something about those basses that I'm not a wholehearted fan of. This is, of course, my opinion.

And I'm likely biased towards the Stingray because it's been my main bass for 6 years and my ONLY electric for 2. My other bass was a Fender Jazz and I ended up selling it because it wasn't getting any playing time.

I would try to get yourself into a situation where you can test a Stingray (or Sterling if you prefer) vs the Wick of your choice. I got my SR5 when I was in 9th grade, so around your age...it was very heavy for me at first (I'm a small dude) but it's something you get used to.

Best of luck in your decision! I doubt you'll be disappointed in any of the basses you're looking at.
 
#9
I'd go with Musicman, but stay with the Stingray if you can afford it. Sterlings are not always the way to go. Leo Fender invented the Stingray. Although I love Sterling Ball, the Sterling isn't, IMHO, as good as Leo's design.

So, no to Warwick, no to Sterling. Yes to Stingray.
 
#10
the Warwick $$ vs. Stingray HH debate will never end; they are two of the best mass production models under $2000.

i was recently in the market for a new bass and i knew i wanted one or the other. long story short: i'm now the elated owner of a 2008 Corvette $$. long story long: i played many Stingray HH's in stores and never liked one enough to buy it. i know that evaluating instruments based on store trials makes you uncool on talkbass but i guess i'm cool enough in other ways :cool:. and i trust my ears and hands. my main reason for not liking the HH is the pickup placement. i like the sound of 2 pickups together (possibly favoring one or the other) but the HH loses some definition when you include the neck pickup. a related problem is that i don't like the solo'd bridge pickup sound much, as it's too clicky for me. so you can see how it would be tough for me to find a sweet spot with this bass. i bought the first Warwick $$ i played. i played it for about 3 minutes and knew i would be walking out with it. that's not to say that it's perfect in every way, but i REALLY like it a lot. the tone is fantastic; authoritative, tight, crisp, and exceptionally dry. amazing definition, even on low notes with a lot of bass in the mix. the high register is a bit harsh so i'm adjusting my technique accordingly. it achieves this great tone largely because of the pickup placement, as both pickups produce roughly the same level of clarity. so they work better together and there is no sense that either one is detracting from one part of the tone as much as it adds in another. the closeness and size of the pickups makes it a bit awkward at first but i'm quickly getting used to it. it is true that warwick necks are on the heftier side, but honestly people whine way too much about that. #1, the neck size contributes to the tone. and #2, 70 years ago if you called yourself a bass player it meant you played an upright. try complaining about warwick necks after playing one of those. and warwicks balance weirdly...oh well, i'll deal with it. trust me for the tone this thing makes i have no problem getting used to idiosyncrasies. so there's my 12 cents, if anyone actually bothers reading this TL;DR post!
 
#11
I'm definitely biased, but the "new" Warwick C neck shape is really comfy. My fretless 6 has it, and it's silky smooth and fast. Electronics-wise, it's a really aggressive beast with a slew of nice tones.

Can't comment on Music Man that much from limited experience, but they're great basses too. Can't go wrong either way.
 
#12
I have played both and They both Sound good Depending on the situation, But It is always a safe bet to buy what is one of the industry standards, and that is the Stingray, It will fit in most situations tonely, the Warwick is mainly used for rock, even though some might argure that that is not the case, they do also have beefy necks in general.

My opinion is that any musicman bass will do for the most part, but remember that the stingray is a standard.
 
#14
I love both Warwick and EBMM basses, but I find that MM's are much easier to play...they're just so darn comfortable, you can play them for hours. I played a $$ a while back and don't remember being overly enthused by its sound. The Thumb 5, however, if king for me.
On the EBMM side, I've been GAS-ing for a Sterling 5 HH for quite some time now. I think that if I had the money for either the Thumb 5 or Sterling 5, I think I'd buy the Sterling before the Thumb just for its playablility.

and just listen to that thing!

