Question regarding Warwick bass quality and pricing

[bass12]

Quality control: I had a 2002 Thumb NT that was a terrible bass. The worst part (besides the tubby, lost-in-the-mix sound) was a crack in the body wood due to a badly mounted screw in the control cavity. On the other hand, my 2003 Thumb BO (bolt-on) was a great bass with a build quality that exceeded that of my 1991 Streamer. Keep in mind that a bubinga Corvette is likely to weigh a ton...

 

[svlilioukalani]

I have 2 German made Warwick basses. They are incredibly high quality instruments. Made from the highest quality parts. There is no way to explain why the go for so little money used. But consider that a good thing if your interested in buying one.

 

[Bassinga]

I recently bought a German made Corvette Streamer Standard 4 from 98' on Reverb for 600 Euros shipped including case. Great bass. Even though it's 23 years old (almost as old me ) it plays and sounds great. Very comfortable and the neck profile is pure magic.
I think you have some room to negotiate the price depending on what's included with the bass. If only a case is included I would suggest you try and knock it down to 700.

 

[andruca]

I remember a (Pro Line?) Thumb that was Made in Korea.

Yep, that's the only WARWICK line (non RockBass) ever made outside of Germany AFAIK. I'm not a fan of Warwick's "sound of wood", don't like 'vettes, don't like Thumbs. I OTOH loved the Star Bass from the moment it came out. After much searching, I bought a 2011 Korean ProSeries Star Bass 5 last year. The quality is OUTSTANDING. Still, I had tested a couple exemplars of the RockBass (chinese) current "budget" version and it seemed a totally competent to me (that happens to sound exactly the same really, I'm OK as my Korean ProSeries cost as much uses as used RockBasses go for 'round here).

 

[Velocityx]

Just gotta report back. The bass was immaculate! Holy moly, I really love it. And I even knocked 50€ out to 750€.

Look at that! It's literally LIKE NEW. And build quality 5/5, tone is great, and I really like the minimalist controls (instead of having like 8 knobs that push-pull and twist sideways, haha).

I'm really in love with this one, I feel like I've made one of the best purchases in my playing history.

Thanks for everyone who helped me out!

 

[Bassinga]

Awesome looking instrument man! Enjoy!

 

[Deleted member 165050]

Just gotta report back. The bass was immaculate! Holy moly, I really love it. And I even knocked 50€ out to 750€.
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Look at that! It's literally LIKE NEW. And build quality 5/5, tone is great, and I really like the minimalist controls (instead of having like 8 knobs that push-pull and twist sideways, haha).

I'm really in love with this one, I feel like I've made one of the best purchases in my playing history.

Thanks for everyone who helped me out!

That bubinga is really nice, much better than my swamp ash.

 

[wvbass]

Yep, that's the only WARWICK line (non RockBass) ever made outside of Germany AFAIK. I'm not a fan of Warwick's "sound of wood", don't like 'vettes, don't like Thumbs. I OTOH loved the Star Bass from the moment it came out. After much searching, I bought a 2011 Korean ProSeries Star Bass 5 last year. The quality is OUTSTANDING. Still, I had tested a couple exemplars of the RockBass (chinese) current "budget" version and it seemed a totally competent to me (that happens to sound exactly the same really, I'm OK as my Korean ProSeries cost as much uses as used RockBasses go for 'round here).

A Dolphin is pretty much the last bass on my bucket list - I've been in love ever since I first saw John B. Williams with one on Arsenio. Having said that, I don't buy the "sound of wood" BC at all. I've no doubt the Star Bass sounds great, and I like my Thumb, but it sounds like it does because of its unique pickup placement.

The "sound of wood," though? That's a great marketing slogan, but like a lot of marketing, it is essentially BS. I thought the bell brass frets were supposed to be a big part of the tone, but then Warwick quietly phased those out on all but the most expensive of basses. That must have not been a big deal either.

 

[amper]

Where were Warvicks made beside Germany ?

Korea and China, but not until later.

