Bizarre Warwick Dolphin, Interesting History

[ModuMan]

I don't think I've ever seen him play an upside down Dolphin. I note that he does string with the E at the bottom like Jimmy Haslip, as if he has previously played right handed basses and that he did appear in a promo shot with a 5 string right-handed Corvette at one point.

Ha, you've got me going through stuff trying to find an example. When he played with Prince he was using Prince's basses like the Auerswald and 5-string Corvette, flipped upside down as you noted. Plenty of stuff with the Corvette, but I am struggling to find something Prince-era with a Dolphin. I'll keep looking since it's one of my favorite bands of his.

Might have found something from the Love 4 One Another special but man the video is rough.

 

[ModuMan]

Got it! It was actually a b&w clip from the Rock and Roll is Alive vid. So, let's just check that...

Gold hardware, maybe it is the same bass if that was changed?

 

[India_Sierra]

You could be right! I guess he must have liked the Dolphin so much that when it came to having a pricey custom shop bass made by Warwick, he wanted to stick with it.

I have a particular interest in these basses because I recently acquired a Pro-I model, but I've wanted one since I was a teenager. They're absolutely unique as a design.

 

[ModuMan]

Love it! I've wanted a Dolphin for quite a while as well. I think the first one I saw was the one John B Williams played on the Arsenio Hall show, it sounded so good. Never got one unfortunately. They were expensive then and then got more expensive! Maybe someday.

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

Sonny T on Instagram: "My new bass built by Fodera! I’m all in!!"

I love that white Dolphin SonnyT has played for years. He is endorsed by Warwick. But I’m not sure if this endorsement has ended.

SonnyT is now playing Fodera. All white of course !!