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Blown away....by a Warwick? ? ?
- Thread starter birminghambass
- Start date
I have owned 6 and they were all heavy except one (9.5lbs).
only my vintage thumb had a slim neck.
To be fair, even at 9.5 lbs, that's still lighter than any Fender or Music Man I've had. The guy at my church plays a Stingray 5. It's 11 pounds. ELEVEN.
I had a Stingray HS that was 10.5 lbs, I couldn't handle it. Had no trouble with the 9.8 lb Corvette for hour and a half set. Only a little over a half pound difference, maybe the ergonomics have something to do with it.
I just got a 91' stage 2 and it plays like a dream, sounds like a dream. Thought I had my dream bass but man it is an anchor!! 12-13lbs on my bathroom scale.
However it's quite comfy on my strap. I really can't tell it weighs that much until I play sitting down with the bass resting on my thigh...
Still a keeper until I can find a vintage stage 2 under 10lbs!
However it's quite comfy on my strap. I really can't tell it weighs that much until I play sitting down with the bass resting on my thigh...
Still a keeper until I can find a vintage stage 2 under 10lbs!
I currently own 2 Warwick instruments:
Warwick Thumb BO 6
Warwick-Rockbass Alien Deluxe 6
I still have a number of their products in my wishlist:
Warwick Steve Bailey Artist Series Fretless 6
Warwick Corvette $$ 6
Warwick FNA Jazzman 5
Warwick Dolphin Pro 5
Warwick Nobby Meidel (Headless)
Framus Starbass 5/150
Warwick-Rockbass Bootsy Collins
Warwick-Rockbass Triumph Lite (EUB)
I even like their guitars, in particular the Framus Panthera.
Warwick Thumb BO 6
Warwick-Rockbass Alien Deluxe 6
I still have a number of their products in my wishlist:
Warwick Steve Bailey Artist Series Fretless 6
Warwick Corvette $$ 6
Warwick FNA Jazzman 5
Warwick Dolphin Pro 5
Warwick Nobby Meidel (Headless)
Framus Starbass 5/150
Warwick-Rockbass Bootsy Collins
Warwick-Rockbass Triumph Lite (EUB)
I even like their guitars, in particular the Framus Panthera.
I just bought a 1994 Warwick Fortress One. Wenge/Wenge neck, in the old style. I'm pretty excited, I've got a Rockbass Corvette but I don't really like the neck that much. It's a 5-string though, and I have tiny little hands, so that doesn't help.
I loved my Warwick and wish I never sold it. It came to me in 2005 and I sold it to pay for some things in 2012.
It was a 2001 Corvette six string in bubinga. It was heavy, but the neck was surprisingly comfortable and quite a lot thinner than I expected when I got it. Tone monster, too.
It was a 2001 Corvette six string in bubinga. It was heavy, but the neck was surprisingly comfortable and quite a lot thinner than I expected when I got it. Tone monster, too.
Just like any other brand, I have found some of their instruments to be good overall, but meh... and some inspiring instruments I did not want to put down. Never encountered a dud.
My first experience was with an early 1990's thumb and I was blown away by the evenness, sustain, playability- I wasn't wild about the tone at the time, but I could see how it would sit forward in a mix without being too honky.
Regarding neck dimensions, materials, strength, stability, etc.:
I don't know the characteristics of wenge and ovangkol specifically, but I hope that Warwick wouldn't use a piece of wood that responds dramatically or unpredictably to RH changes, regardless of species, or that does not have the strength and elasticity needed to make a reliable neck in a smaller (thinner and/or narrower) profile. IMO, it wouldn't make sense. They could save some $ and use maple
My first experience was with an early 1990's thumb and I was blown away by the evenness, sustain, playability- I wasn't wild about the tone at the time, but I could see how it would sit forward in a mix without being too honky.
Regarding neck dimensions, materials, strength, stability, etc.:
I don't know the characteristics of wenge and ovangkol specifically, but I hope that Warwick wouldn't use a piece of wood that responds dramatically or unpredictably to RH changes, regardless of species, or that does not have the strength and elasticity needed to make a reliable neck in a smaller (thinner and/or narrower) profile. IMO, it wouldn't make sense. They could save some $ and use maple
i was getting 2 of my basses set up (Carl P. @ the Lakland shop) and i noticed a warwick in
the corner on a stand covered in dust, he said he hated it because of its neck. So i looked at
it and it had a hugely thick (baseball bat) neck on it. i have heard of said neck but never seen one until then.
I have a thumb with the thin (er) NECK . i think maybe the year of build determined its neck thickness.
imo....warwick is top notch
My Thumb NT4 is just turning one year old. The neck on that is pretty skinny.. All relative, I know, but here are some specs from Warwick regarding the different neck profiles currently available.
Standard: This type of neck is C-shaped and offered as the standard neck profile of all Warwick basses. Thickness at the 1st fret: 19.5 mm, Thickness at the 12th fret: 24 mm.
Fat Neck: This neck profile is U-shaped. It is about 1.5 mm thicker than the standard neck. Thickness at the 1st fret: 21 mm, Thickness at the 12th fret: 25.5 mm.
Extra Slim Neck: This neck profile comes with a flat C shape. It is roughly 1 mm thinner than the standard neck. Thickness at the 1st fret: 18.5 mm, thickness at the 12th fret: 23 mm.
Broad Neck: This neck profile comes with a flat U shape and is available for 5-string and 6-string basses. Thickness at the 1st fret: 22 mm, Thickness at the 12th fret: 25.5 mm.
Some historian will have to comment regarding what years had which profiles.
