How to play a Warwick Thumb

[Soma666]

So I have just recently became the father of a 1996 Warwick Thumb BO 4 (in walnut) after having been a Fender Jazz guy for over 20 years.

The Thumb has been a 'dream bass' of mine, having admired bands like Karnivool for years.

So this is in no way a ragging post on a Thumb. I am actually asking advice on how to adjust to this things, which is a totally different beast to my jass basses which I have been using for decades.

I love the sound of this Warwick. No doubt they have a cool sound that no other bass has. But because of my familiarity with jazz basses, I am after some advice on how to play this thing properly.

Example: I was playing along to Immigrant Song today and in the F# riff part my arm was aching. I seriously felt how much longer this neck is compared to a jazz bass. But I love the sound.

Whats the best way? Play it high, play it low, grow a set of testicles? whats the best way of adjusting?

 

[andruca]

The neck feels longer because the bridge is too far into the body, so the whole scale is notoriously shifted left compared to, say, how a Jazz Bass hangs from your shoulder. Also the neck is way thicker than that of a Jazz Bass. I haven't found any Warwicks I like playing. I barely tolerate how my only Warwick (a Korean ProSeries Star Bass) plays, and that's because I love how it sounds so much (nothing like Warwick's "sound of wood", which I also don't care for, the Star Bass sounds like a thicker/warmer Jazz Bass). Definitely not a Warwick lover, but if I could adjust to the Star Bass (more cumbersome, less practical, way less ergonomic than a Thumb) being the skinny neck freak I am you, like many others, will adapt to the Thumb just fine if you like the way it sounds and performs for your music.

 

[IronLung1986]

Yea the ergonomics are a little weird on Warwicks, especially going from a Jazz bass to a Thumb. I think with basses like that where the neck is pushed way out to the left it makes the most sense to play it up higher and get a really wide, comfortable strap. That way you can take advantage of the more favorable right hand position, which is part of why they build them that way. Your plucking hand is in a better position to play quick and intricate parts. Plus you get way better access to the upper frets. When I go from my Stingray to my Pentabuzz (which is similar to a Thumb in terms of ergonomics) it's odd because the Pentabuzz is less comfortable but easier to play hard parts on. The Stingray is slung kind of out to the right which is great for just rocking out but not as beneficial for fast playing. The saving grace of the Pentabuzz is that it's a 5 string, so I can play it like a 4 string starting at the 5th fret on the B string. I think if I got a Thumb it'd be a 5 for that reason, so I don't have to reach out there all the time. The design has its advantages, it's just a matter of whether the drawbacks end up being dealbreakers. The Thumb is the true Warwick sound, more than any of their other models. The first step of adjusting to it is just going to be accepting that it'll never feel like a Jazz, nor does it have to replace your Jazz and become your be-all-end-all. It's just another tool that does a thing, and sometimes it'll be the right tool for the job.

 

[Goatrope]

I owned/played a Thumb NT4 for ten years. It's a weird beast. I agree with the comments about hanging it up high, but I have to say hanging it very low also worked for me. With my plucking arm straight down, and my fingering elbow away from my ribs, it felt more comfortable to me than squeezed up around my neck with my plucking arm folded like a chicken wing. But I certainly agree that up high made it play faster. Playing down low was where I settled after much adjustment over the years.

I eventually sold it to a fellow Thumb-lover and now pretty much play Thunderbirds. (For Sonic reasons). Kind of an ergonomic compromise between the FSOs and the Thumb.

I sincerely hope you find your sweet spot.

 

[songwriter21]

So I have just recently became the father of a 1996 Warwick Thumb BO 4 (in walnut) after having been a Fender Jazz guy for over 20 years.

The Thumb has been a 'dream bass' of mine, having admired bands like Karnivool for years.

So this is in no way a ragging post on a Thumb. I am actually asking advice on how to adjust to this things, which is a totally different beast to my jass basses which I have been using for decades.

I love the sound of this Warwick. No doubt they have a cool sound that no other bass has. But because of my familiarity with jazz basses, I am after some advice on how to play this thing properly.

Example: I was playing along to Immigrant Song today and in the F# riff part my arm was aching. I seriously felt how much longer this neck is compared to a jazz bass. But I love the sound.

Whats the best way? Play it high, play it low, grow a set of testicles? whats the best way of adjusting?

Your shoulder/arm is aching because of the short upper-horn strap button location. This makes the lower-fret reach considerably longer, which is why I don't play Spectors anymore, for example.

 

[_Some Dude]

I wear my Spector a couple inches lower than my Jazz, but the neck is more or less in the same spot because of the bridge location relative to the body.

 

[Soma666]

Thanks for all the input so far. I have it sitting pretty high so it helps.

I find the neck to be smaller than my jazz to be honest. Everyone always assumes they have big necks but I have found the opposite. It's much faster to play than my jazz.

I am loving it. Such a different animal to what I'm used to

 

[TerribleTim68]

I think you play those with your....thumb.

 

[fu22ba55]

I played one for a couple of years. Probably the most well-built instrument I've ever owned.

It felt most comfortable with the body approaching my armpit, and the neck pointed more in front of me than to the left. (As if you're aiming the headstock at 10:00 o' clock in front of you).