 
#15
IronLung1986 said:
the Warwick $$ vs. Stingray HH debate will never end; they are two of the best mass production models under $2000.

i was recently in the market for a new bass and i knew i wanted one or the other. long story short: i'm now the elated owner of a 2008 Corvette $$. long story long: i played many Stingray HH's in stores and never liked one enough to buy it. i know that evaluating instruments based on store trials makes you uncool on talkbass but i guess i'm cool enough in other ways :cool:. and i trust my ears and hands. my main reason for not liking the HH is the pickup placement. i like the sound of 2 pickups together (possibly favoring one or the other) but the HH loses some definition when you include the neck pickup. a related problem is that i don't like the solo'd bridge pickup sound much, as it's too clicky for me. so you can see how it would be tough for me to find a sweet spot with this bass. i bought the first Warwick $$ i played. i played it for about 3 minutes and knew i would be walking out with it. that's not to say that it's perfect in every way, but i REALLY like it a lot. the tone is fantastic; authoritative, tight, crisp, and exceptionally dry. amazing definition, even on low notes with a lot of bass in the mix. the high register is a bit harsh so i'm adjusting my technique accordingly. it achieves this great tone largely because of the pickup placement, as both pickups produce roughly the same level of clarity. so they work better together and there is no sense that either one is detracting from one part of the tone as much as it adds in another. the closeness and size of the pickups makes it a bit awkward at first but i'm quickly getting used to it. it is true that warwick necks are on the heftier side, but honestly people whine way too much about that. #1, the neck size contributes to the tone. and #2, 70 years ago if you called yourself a bass player it meant you played an upright. try complaining about warwick necks after playing one of those. and warwicks balance weirdly...oh well, i'll deal with it. trust me for the tone this thing makes i have no problem getting used to idiosyncrasies. so there's my 12 cents, if anyone actually bothers reading this TL;DR post!
Click to expand...

balnce weirdly? neck dive or what? Cause there's nothing i hate more than neck dive.
 
#16
oh BTW, if youre talking astechteically, the bass colors im comparing are Stingray in Cherryburst w/ Rose fretboard and natural headstock, black and maple. The Sterling HS is a nautral with tort pickgaurd (though I'd probably prefer to replace it with a black one), and the Warwick $$ is either black or red. My local store has quite the selection
 
#17
rapturebass said:
balnce weirdly? neck dive or what? Cause there's nothing i hate more than neck dive.
Click to expand...

First, yes....the $$'s neck wants to be parallel with the floor.
Not neck dive like a thunderbird, but neck dive none-the-less.

Second, I LOVE my $$.
For it to be comfortable for me, I have to wear the bass higher on the strap. Also, a nice wide strap with some grip doesn't hurt either.

Third, I own both basses.
There's nothing like a Stingray. It's a lot different then a typical Fender or G&L. The tone is often desired, but rarely duplicated. The growl and aggressive punch is rarely matched with anything else. MIDS!
The neck on my SR5 is medium in thinkness front to back, and somewhat narrow at the nut. Very comfy and classic.

The $$ is unique. As mentioned, love or hate type of thing.
Mine has the fat neck, and I think it's GOD. It may not be "fast", but for me it's one of the nicest necks I've ever played.
The tone is also great. You can approach 'Ray tones (when configured properly), but to me, the $$ has more of a low mid thump and slightly scooped upper mids.
The best thing about the $$ are the tonal options.
Some may say "jack of all trades, mater of none". I think that's BS. While it doesn't sound exactly like a J or P when configured that way....the tones are awesome. The neck in series, sounds similar to a P but fatter....thicker. Both pickups in single mode, similar to a J but fatter.....thicker. :D
Plus the myriad of other combinations and settings.

Overall, they're both great basses, but it all depends on your preferences.
 
#19
I really think it depends primarily on what works for -you- as a bass player, go out there and play them! I thought that I wanted the $$ but ended up getting the Std. instead as it had the sound that I was going for, was much simpler (I don't like switches and stuff, to be honest), and was a few hundred bucks cheaper lol
 
#20
I guess I'm biased, but this is my story: I went to my local shop to try and buy a G&L L-2500, I tried it and liked it. Then I saw a Corvette $$ 5er, I tried it and I bought it. To me, a hell of a bass: so many tonal differences based on the electronics/PUs settings, that growl...ah, I love it!
 

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