It might be of interest to you that the new 2010 models supposedly have a slimmer neck profile as the default.
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Is your Warwick neck uncomfortable?
- Thread starter JR2M
- Start date
It is persoanl preferrence, I have a couple that I really like and have played some I really hated...it is just like anything else you have to try it on in order to make a sound decission. This is not something anyone here on the forum can answer but yourself...your hands are different than mine or michaelc's hands...
my '95 thumb nt6 has a wenge neck and is basically a tree trunk (6-7/8")... for me it is extremely comfortable, and a very fast playing neck... i've had quite a few quality 6's to compare it to (ken smith, alembic etc.), can't explain it, but it just feels right... better than the rest...
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I used to be a Fender jazz neck guy, everything else felt too wide or fat to play quickly and comfortably. I ended up picking up a Corvette $$ and while it has a very different profile neck it's actually ended up feeling more comfortable for me. I now feel slightly awkward going back to my Fenders.
I had a corvette 4 for a couple of years, and I could never get comfortable with it. I don't know as it was the neck so much as the body size. It always seeme like a long reach to positions 1-3 which left my wrist and hand in a funny and unciomfortable position. strap high, low, medium, I couldn't figure it out.
That's not a criticism, just my experience. I loved the wood and the sound, though.
That's not a criticism, just my experience. I loved the wood and the sound, though.
Back in the 90's I loved the neck on my 96 Fortress 5 (solid Wenge). Then I put it down for about 5 years and tried to use it again for a 4 hour practice. That's when I noticed the neck thickness for the first time.... Very, very uncomfortable after playing a 5 string Fender Jazz Plus for the previous 5 years.....
My 1990s warwicks were fantastic...everyone i have purchased 2001 or later was a total P.O.S. and played like @ss.
I don't have a problem with thickness since it feels like your hand is more relaxed vs. having a death grip on a thin neck. Warwick necks are noticeably bigger if you're used to an Ibanez neck, as I was
My Fortress 5 bolt on that is pretty meaty in the neck department as well.
I didn't play my Thumb 4 bolt on much for the first year I owned it because it felt like 1st position/1st fret was a mile away! Now I love it for that, and how easy it is to play in the upper registers. It's a nice stretch!
My Fortress 5 bolt on that is pretty meaty in the neck department as well.I didn't play my Thumb 4 bolt on much for the first year I owned it because it felt like 1st position/1st fret was a mile away! Now I love it for that, and how easy it is to play in the upper registers. It's a nice stretch!
I'm starting to think i am some kind of a creep or somethings..
I love P necks and MM necks (i have one, one of the most comfortable bass ever)
but i absolutely cant play with those baseball bat necks, maybe its because i played a corvette. but i really hated the neck
I love P necks and MM necks (i have one, one of the most comfortable bass ever)
but i absolutely cant play with those baseball bat necks, maybe its because i played a corvette. but i really hated the neck
+1 just got Corvette Fretless a few months ago. Smooth and effortless. I found the neck shape to be more comfortable than I imagined considering some of the stories that I have read about Warwick necks. Also just finished waxing it and the hand just glides along the back of the neck.
It all comes down to differences and preferences in the player. Is the neck on my Warwick Corvette uncomfortable? Of course not, why would I have bought it if it were a pain to play?
Personally, I love the U-shaped "baseball bat" necks, it's the main reason I set my sights on a Warwick as my first "real" bass. The C-shaped necks I played on other brands, with both 1.5" and 1.75" just felt too thin, like I had to float my hand above the fingerboard to play in the lower register. When I picked up the Warwick it was as if I had a bit more to grab onto, it filled my hand a bit more nicely, and it was a perfect fit. I felt like a very ugly Cinderella.
I'm looking into getting another Warwick this year (a fretless, yay!), but was a little disappointed when I heard that Warwick went back to c-shape necks as the standard. I guess I felt those big necks were what made Warwicks so unique. Oh well, I guess that's what their Custom Shop is for.
Personally, I love the U-shaped "baseball bat" necks, it's the main reason I set my sights on a Warwick as my first "real" bass. The C-shaped necks I played on other brands, with both 1.5" and 1.75" just felt too thin, like I had to float my hand above the fingerboard to play in the lower register. When I picked up the Warwick it was as if I had a bit more to grab onto, it filled my hand a bit more nicely, and it was a perfect fit. I felt like a very ugly Cinderella.
I'm looking into getting another Warwick this year (a fretless, yay!), but was a little disappointed when I heard that Warwick went back to c-shape necks as the standard. I guess I felt those big necks were what made Warwicks so unique. Oh well, I guess that's what their Custom Shop is for.
Left hand comfort is a matter of technique, bass design, and making sure you're using the correct configuration. While most Warwickians hate my guts, the basses play exactly how they were designed to be played. For me, the thick neck and short horned models simply hurt my left hand. My personal playing style involves keeping the bass at midgut at about a 45 degree angle with my left hand not supporting the neck whatsoever and with my thumb behind my middle finger and down the down the center of the neck. Something like the old Streamers with a thin neck and longer top horn would work with my style. A thick necked Thumb with the short horn simply works against my natural playing style. Long horn basses may look a little odd, but between the balance and shortened reach to the first position, I won't play anything else.
Will it work for YOU? Depends on the model and your left hand style.
Will it work for YOU? Depends on the model and your left hand style.
Mine is not uncomfortable to me, but you may or may not like one. As far as cramping goes, I tend to cramp more with a thinner neck front-to-back, whereas my Warwick neck is rounder and deeper. Again, YMMV.
I had a Warwick Corvette a couple of years ago but the neck killed my hands.Too thick front to back. Just picking one up now makes my hand ache after about a minute. Just can't play them, even though I love the way they sound.
My first "real" bass was a Warwick. One of my favorite things about it is the neck. I play a Fender Jazz now, but when I pick the Warwick back up the first thing I notice is how comfortable the neck is. I also like the way the headstock blends perfectly with the neck. Needless to say, I haven't sold it.