I think you play those with your....thumb.

Truth be told... that was the most comfortable way to play the bass: body in my armpit and slapping with my thumb. But sadly, I am not a slap player, so I eventually sold the bass.

Amazing sound and craftsmanship. But unique ergonomics. If you're a slap player, you should be able to make it work well.

 

[jeffb28451]

Dream bass for me too. I've owned 2 Thumbs. Yes, they are very different to Jazz: I'm still playing a Jazz.
Thumbs are just not my cup of tea and I own 9 other 4 strings. Not all are J basses, but they are not at all similar to a Thumb.

Not a hater: just a fact for me.

 

[J Wilson]

How to play a Warwick Thumb? With a BIG strap. Amazing tone, but they went out for Warsteiners und Wienerschnitzel and skipped the ergonomics and CoG checklist.

 

[CaribooBass]

I am very fond of my 06 thumb Bass. Yes it is very different from most other basses and mine has been my number 1 for a long time.

I had very little bass experience at the time I purchased my Warwick. I took a chance on buying the bass for I am a big Jack Bruce fan.
There is a video on you tube where Jack Bruce gives a lesson/lecture on playing Bass and he talks about his Warwick.

Very worth while watching and will show/tell you how to get the best out of the Instrument.
Yes his Bass is fretless.

 

[burgerdj]

When I had a '94 NT, I found have it it a bit lower on the strap helped to bring that first fret to a more comfortable distance. I'm only 5'5" and I always struggled playing my Thumb while standing - and seldom played it on a gig. I hope it works out for you - it's a distinct voice, but the ergonomics definitely take some adjustment especially if you don't have a long reach. I ultimately moved onto Streamers, which still present some ergonomic challenges compared to a J or P, but work for me.

 

[jimmydean]

I always wanted a Thumb and when I finally bought one , I found that I could never get comfortable playing one .

 

[Barticus]

The neck feels longer because the bridge is too far into the body, so the whole scale is notoriously shifted left compared to, say, how a Jazz Bass hangs from your shoulder.

Nope sorry, that's not why.

It's because the upper horn is shorter and does not come up to the 12th which is why the reach to the first fret feels a bit longer, because it is… and other bases where the upper horn does come to the 12th fret do feel a bit more comfortable to play and actually balance better.

I use a wide neoprene strap to begin with, and I tend to tilt the neck up a little bit higher when playing my thumb and that seems to make the reach a little bit easier.

 

[Barticus]

The backs of the bodies of a thumb and a streamer both are scalloped or curved and they're actually pretty comfortable to wear and play due to that factor. However, the upper horn on the streamer comes up further on the neck and they tend to be a lot more comfortable to play overall.

 

[Aloe]

I hang mine on a wide thick strap, that's on the short side.

as for the reach, yeah, it feels long and I love it. I don't have a problem with reaching lower frets, but appreciate more convenient access to higher ones. I'm in the minority, but somehow I feel cramped playing a bass with a strap pin on 12th fret, starting with second position. after all, Thumb's neck is not that long, compared to a DB, or a typical acoustic/semi-acoustic bass.

if you'd like to have a shorter reach, also try hanging it low and angled, kinda like Jack Casady plays his semi-acoustics.

 

[Cave Puppy]

I got rid of two Rickenbackers because my fretting arm/hand would get sore almost instantly upon playing them, no matter how I held them. It may just be that the Warwick doesn't fit you.

 

[Matthew_84]

I find the neck to be smaller than my jazz to be honest. Everyone always assumes they have big necks but I have found the opposite. It's much faster to play than my jazz.

The neck profile on yours should be a slim C, which imo, is a very thin and comfortable neck. Warwicks did have a period (from '00 to '09, I believe) where they were more commonly ordered in a U profile, which was dubbed the "fat neck". Warwicks seemed to be pretty prevalent in this area too, so it seems like a lot of people have experience on the fat necks and not their slimmer ones.

For anyone curious, after '09 or so, they went back to the slim C as a standard (except for their broad necks of course)

 

[Barticus]

The neck profile on yours should be a slim C, which imo, is a very thin and comfortable neck. Warwicks did have a period (from '00 to '09, I believe) where they were more commonly ordered in a U profile, which was dubbed the "fat neck". Warwicks seemed to be pretty prevalent in this area too, so it seems like a lot of people have experience on the fat necks and not their slimmer ones.

For anyone curious, after '09 or so, they went back to the slim C as a standard (except for their broad necks of course)

More of a difference in bolt-on vs neck through, all of the bolt-ons (10?) I have owned from 2000 through about 2015 had the thicker D shaped profile, which is what it's referred to. My 2004 Thumb 4 had the chunky C (baseball bat) neck and 19mm string spacing at the bridge. My 2011 Thumb bolt-on 5 is actually a pre custom-shop era which has the thinner shaved C profile. Neck through versions of a Streamer has the thinner neck vs LX or bolt-on.

The Broadneck you refer to (5-6 string) actually means that the nut is wider and the string spacing at the bridge is typically 19-20mm vs the standard string spacing on a five string is 16.5-17mm with a 45mm nut.