I had an early Thumb bolt on w/bubinga and Wenge Duncan actives with the little dip switches. Small neck. It was my favorite bass ever. Traded a Gumby green kubicki for it. (Also a pretty cool bass that I wish I still had) The thumb was everything I ever wanted in a bass. However, I had just had twins and bought a new house. I was not playing out anymore and decided to sell it. I think it will always be my favorite bass I have owned. It had the sound that was in my head. Played through Swr and Boogie amp . Simply perfect.
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Opinions on Warwick Thumb
- Thread starter Sergius Durante
- Start date
haha nah its no biggie, but yes the sound in my head is the 5 stringer variant. My fender geddy lee mim bit the dust so I wound up returning it, currently awaiting a Schector stiletto studio 5.
I couldn't find any thumbs at the time, and I had a deal for 1100 but like an idiot decided not to take it when I should have.
Still, I can't wait for my new bass, a breath of modern bass engineering lol
Great thread - been reading it through from start to finish, as I've got an opportunity to put in an offer for this which is a 2008 NT5, but likely to have to buy "unseen" given the current Covid situation. Been advertised as being in very good condition.
I guess my three concerns have all been touched on by folk on this thread:
- Thumbs can be heavy, but this one is just 10 lbs which is fine for me;
- neck dive issues - however consensus seems to be that NTs suffer less from this, which is encouraging;
- just how comfortable are these to wear and play? - I was surprised to spot that most of the YT clips were bass players sitting down with the bass between their legs! But seems a fair few folk on this thread play theirs live and of course Cream's JB was a big fan of the fretless 4.
The preamp on this one has been replaced with a John East 3 band - but that should in theory be an upgrade. It has the classic MEC pups which will hopefully deliver that delicious MEC growl, although I've seen a few comments about folk regarding the Thumbs as being modern sounding?
Anything else I should be thinking of / any particular questions you would recommend I should be putting to the store that's selling it before taking the plunge?
I guess my three concerns have all been touched on by folk on this thread:
- Thumbs can be heavy, but this one is just 10 lbs which is fine for me;
- neck dive issues - however consensus seems to be that NTs suffer less from this, which is encouraging;
- just how comfortable are these to wear and play? - I was surprised to spot that most of the YT clips were bass players sitting down with the bass between their legs! But seems a fair few folk on this thread play theirs live and of course Cream's JB was a big fan of the fretless 4.
The preamp on this one has been replaced with a John East 3 band - but that should in theory be an upgrade. It has the classic MEC pups which will hopefully deliver that delicious MEC growl, although I've seen a few comments about folk regarding the Thumbs as being modern sounding?
Anything else I should be thinking of / any particular questions you would recommend I should be putting to the store that's selling it before taking the plunge?
What year did Warwick go back to having the less chunky neck profile? If I was going to get another Thumb it would definitely not be one with the chunky variety of neck. There’s a nice looking Thumb in the TB classifieds right now (a ‘90 I believe) but it’s listed as being 11 lbs.
Never played the bolt on. I have several NT German ones. Two 4 string ones from the 80s, a 2000s 6 string, and a 2010s 5 string. The 5 string is probably my favorite sounding bass of all time. I prefer playing neck angled up, but the 5 string wants to sit horizontal. The others are fine. The 5 string is heavier than the 6 string. I can make it work, but it is less comfortable than my dolphin or streamer.
My experience is Warwick basses got thicker with time. The body shape of thumbs has also changed. None of my thumbs really have the same shaped body. The neck profiles have changed over time. The weight of the instrument is inconsistent. Other than they all sound amazing, every one should be judged individually.
My experience is Warwick basses got thicker with time. The body shape of thumbs has also changed. None of my thumbs really have the same shaped body. The neck profiles have changed over time. The weight of the instrument is inconsistent. Other than they all sound amazing, every one should be judged individually.
I have owned two Thumbs previously, a 1998 4 string BO and a mid 2000's 5 string Broad Neck bolt on.
The 4 string was just utterly fantastic. It had a wenge neck and two singlecoils. It balanced well and sounded amazing. The Broad Neck was not so good. It had two big soapbar pickups and an ovangkol neck, it just didn't have the focused, tight sound I expect from a Thumb. It sounded big and boomy and that just wasn't enough to make me want to manage the size and weight of it. What was particularly fatiguing was just the size of the neck at the first position. I don't have small hands by any stretch, but I was left wondering who would want a neck with that much mass in it. It wasn't so bad up after the 5th position, where it flattened out a bit, but anything 'busy' on the lower frets was really tiring to play.
