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Dilemma - Jazz Bass or Warwick $$

#42
scott sinner said:
Nice stuff! Good showcase of how seemingly small changes to attack can have a noticeable effect on the sound. And it all comes through on that bass.

I ordered the Warwick, used, awesome price, particularly attractive body wood grain...worried it would get away from me.

But I'm going to start checking out more Jazz bass inspired items. As much as I have gone down big rabbit holes in other places (pedals and plugins for example) I actually haven't really serious explored different timbres of basses. Quite notably ridiculous in my particular case because I've long rehabilitated guitars and basses I found derelict in pawn shops etc. But mostly to restore them (out of love) and resell them. So I've literally had a half dozen jazz basses I've fixed up and didn't feel like I needed them...was basically happy with the 3 basses I'd long had.
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Mine is a used Mexican 60's. Bought the bass for 350, neck cost me 200, pickups cost me 200. Pickguard was 15, control plate and pots were 30, bridge was 45. All together, I have a top quality beast, exactly how I want it for $840. You might even be able to do better than that.
 
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#44
scott sinner said:
thanks for the specific tip about the Ray34 clank. That distinct clank is in part the attraction of that bass for me, all my others sound like a totally different drum. But it is a little bit overwhelming. Taming it but not eliminating would he ideal.
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Nice. The GHS Pressurewounds did exactly that. Still plenty of high end and adds some bottom.
 
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#46
Appreciate the thoughtful responses here. In the end, I got the Warwick.

Happy with the sound. It does (unsurprisingly...I have a 5 string version) get the more mellow sound versus my other basses. Still can get a growl and clank that is very Warwick. But it is way easier to chill out on versus my Reverend or Ibanez who, even played quietly, still sound like burly prowrestler-esque combatants taking a rest.

I am also blown away by the fretwork and neck on this. I can get some stupid low action on some of my basses. My Reverend and Ibanez can get to like 12th fret/1mm to 1.5 mm without excessive buzz. I had this down to around .5 to 1mm before it had several too buzzy spots. That is all for testing, but it is nice to know the precision....I need a little more bounce room than 1mm on the low strings.

warwick_corvette3.jpg
 
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#47
1. Its tough to get a Warwick to sound mellow.

2. Its easy to get a Jazz bass to sound mellow.

3. Lest the extra string, a Warwick 4 isn't going to be much different than a Warwick

4. Different neck profiles (for me) just take some time to adjust to. I thought I had a preference. After owning about 100 basses I realized my preference is whatever I'm used to.

[edit] And I just saw the update :) . Congrats. It beautiful, and despite what I said - I'd have chosen the Warwick, too :) .
 
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#48
And I'll add this...

Don't know if you're anything like me, but for many years playing Bongos and Warwicks I only pushed the bass/treble/mids. Several years back I made an amazing discovery though. If I treat 1/3 of the way up on all my controls as the flat setting on my active basses, they turn into MUCH MORE versatile instruments. And they get into territory that can mock lots of other basses, including Jazzes and Ps. It took a little getting accustomed to for me, but I'm so glad I started doing that.
 
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#49
scott sinner said:
Appreciate the thoughtful responses here. In the end, I got the Warwick.

Happy with the sound. It does (unsurprisingly...I have a 5 string version) get the more mellow sound versus my other basses. Still can get a growl and clank that is very Warwick. But it is way easier to chill out on versus my Reverend or Ibanez who, even played quietly, still sound like burly prowrestler-esque combatants taking a rest.

I am also blown away by the fretwork and neck on this. I can get some stupid low action on some of my basses. My Reverend and Ibanez can get to like 12th fret/1mm to 1.5 mm without excessive buzz. I had this down to around .5 to 1mm before it had several too buzzy spots. That is all for testing, but it is nice to know the precision....I need a little more bounce room than 1mm on the low strings.

View attachment 4359325
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What are the body and neck woods?
 
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#50
Joe Nerve said:
1. Its tough to get a Warwick to sound mellow.

2. Its easy to get a Jazz bass to sound mellow.

3. Lest the extra string, a Warwick 4 isn't going to be much different than a Warwick

4. Different neck profiles (for me) just take some time to adjust to. I thought I had a preference. After owning about 100 basses I realized my preference is whatever I'm used to.

[edit] And I just saw the update :) . Congrats. It beautiful, and despite what I said - I'd have chosen the Warwick, too :) .
Click to expand...

Relative to the other basses, it is a letter grade or two more mellow. ha. My mains are growl machines. To get the Warwick to sound like my 1980s Ibanez musician, I would have to put an overdrive pedal on it, seriously.

I'm going to think about selling something to make room and look around at Jazz basses. I want a wide pallet.
 
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#55
And...dilemma no more.

Shortly after I got the Warwick, I came to find it could do almost everything I liked about the Sterling Ray34 a bit better. And it can also do a nice pretty mellow thing. Still, an old school sound isn't its forte.

Sold the Sterling.

Started looking around at Fender Jazz basses. Yep, totally a sound I was liking, but I couldn't find myself liking the necks on any of them.

Found an affordable MIM Jazz, ordered a Warmoth neck and parts. Wenge and rosewood.

I'll post a better picture when I finish the pickguard. I was inspired by another thread to make a wood one.

But the neck is on and setup is halfway done. I need to file the nut a bit lower to get the stupid action I like, but it is already nicely playable sitting at action of 1mm to 1.5mm at the 12th fret without much of any buzzing from p to mf.

jazzbassinprogress.jpg
 
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