 

[amper]

Hi there!

I'm gonna go see a Warwick Corvette 5 Standard Bubinga today. It's a German made one.
But there's one thing I don't get - he's asking 800 € for it, which I thought is an absolute steal... until I saw Reverb listings that had people selling them for even 550-800€.

How can it be that german-made Warwicks sell for that kind of price, and today you can pay 1500-2000€? Is there a central piece of Warwick history I'm missing, for example "That was the time they only used plywood and had virtually no QC, after 2006 they had luthiers again" or something, haha

Also for those with experience, how is the QC for 2003 Standard German Warwicks?

Really appreciate all the help!
P.S. I really love this community, even though I'm just an occasional lurker, I always feel right at home

According to my memory, the build quality of late 1990s-early 2000s Warwicks is second to none. However, there are some things you might not know about Warwick. I am going from memory, here, and cannot remember where I read some of these things, so take them as definitely non-authoritative.

1. Warwick was famous for their wenge necks, but caused a lot of consternation when they switched to ovangkol in 1998 (I think), due to supply issues (I think). They also switched away from the brass Just-A-Nut to the plastic Just-A-Nut II.

2. The current Warwick manufacturing facilities in are in Markneukirchen, where they have been since 1995. If my memory is correct, at some point after Warwick started farming out the RockBass line to Korea and then China, Warwick reorganised the company, and restructured their product lines into the current “Teambuilt” production line and “Masterbuilt” custom shop instruments, and the current pricing structures are very different than what they were in 2003. I believe the restructuring may have coincided with the switch of the RockBass line from Korea to China.

Before the restructuring, there were the regular production line instruments, and the Custom Shop had a menu of custom options that could be ordered, while anything more elaborate would be quoted as needed.

If my memory is correct, production in Germany simply became unsustainable at the current pricing levels, so they dramatically downsized German production and moved it upscale, which is why Warwicks today, particularly Masterbuilt Warwicks, are very, very expensive. A Masterbuilt Streamer LX5 will start at 4.439,00 EUR, while a Teambuilt Streamer LX5 will start at 2.055,00 EUR. A RockBass Streamer LX5 is 839,00 EUR.

I can tell you that I paid about $1700 USD at retail for my 2003 Warwick Custom Shop Corvette Proline (including both Warwick Rockbag Pro gig bag and hard shell case), and somewhere around here, I have the 2002 US Price List from Dana B. Goods, the US distributor at the time. I placed my order in late 2002, and my insturment was delivered in early 2003. Here:

Link Removed

A Streamer LX5 had an MSRP of $2299 USD in 2002. My Corvette Proline had an MSRP of $1799 USD, before adding the upcharges for custom options.

Warwick has since returned to the wenge necks and brass Just-A-Nut III.

 

[amper]

Just gotta report back. The bass was immaculate! Holy moly, I really love it. And I even knocked 50€ out to 750€.
View attachment 4388080
View attachment 4388081
View attachment 4388082
View attachment 4388083
View attachment 4388084

Look at that! It's literally LIKE NEW. And build quality 5/5, tone is great, and I really like the minimalist controls (instead of having like 8 knobs that push-pull and twist sideways, haha).

I'm really in love with this one, I feel like I've made one of the best purchases in my playing history.

Thanks for everyone who helped me out!

Sweet! The only thing to know about that bass is that it’s the passive version (there’s also an active version) and has a bubinga body (great sound, high weight). The Corvette Standard was *the* bass to have for a time in the 2000s, very popular with “nu metal” players.

 

[amper]

That bubinga is really nice, much better than my swamp ash.

I honestly prefer the ash, or in the case of my Corvette Proline, solid flamed maple. The bubinga looks, feels, and sounds great, but it weighs a lot. The only basses I’ve ever picked up and thought were too heavy were bubinga Warwicks.

 

[Deleted member 165050]

China

Only Rockbass are made in China afaik. Warwicks have been made in Korea and Indonesia.

