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Painting My Warwick Streamer LX5

Which Color Would You Think Will Make My Bass Look Great?

  • Total voters
    39
  • Poll closed .
FiveStringer1

FiveStringer1

Guest
Oct 28, 2013
219
63
#1
Ok... I am having a hard time deciding on a color for my bass. It has several scratches in it and I really want to get it painted.

Out of the 4 choices, which would you pick and why?

High Gloss Black Cherry, Satin Burgundy, Satin Sapphire Blue or Satin French Violet?

Gold Hardware will be installed.

I also want to take into consideration, re-sale value. What color do you think would make for a quicker sale?

30xbvqs.jpg

2ql6c8m.jpg



:D
 
#3
blindrabbit said:
Carrots.

I wouldn't paint it. IMO, for that bass, that would wreck resale value for sure.
Click to expand...

Well, guess what? I had this bass on ebay for a couple of months and started at $2300 with flight case and at the end, I was down to $1499 with free shipping and it still did Not sell. I think Sapphire Blue would sell quick!

I mean, I will keep it for a while after painting, but should I decide to sell again in the future, it will be a higher desired item. But I DO like the other colors in the poll, as well. 8)
 
#4
blindrabbit said:
Carrots.

I wouldn't paint it. IMO, for that bass, that would wreck resale value for sure.
Click to expand...


+1 anything refinished takes a hit. You may not have liked the prices you were getting offered for your bass in its current condition, but that doesn't mean that refinishing will drive them higher - it will likely have the opposite effect. Now if you really like blue, hey, that's your choice, but I would not expect a higher resale value. Do it if you like the colour, not for an investment in resale value.
 
#5
DanGouge said:
+1 anything refinished takes a hit. You may not have liked the prices you were getting offered for your bass in its current condition, but that doesn't mean that refinishing will drive them higher - it will likely have the opposite effect. Now if you really like blue, hey, that's your choice, but I would not expect a higher resale value. Do it if you like the colour, not for an investment in resale value.
Click to expand...

Even if Warwick is the re-painter?
 
#8
FiveStringer1 said:
It's a $2800 bass new! Dumped it for 1400... that to ME is crazy! But thanks for the input.
Click to expand...

I went through a Warwick phase- bought and sold well over a dozen in a couple of years(lost track around 16). I still love them; they just don't fit my current gigs. All that said, I think they are incredibly overpriced and lose value quickly. Also, what you're talking about is termed *refinishing* and is slightly different than *painting*
Good luck w/your project, and let us know how it works out. :)
 
#9
bassteban said:
I went through a Warwick phase- bought and sold well over a dozen in a couple of years(lost track around 16). I still love them; they just don't fit my current gigs. All that said, I think they are incredibly overpriced and lose value quickly. Also, what you're talking about is termed *refinishing* and is slightly different than *painting*
Good luck w/your project, and let us know how it works out. :)
Click to expand...

Warwicks are one of the best basses for the money, out there! I guess we all have our opinions. I have played many basses myself and have not found one that I like better for the pricing. Warwick also has a distinctive sound and NOTHING sounds like a Warwick IMO.
 
#12
I think a lot of the concern is, money invested in painting rarely pays off.
Let's say the bass is worth $1500 as it sits. If you pay $300 to get it painted is it worth $1800? Nope. It's still worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $1500, even if done perfectly and by Warwick. Could be more, could be less, but it's not going to be nearly what you have invested.

It seems that people are trying to convey that.

In my opinion, if you were keeping the bass and wanted it restored to near perfect condition, that's really cool. A paintjob would go a long way for that. I like sapphire blue with the gold hardware, though the other choices are nice too.

As for the colors and what people like or don't, I'll say that PURPLE is very polarizing. People either love it or hate it... the majority is hate. I personally love purple basses. Hell, I'd pay extra for the right purple. But a majority of people either think Prince, Barney, Grimace, or something else that they consider undesirable and will pass. As a seller of a lot of basses, that's a fact I've learned before.
 
#14
Well then I don't think I will ever sell this bass. Even though I got a good deal from the start. I got it brand new in flight case for $1900. But there are stores around here that ARE getting high buck for Warwicks and they mostly stock Warwicks due to the demand being as high as it is. But I have noticed people wanting brand new and not used unless you sell for next to nothing. I won't. This bass was at $1499 on ebay... but I felt like I was robbing myself and actually stopped the auction early and now I really feel I should just keep it.
 
#15
German made Warwicks were some of the finest crafted basses I've ever laid hands on. It's a shame for those who are looking to sell that the market on them fluctuates as wildly as it does. True, it's a buyers market for most of them used. The variance in cost from new to used is huge... like German cars! Drive a BMW off the lot, the value drops like a stone.

But unlike German cars, Warwicks will last for many, many years without paying for incredibly overpriced parts and service on them for routine maintenance. :D
 
#16
@rojo412's Thanks for your insight! You helped me come to the conclusion that I will re-finish it and keep it.


It's now between Sapphire and Black Cherry Gloss.

Here's a pic of the Black Cherry... only I will have a gold bridge and tuners. Knobs will be black.

2a4vgk1.jpg



Here's a sample of the blue I would get in satin:
v4bcbq.jpg
 
#17
No carrot orange? Seriously for me anyway, refinish it, worth less than a grand. Put gold hardware on it, worth less than $500. Kind of like how someone can take a $25k car put $10k worth of accessories on it make the car's value go down considerably. Now if you plan on keeping it do whatever makes you happy and value be damned.
 

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