What I will say about Thumbs is that they aren't full of wildly different tones. If you want one bass to do many tones to a reasonable standard, this isn't it. But a Thumb will do it's signature tone very well and that's good enough for any musical situation! I've always found them to balance well and never thought that the reach to first position was an issue, but they are heavy basses. It shouldn't be a problem for a healthy adult man but if you have back or shoulder issues they may not be the bass for you unless you can gig from a chair.
I will have another Thumb with my only condition being that it won't have MEC Soapbars. I really like the MEC singlecoils though. I'd prefer an NT for the slightly smaller body, but other than that I'm not fussed. I do believe that the NT and BO basses sound different but the most significant think in terms of Thumb tone is pickup type and placement.
The 4 string was just utterly fantastic. It had a wenge neck and two singlecoils. It balanced well and sounded amazing. The Broad Neck was not so good. It had two big soapbar pickups and an ovangkol neck, it just didn't have the focused, tight sound I expect from a Thumb. It sounded big and boomy and that just wasn't enough to make me want to manage the size and weight of it. What was particularly fatiguing was just the size of the neck at the first position. I don't have small hands by any stretch, but I was left wondering who would want a neck with that much mass in it. It wasn't so bad up after the 5th position, where it flattened out a bit, but anything 'busy' on the lower frets was really tiring to play.
What I will say about Thumbs is that they aren't full of wildly different tones. If you want one bass to do many tones to a reasonable standard, this isn't it. But a Thumb will do it's signature tone very well and that's good enough for any musical situation! I've always found them to balance well and never thought that the reach to first position was an issue, but they are heavy basses. It shouldn't be a problem for a healthy adult man but if you have back or shoulder issues they may not be the bass for you unless you can gig from a chair.
I will have another Thumb with my only condition being that it won't have MEC Soapbars. I really like the MEC singlecoils though. I'd prefer an NT for the slightly smaller body, but other than that I'm not fussed. I do believe that the NT and BO basses sound different but the most significant think in terms of Thumb tone is pickup type and placement.
Not sure what bass you're coming from but from what I learned from getting hours on my warwick Corvette 5 string is that the neck is really fast and fun to play once you get used to navigating it. It's the most I've gotten to play warwick but I definitely notice that it's got a unique feel compared to other basses I've noodled around on. I like the bigger neck so it's a good fit for me. And the depth of the notes and how woody yet full they sound is what got my attention immediately. The offset jazz pickups are the way to go and you're going to get a hell of a bass. If you buy it just give it time to adjust and you'll get it talking the way you want. The only questions I'd ask is to make sure everything is as advertised and you're not getting surprises when it gets to your door. Good luck and have fun!
I had a 93 bolt on 4 string thumb. My 2nd bass was a Precision with a maple neck. I’d say the precision was the heavier of the two, but not by mutch. Despite being completely different in body shape, the only noticeable ‘playing difference for me was the neck width. Apart from that the weight, balanced neck angles, ideal strap length, pickup position (for a thumb rest) were similar enough to switch basses back and forth during a set very comfortably.
‘go for it’ is my recommendation.
‘go for it’ is my recommendation.
Thanks for all the above responses chaps - appreciated!
I've found out a couple of things more about this particular bass
- it's 18mm spacing at the bridge with a 46mm nut width
- price including hard case is $2,175 shipped (within the UK)
Any issues for 2008 Warwick basses - please remind me when did Warwick go through their "shoddy" patch? Is the price in the right ball park for a very good condition model (with an upgraded John East preamp)?
I've found out a couple of things more about this particular bass
- it's 18mm spacing at the bridge with a 46mm nut width
- price including hard case is $2,175 shipped (within the UK)
Any issues for 2008 Warwick basses - please remind me when did Warwick go through their "shoddy" patch? Is the price in the right ball park for a very good condition model (with an upgraded John East preamp)?
I do not believe they went through a shoddy patch at all, just seems that some people prefer the thinner Wenge necks to the thicker Ovangkol.
At 10# you are probably going to have a good bit of neck dive. I love my Thumb 5NT but it is on the way out. I have tried everything to compensate for the neck dive, but it causes me too much pain to play standing. Old injury just getting older. If I was 20 again I wouldn’t dream of getting rid of it.
The bridges on Warwick Basses are adjustable. 18mm is about max span for the non broad neck bridges. I would be pulling my G string off the edge of the board constantly if I set mine to 18mm. 16.5-17mm seems to be what the bass wants.
