I know a lot of people actually like the sound of the corvette better than the more expensive warwicks like the thumb and streamer, and the corvette certainly balances better than the thumb. So if you're looking for a cheap German warwick a corvette would be my first recommendation as they can be found for very cheap off ebay ($600 to $800) depending on whether you get active or passive. I have a Streamer LX5 that I really dig and with TI-flats it cuts through a mix better than my Stingray5 does...