Rockbass by warwick?

Yes, Rock Bass and RB by Warwick is the same thing...and yes it's just like a Squire/Fender thing.
Rock basses are made in china or korea (can't remember which) to Warwick standards. Most I've tried were just as nice.

 

Essentially yes. Rockbasses are made in China by an OEM, but their production is overseen by Warwick.

Numerous other high-end bass makers have gone the same route, maintaining a prestige niche for their premium brand while lending their name and designs (and occasional QC) to cheaper, mass-produced instruments in order to capture the under-$1000 market.

 

all in all, you could get a much better bass for the price, you just gotta look about

 

G&L Tribute L-2000 or 2005. I love mine. Its just the best cheaper bass I've ever played.

 

Second hand i got my Ibanez ATK 400 for £150, which was a steal!

It really depends what your looking at getting, ebay is usually pretty good

 

Ebay. I got a 2004 Thumb b/o for $800. HSC and all included. Get the real thing.

I havent played a Rockbass but a lot of people think they are awesome and right up there with the full blown Warwicks. But you know how people are... To each's own or something like that

 

i have never liked the rockbasses. different woods different sound. same feel tho

lowsound

 

I'd take a low-to-midrange Yamaha or Ibanez over a RockBass any day of the week. I've found them weak in the hardware, pickups, fit and finish departments, and general "wood" departments. Those I've tried simply sounded inherently muted.

Granted, I'm not Warwick fan in general, but I think I can put my personal feelings aside in judging quality. IMO, the quality of low and midrange basses are the highest they've ever been for production instruments (I doubt anyone has to learn on a "Pro Session"/"Series 10"-level bass like I did) and there's too much competition out there to push the mediocre stuff out.

 

Strange,

I have heard really great things about Warwicks

and really bad things about Warwick Rockbasses

 

Rockbasses are just cheap. They don't really have a lot going for them. You can do much better in the same price range (this coming from a 4 year warwick user).

 

I am a longtime warwick corvette pro user, and I played a rockbass today. It didn't feel bad, and the sound was solid, but it is not AT ALL what I look for with the Warwick sound. The super tight midrange growl isn't there. I agree that you can get a better deal with another bass, or get a used corvette on E'Bay for a bit more.

 

I've owned two Warwick Rockbasses.

A Streamer 4 and a Corvette 4.

They're made in China, by Warwick.

They use less exotic timber than their German Cousins (Alder body for the Corvette, Carolena for the Streamer, Maple Necks and Rosewood fingerboards).

The body perimeter shapes are said to use the same CNC routing patterns as the German Warwicks. The bridge is different to the German Warwick bridge - it is very stable though - I believe it's modeled after a bridge used on one of the early German Warwicks. They use similar tuners. The MEC pickups are the same as the German Warwicks. The pre-amps are MEC. They have Nickel frets rather than the German Warwick's "bell brass". My Streamer had a fixed synthetic nut, but my Corvette has a Warwick adjust 'a' nut. The neck profile of the Rockbasses is a little slimmer than the German Warwicks and more "Jazz Like".

Having owned two, and played many others, I can honestly say the the fit and finish is absolutely first rate right across the board. They are a very consistent product. They come standard with Warwick Red label strings (of which I'm not really a fan).

I don't like the MEC pickups in the Corvette. I've tried a couple of different replacements, and currently have DiMarzio Ultra Jazz in it which sound very nice.

The Humbucking soapbars in the Streamer have a really sweet warm tone, and are absolutely hum free, but have very low output.

I've sold the Streamer - although I liked it's tone, the Carolena body is very heavy, and I preferred the Corvette.

So, my Rockbass Corvette 4 with Dimarzio Ultra Jazz pups and DR Sunbeam strings is a really nice bass.

The Rockbasses are an excellent product and represent great value.

Some people seem to have a problem with their country of origin, and believe that they must be poor quality because they are made in China. I suspect that some German Warwick Bass owners dislike them because they believe it will cheapen the Warwick name - as a result they try and distance themselves by blowing the Rockbass off as an inferior product.

I haven't owned (yet) a German Warwick, but I have played a few.

Is the Rockbass an inferior product to the German Warwick? Yes it is. It is also much cheaper.

Is the Rockbass comparable to many other basses, and often superior to basses in it's price category. Yes it is

The Rockbasses I've owned and played don't have that signature Warwick growl. If you really want THE Warwick sound, get a German Warwick.

I think I will buy a German Warwick Corvette 4 in the future, but for now, the Rockbass is an excellent instrument, and serves me very well with regards to reliability, stability, durability, tonality and playability!

I actually really can't think of a justifiable reason to upgrade from the Rockbass Corvette 4 other than GAS (not that that's ever stopped me).

 

play a rockbass...then play a warwick and compare.

sorted.

 

No, no, no - don't do that.

We already know that the Warwick Rockbasses are not as nice as their German big brothers. They're not supposed to be.

I would advise rather play a Rockbass, then play a handful of other basses in it's price range, and compare.

Sorted

 

I own a Rockbass Streamer 5. Great bass for the price and I love it. In fact, I'd say its a great bass regardless of price. It doesnt have the 'growl' much, but theres definately some there.

 

I'd say they're on the low-end, and perhaps comparing apples to oranges to a RockBass as the $200 price difference is pretty significant in that range - we're talking almost 1/2 the price.

...that being said, I'd rather spend $350 on a 37X than a RockBass and either pocket the savings or use it to upgrade the Yamaha. I'd also keep my eye out on the used market for a 774/5 which were discontinued a few years back but sold much closer to the RockBass line, and IMO wouls get you infinitely more "bang for the buck" than a RB... typically their used prices are what the 37Xs sell for new. I purchased one during Yamaha's clearance sale... and was so enamoured with it that a week later bought a second that I defretted and are now both my main "players". I happened to have gotten luckly and grabbed them for 73% off list, but even before the clearance I was very impressed by them and had recommended them to a friend who was looking to move up (he wasn't comfortable with the 35" scale and went with an Ibanez SR-505, a good call as well.)

For other than the RBX "rock" style there's also the BB41X/61X for significantly cheaper, and the TRB100Xs for only $100 more than a RockBass. All of these are IMO better choices than a RockBass, and that's just Yamaha... toss in Ibanez, a Fender Geddy Lee signature, and there's far too much competition at RockBass' pricepoint.

 

I have both 4 and 5 string Rock bass streamers. the 4 has two soapbars and sounds great, the 5 has one and still sounds good but not as good. Both are well built and are nice to play. A fantastic beginner to intermediate bass IMO.

However last week I got a 4 string 93 thumb NT and suddenly they dont seem so special