New Warwick Rockbass change.

[Systolic]

Because of the ban/embargo/whatever you want to call it on Rosewood, the new 2018(?) Warwick Rockbass instruments are coming with Wenge fretboards just like their German big brothers further reducing the difference between them.

As the hardware and and pickups are the same, as far as I can tell, the current difference between a Rockbass Corvette (as an example and a German Corvette is:

Body wood: Ash or Bubinga vs Alder on the RB
Neck wood: Ovangkol or Maple vs Maple only on the RBs.
Preamp: Genuine MEC vs Rockbass Preamp
Fretjob: German's get the IFT v RBs get a regular fret job.
QC: While the RBs are said to be QC'd by a Warwick Germany employee...c'mon we all know it's not to the same standards.

Not meaning to disparage one or the other. Just a PSA for those that weren't aware of the change.

 

[Systolic]

Personal opinion: I'm one of those guys that doesn't think tone wood has a huge impact on tone (though certainly a subtle one,) so for me the real difference is in the fretwork and the preamp, but many people don't really love MEC preamps anyway and replace them with OBP2/3's or something like that. There is certainly value in the fretjob though.

IMHO though I'm having a hard time seeing the value in the price disparity. I know this is a common argument largely seen in the Fender/Squier, Epiphone/Gibson, SBMM/MM crowds, but there....usually the hardware and pickups are different between the two. I don't konw. Food for thought I guess.