• 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.

Damaged Warwick Question

tycobb73

tycobb73

Jul 23, 2006
3,744
807
Grand Rapids MI
#1
I'm looking at a Stage II for a great price for an obvious reason, there is a crack in it. If you look in the photo, it starts at the bridge and goes to the end of the bass above the E string. I've been told this is probably due to not oiling the bass and it looks like it hasn't been dropped. I asked if it was 1/8 in deep and they said well under that. Will this worsen over time? Can it be repaird? I've heard both it can and it can't without splitting the bass.
 
#2
aren't stageII neckthroughs? It looks like it's probably around the area where the wing meets the neck under the top, so that may be it. In either case this kind of crack can be repaired with CA glue (the water thin kind) but it may leave a mark and the bass may have to be (re)finished so that it is almost seamless. Not a difficult job.
 
#5
You probably wouldn't have to disassemble or split the body in order to repair it. Like Wilser said, just mask off around the crack and wick in some thin superglue... several applications of this would fill it up, but if you wanted to make it almost invisible, you'd want to sand some bubinga (that is bubinga, right?) and mix the dust with some thicker (slower drying) CA for the last couple of applications, in order to mask the crack. The thinner glue will soak in and bond the fibers deep in the crack, and the thicker stuff with the wood dust in it will help hide the crack instead of leaving a thin line of "plastic".

You would then want to use extra fine sandpaper or steel wool (I would recommend getting the "small" set of Micro-Mesh from Woodcraft, or better yet, get the small Micro-Mesh polishing pads from Stew-Mac) to buff that area out and then re-wax it. You may have to "flat" the entire body and then re-wax it, but that's the beauty of a waxed finish - easy to repair.
 
  • Like
Reactions: comatosedragon
#6
I am agreeing with what everyone says basically, but I will add that electrical tape works great for masking CA glue. You want to mask the area no matter whether you plan a refin or not since the CA glue will get into the pores of the bubinga and then the repair will be more obvious. I do think it is a good idea to refinish the whole body since (a) it looks beat up and (b) it is going to be hard to get the repaired area not to look better finished than the rest of the bass when you're done.

Definitely something that a hobbyist could do if you're willing to give it a go yourself.
 
#7
I have repaired a bunch of cracks like this with thin ca and bubinga dust and sanded to 400 and then used steel wool and they were barely noticeable.
 
#9
Because it is a wax finish, as opposed to a hard finish, there is no way to devalue it simply by reapplying the wax. IIRC Warwick actually has instructions in their owner's manual indicating that this is considered routine maintenance, and that if you *don't* do it, it voids the warranty. And really, that's all there is to refinishing that bass... buffing off the old wax with 0000 steel wool or the corresponding scotchbrite pad and then reapplying the wad again with said steel wool, scotchbrite pad, or even soft kitchen paper towels... then you buff it off, and you're good to go. It will look almost brand new at that point. Doing all of this work will, in my opinion, definitely INCREASE the value over where it's at now, what when the crack and all...
 
  • Like
Reactions: comatosedragon
#10
FWIW, I had almost the same exact crack on my corvette, it was repaired by my luthier about 5 years ago and it has not been an issue since. Yeah you can see the line and all but its functionally 100%.

Here are some pics of it:
wick003.gif

wick002.gif

wick001.gif
 
#13
about a year ago i actually had this same issue (kinda) but it was at the opposite end of my bass. I noticed a small gap opening on the back of my headstockthat led all the way to where it meets the neck. I was told by some folks at Warwick to use lighter fluid to get all of the old wax and buildup out of the crack then to fill with super glue (liquid) and then clamp. It worked great and now hopefully it will be good for another 19 years
DSCN0599.jpg
 
#15
By reading this thread im starting NOT to trust warwick
Click to expand...

Seriously?

Two or three basses have a hairline crack at a glue joint out of thousands, which has been effortlessly repaired, and now you don't trust Warwick?

:rolleyes:

Simply put - perhaps the basses in question have not been waxed often enough as per Warwick's instructions. They clearly state that because it's a natural finish, and not sealed that the waxing regime is important (otherwise issues like this are possible).

I should think that rather than a quality issue, that this simply seems to be a maintenance issue...

:)
 
  • Like
Reactions: comatosedragon
#17
throbgod13 said:
this is why finishes are good.. Warwicks are bare wood, you have to maintain the wax..

i'm sure that there are more that have this same problem..
Click to expand...

Actually it's more of a problem with the wood itself. This is a common occurance with bubinga bodies and necks, also with wenge, but not as often as bubinga.

I have seen this on hundreds of basses, not only Warwicks, but Ibanez BTB's,an Alembic Elan, Dean, Washburn, and a number of customs. It's the nature of Bubinga to check. Sometimes more, sometimes only slightly.

A lot of the denser woods are prone to checking.
 
#19
There is no doubt in my mind that I was part to blame for the crack in mine, mine is a 1995 or so warwick and for about 7 years straight this was my main bass, during that time I was playing about 3-5 nights a week constantly battering the bottom of the bass at the straplock location/ body seam by putting it down and leaning it on my stack umteen billion times (I am 31 now so I use a stand:bassist:).

It seems some people like to slag Warwick basses in general in the last few years, I pretty much noticed it since they started appearing in almost every crappy nu-rock/nu-metal bands video's...... but IMHO they are still very unique sounding and well playing instruments for the money, even the current ones. FWIW, I have a HH Sterling that I use with the band I am in now, along with a USA '75 RI Jazz, and a 1992 USA Longhorn Jazz at home and I still think the warwick has the best "feel" of them all. Just my opinions.
 
#20
I got it today. It looks worse than it is. I'll take it to my luthier to look at, but I don't think I'm keeping it. I think it might be too heavy for me. So I'm going to go after a Streamer LX or Stage I. I have to decide if I want to get this bass fixed and sell it or sell it as is.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back