The John East preamp kicks ass. There are a lot of internal adjustments to the preamp in addition to the eq controls. I put one in a SN Dolphin and it was a religious experience. Massive upgrade to the MEC pre, which is the Achilles heel of these fine Basses.
The price is pretty good. Shipping in the case is probably $175 of that. 2k is where I plan to price mine when selling. Be mindful of the return policy should there be any hidden defects or really anything that turns you off, especially for 2k+. I have had a few of these fine Warwick Basses turn into massive money pits complete with eventual massive loss.
At 10# you are probably going to have a good bit of neck dive. I love my Thumb 5NT but it is on the way out. I have tried everything to compensate for the neck dive, but it causes me too much pain to play standing. Old injury just getting older. If I was 20 again I wouldn’t dream of getting rid of it.
The bridges on Warwick Basses are adjustable. 18mm is about max span for the non broad neck bridges. I would be pulling my G string off the edge of the board constantly if I set mine to 18mm. 16.5-17mm seems to be what the bass wants.
The John East preamp kicks ass. There are a lot of internal adjustments to the preamp in addition to the eq controls. I put one in a SN Dolphin and it was a religious experience. Massive upgrade to the MEC pre, which is the Achilles heel of these fine Basses.
The price is pretty good. Shipping in the case is probably $175 of that. 2k is where I plan to price mine when selling. Be mindful of the return policy should there be any hidden defects or really anything that turns you off, especially for 2k+. I have had a few of these fine Warwick Basses turn into massive money pits complete with eventual massive loss.
There is no such thing as a shoddy patch for Warwick basses. Different eras have their different foibles. People would probably generally say that 2000 to 2010-ish was their lowest point but these were still big-bucks instruments, well made and priced to match. People will talk about various issues such as:
* The 80's and early 90's instruments with very thin necks being prone to warping and having well documented issues with the truss roads failing or rounding out and treating jack sockets as a service item
* The turn of the millenium basses having thicker neck carves, moving from a slim 'C' to a deep 'D' profile.
* Plastic tabs on one of the old Just-a-Nuts (JNA II, I think) snapping off, though this did not actually affect the functionality of the nut
etc etc.
If the one you're looking at is the one at Bass Direct, it generally looks nice enough. The wear above the front pickup is fairly typical and it strikes me as very typical of Bass Direct to just sell the bass without even waxing that part to try and add a bit of lustre back to it. The preamp sounds interesting, the massive metal ring around the jack socket entrance is not standard. Bass Direct aren't bad by any stretch but I've bought basses from them before where they haven't even changed the strings from the knackered old ones left on from the shop floor!
* The 80's and early 90's instruments with very thin necks being prone to warping and having well documented issues with the truss roads failing or rounding out and treating jack sockets as a service item
* The turn of the millenium basses having thicker neck carves, moving from a slim 'C' to a deep 'D' profile.
* Plastic tabs on one of the old Just-a-Nuts (JNA II, I think) snapping off, though this did not actually affect the functionality of the nut
etc etc.
If the one you're looking at is the one at Bass Direct, it generally looks nice enough. The wear above the front pickup is fairly typical and it strikes me as very typical of Bass Direct to just sell the bass without even waxing that part to try and add a bit of lustre back to it. The preamp sounds interesting, the massive metal ring around the jack socket entrance is not standard. Bass Direct aren't bad by any stretch but I've bought basses from them before where they haven't even changed the strings from the knackered old ones left on from the shop floor!
Thanks for those helpful comments. Actually only $15 shipping (they will have lower agreed prices with couriers and its all within the UK).
Restarting an old thread, but I am in a debate between a Thumb NT '06 5 string (currently playing a 4, so a different change) or a 4 string standard passive Corvette '04. I have seen listings of 5 string Corvettes, but unable to try them. The others I listed, I can actually try. What year did the neck profiles change? During these years or way later?
*Note: I am not in a band. This is something for me to jam out in my home, more than likely sitting down. Thanks all.
I think the consensus is that the profiles became slim again early 2009. 2013 saw the return of Wenge necks, but with tiger-stripe ebony fingerboards.
I’m going to bump this thread to ask a related question. In looking at bolt-on thumb basses, I’ve noticed that some have black hardware, some have silver/chrome hardware, and some have gold hardware. Does the different colored hardware correspond to any other differences between basses? Thanks.
The tuners, bridge, knobs are all the same and just painted differently. The only thing that would actually change something in tone would be a brass nut vs the tedur graphite.
Thanks. In looking over this thread, I saw references to different neck profiles, different woods, and different pickups/electronics over the years. I was wondering if the different hardware color might correspond to any of those differences.