 

[amper]

I just did some refreshing of my memory, and the RockBass line was launched in 2002 and was always made in China.

RockBass by Warwick - News

This announcement comes after many years of hard work and preparation. Warwick wanted to make sure that any entry-level basses they produce live up to the high standards that Warwick players expect. Hans Peter Wilfer, the President and founder of Warwick, visited factories in several countries and had his best craftsmen analyze all the samples until they were able to unanimously agree on who would make these special instruments for them. The winner was found in China. There a Taiwanese father and son team runs their factory in the same philosophical style that Hans Peter and his father (Framus founder Fred Wilfer) ran their businesses. The fit between companies, like a good neck pocket, was perfect. Then Warwickinvested over half a million dollars to establish a Far Eastern headquarters in Shanghai to properly manage and develop their new business relationships with China. Hans Peter could not be more proud of the new RockBass line and he is excited the Warwick sound will now be available to all players, everywhere.

Available in the first quarter of 2002, the RockBass line will consist of a variety of models, starting at a retail price of $499. Initially, an assortment of familiar Streamer Standard and Corvette body styles will be offered in a variety of transparent gloss finishes.

 

[Swamp_Ronin]

Build quality of German Warwicks is very high. However, some folks have had stability issues with the ovangkol necks. Just check to make sure it hasn’t developed a twist or ramp. Other than that, enjoy!

I would like to hear more about this. I have a (fantastic) SSII, Ovankol neck (laminated), and it’s developed a fretting out around fret 21 or so…. god I hope it’s not a ramp

 

[burgerdj]

I would like to hear more about this. I have a (fantastic) SSII, Ovankol neck (laminated), and it’s developed a fretting out around fret 21 or so…. god I hope it’s not a ramp

Have you had a pro setup lately? Hopefully just a fret job and/or truss rod tweak in your future! Take a look down the length of the neck to see if anything looks off. You can also use a straight-edge to check the relief and to see if any frets are standing a bit too tall.

 

[labeledbass]

It actually is nice to have maple. I like the qualities in it better as a neck wood than a fretboard. Pau Ferro, rosewood, ebony, Wenge all seem to sound great on top of maple as well as it's usually a very solid wood that doesn't warp or move much. My Warwick is maple and it's super stable. Granted the ovankol looks cool but you're not usually looking at the back of the neck that much anyway.

I have two "custom" (but more like standard Masterbuilt) warwicks, one having an all wenge neck and board (Jazzman 4), and the other having a very nice, maple neck with rosewood board (CV5), and acoustically the CV is much much louder compared to the wenge. I do like the literal buttery feel of the wenge better, but the satin CV isn't far behind. Both are bolt on as well. I see a lot of BO maples pushed to the side, masterbuilt or not, they really sound great. I don't see why people do that, wenge isn't that much more expensive than a quality piece of maple, and (real) rosewood is one of the best to keep frets down nice and level

I will say I gravitate toward wenge over ovankol, but not for any specific reason aside I like the feel of wenge better. It has that its been worn down for years feeling to it

 

[Warpeg]

Used German-made Warwicks have become an exceptional value over the past ten years or so. I'm still seeing the mid-2000's Corvette Standards used for $500-$600 here and there, which is amazing considering they sold for more than twice that new.

 

[Ggaa]

I have 2 pre owned LX5 Wick Streamers, one RB China made(gave $420) and a GPS($1250).. The fit is better on the German and it has better tuners, and previous owner put a 3x Bart preamp in it. RB I took out the noisy preamp and put Bart Jazz pups in. Love the necks. Either could be #1, worth what I paid.

Well, my tech ended up pulling the top 10 frets of the GPS and planing out a hump on the fretboard. Now it plays all the way up set low.

 

[labeledbass]

Well, my tech ended up pulling the top 10 frets of the GPS and planing out a hump on the fretboard. Now it plays all the way up set low.

I had a couple high frets on my masterbuild, it was a 2015 NAMM bass, so who knows how many people played it, but still, if it can happen to this bass I'd say anything is fair game