Standard: This type of neck is C-shaped and offered as the standard neck profile of all Warwick basses. Thickness at the 1st fret: 19.5 mm, Thickness at the 12th fret: 24 mm.
Fat Neck: This neck profile is U-shaped. It is about 1.5 mm thicker than the standard neck. Thickness at the 1st fret: 21 mm, Thickness at the 12th fret: 25.5 mm.
Extra Slim Neck: This neck profile comes with a flat C shape. It is roughly 1 mm thinner than the standard neck. Thickness at the 1st fret: 18.5 mm, thickness at the 12th fret: 23 mm.
Broad Neck: This neck profile comes with a flat U shape and is available for 5-string and 6-string basses. Thickness at the 1st fret: 22 mm, Thickness at the 12th fret: 25.5 mm.
Some historian will have to comment regarding what years had which profiles.
Warwicks are my favorite now, took Ken Smith's place in my heart. Its all about setup. Most music stores don't care.
I played a few and felt the same way, Meh. Then I played one set up the way i like and i was blown away.
Usually I can tell right away as soon as i pick up a bass and hit one note if i like it or not. Now i hit a note, if it sounds good, i go over to the tech and ask if I can set it up properly. Whip out a digital caliper and a nice tool roll and they haven't turned me down yet.
I played a few and felt the same way, Meh. Then I played one set up the way i like and i was blown away.
Usually I can tell right away as soon as i pick up a bass and hit one note if i like it or not. Now i hit a note, if it sounds good, i go over to the tech and ask if I can set it up properly. Whip out a digital caliper and a nice tool roll and they haven't turned me down yet.
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I have a Warwick Streamer stage 1. Tried to figure out when I bought it but memory fails me. I think it was around 1990 give or take a year.
It's equipped with Bartolini's and has a laminated wenge/maple neck-through construction and wenge fingerboard.
The neck is very slim, which plays great but, to be fair, also makes it somewhat vulnerable to climate change
Set up may vary when temperature/humidity changes drastically.
Two sounds I absolutely love about it;
- It growls like no other when you put it on "passive" and turn the pickup blender almost 100% to the bridge pickup. I rest my thumb on the bridge pickup and when you play a bit more aggressively - man does it growl..
- Slap sound: put on active, roll in more bass and blend both pickups together (in the middle).
Never weighed it, but it must be less than my EBMM Sterling
Regards
Mark
It's equipped with Bartolini's and has a laminated wenge/maple neck-through construction and wenge fingerboard.
The neck is very slim, which plays great but, to be fair, also makes it somewhat vulnerable to climate change
Set up may vary when temperature/humidity changes drastically.Two sounds I absolutely love about it;
- It growls like no other when you put it on "passive" and turn the pickup blender almost 100% to the bridge pickup. I rest my thumb on the bridge pickup and when you play a bit more aggressively - man does it growl..
- Slap sound: put on active, roll in more bass and blend both pickups together (in the middle).
Never weighed it, but it must be less than my EBMM Sterling
Regards
Mark
My Fortress One 5 string fretless was made in 1995 and has the thinner neck. Current set up weighs in at 9.9 pounds. Plays like a dream. First time I picked it up I didn't like it that much (mainly because I wasn't accustomed to 5 strings), but I came back to it a week later and fell in love with it.
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Some warwick basses can be great. I switched to warwick after playing a friends neckthrough Thumb. I sold all my Ibanez SDGR and BTB basses and played a Corvette, Infinity, and thumb for a few years exclusivly, had to get use to the weigh t and thickness of the necks but once I did I just could not go back to the smaller thin ibanez necks. Not to say ibanez is bad, I think ibanez has the best tone and playability for the price range. Fender on the other hand.........I have only played one fender bass I actualy wanted to spend money on, it was a Stu Hamm signature 24 fret active bass man that thing was awesome.
I tbought Warwick was the the bass for me untill a show I did with Sonata Arctica and Leaves Eyes. Both of there bass players have Warwick endorsments but each player was using a diff brand live. LEAVES EYES bass player was using Viger basses which looked and sounded amazing and the guy with Sonata Arctica was usign warwick and Spector basses for diff songs. Needless to say I have had my Spector endorsment for a few years now and haven't looked back the feel and tone blew me away. Viger basses are amazing but hard to get my hands on here in the states only ever messed with what one Passion 2.
For me now the only warwicks I still like are the Infinity NT and the Thumb NT
I tbought Warwick was the the bass for me untill a show I did with Sonata Arctica and Leaves Eyes. Both of there bass players have Warwick endorsments but each player was using a diff brand live. LEAVES EYES bass player was using Viger basses which looked and sounded amazing and the guy with Sonata Arctica was usign warwick and Spector basses for diff songs. Needless to say I have had my Spector endorsment for a few years now and haven't looked back the feel and tone blew me away. Viger basses are amazing but hard to get my hands on here in the states only ever messed with what one Passion 2.
For me now the only warwicks I still like are the Infinity NT and the Thumb NT
I loved my corvette when I had it ,neck was incredibly comfortable and it probably had the best jazz bass tone ever,punchy like a j bass but sweet highs and growly mids.It never took any effort to get it to growl.
I was just over impressed with almost everything about it especially how tuneable the set up was with the just a nut and being able to move the string spacing.
I was just over impressed with almost everything about it especially how tuneable the set up was with the just a nut and being able to move the string spacing.
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Me too....waiting for a Fortress to show up........also thinking about a new Rock Bass Fortress, which is available now, has alot of German stuff on it, but with a maple/Rosewood neck.
