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Should i be gassing for a Warwick?

#41
Well after messing with my carvin bb75 ebmm sub 5 and esp ltd 6 this evening id defitely like one ultimate axe that does it all for me.

My carvin is closest to my alembic series 1 of old in feel and basic tone but needs major preamp features added to match it. Maybe warwick is my dream bass....
 
#42
I was a long time Warwick player (thumb bass only) and all I can say is that it does low mids very very well. I know have a sterling SB14 that takes it's place. The sterling has more highs and lows, more range basically. I am not trying to talk you out of one. If you don't mind the weight and neck dive (weight was the bigger problem). They make great basses but the prices have gone way up since I purchased mine. The BO models cost as much as the neck thru's used to. I feel the thumb really captures the Warwick sound. I sold mine and am not looking back. I love having much lighter basses now. Hope you find what works for you.
 
#45
dkelley said:
Well after messing with my carvin bb75 ebmm sub 5 and esp ltd 6 this evening id defitely like one ultimate axe that does it all for me.

My carvin is closest to my alembic series 1 of old in feel and basic tone but needs major preamp features added to match it. Maybe warwick is my dream bass....
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I guess it depend on your definition of "all". I played a Ric 4001 for years, Carvin, StingRay, now settled on two to cover my "all": Warwick Thumb NT4 and an Am Std P Bass with flats. WW is a 2013 and the P is a 2014. I'm out of GAS for a while.

Yes, the Thumb wants to settle at just over horizontal. And yes, the bubinga and wenge combination is heavy. I don't care. It sounds amazing. I am very happy with it.
 
#46
Gizmot said:
oh - one more thing --- Warwicks don't sound, play or feel like Fenders. I need more tonal variety than Fender provides and Warwick delivers.
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I agree they are very different animals, but I think you are making a pretty huge generalization there. Sure, the Warwicks sound really unique, but to my ears they are no more versatile tonally than any other bass I have owned. I guess it comes down to what you want in a bass, and to me Warwicks don't have it going on.
This is a perfect example of why you should try gear before you buy it. Some basses (especially Warwicks) tend to be a love/hate kind of thing. I bought mine sight unseen, needless to say I learned my lesson.
 
#47
The only two Warwick basses I hung on a strap were both, terrible neck divers, that I would rank right up there with a Thunderbird I used to own. I almost pulled the trigger on a Warwick fretted 5 at a local G.C. but asked for a strap to see how the bass balanced and, needless to say that particular bass was a massive fail and there was no sale.
 
#48
As has been mentioned, my Thumbs are more of a weight than dive issue, and for the tone, build, looks. and playability of them, a no brainer trade off. Before I got the Wicks, I was a 4 stringer Fender J player, both pups full, treble full, so I prefer a cutting, growling sound that's up front in the mix. The Wicks (one Bart pups, the other MECs) give me that with a different texture to the Fender J sound I was used to, still lots of growl, but with more sustain (MECs). The Bart equipped 6er is more traditional, I guess, a lot less growl, but it still stands out in the mix and has a killer tone all its own (woody and organic I've heard it described which I guess is pretty close). IMO they're really fine instruments, and probably the most consistent quality maker out there today.
 
#49
Radio Face said:
The only two Warwick basses I hung on a strap were both, terrible neck divers, that I would rank right up there with a Thunderbird I used to own. I almost pulled the trigger on a Warwick fretted 5 at a local G.C. but asked for a strap to see how the bass balanced and, needless to say that particular bass was a massive fail and there was no sale.
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Curious to know which model .
 
#51
bachlover said:
As has been mentioned, my Thumbs are more of a weight than dive issue, and for the tone, build, looks. and playability of them, a no brainer trade off. Before I got the Wicks, I was a 4 stringer Fender J player, both pups full, treble full, so I prefer a cutting, growling sound that's up front in the mix. The Wicks (one Bart pups, the other MECs) give me that with a different texture to the Fender J sound I was used to, still lots of growl, but with more sustain (MECs). The Bart equipped 6er is more traditional, I guess, a lot less growl, but it still stands out in the mix and has a killer tone all its own (woody and organic I've heard it described which I guess is pretty close). IMO they're really fine instruments, and probably the most consistent quality maker out there today.
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^^^^^^^ This......And if you want something that cuts through any mix any Warwick will do this well, I still say the Thumb bass is the Warwick sound! They really cut through at the 100hz to 250hz range.
 
#52
sorry to insult all the warwick loves out there but I think you will regret getting a warwick without extensively playing one in a store while standing.
They are heavy, real heavy. My friend had a thumb for years and it was close in weight to the late 70's fenders that weighed a ton. His warwick was 13lbs and neck dove like nobody's business.
I say if you can find a local place that has them, which is really hard now that Warwick out priced themselves from many retailers, you need to play one for sometime before the investment of getting one.
On a side note their fretless sound is one of the best in the business.
 
#53
dkelley said:
Ok.... for those recommending them..... local current options are a Passive corvette bubinga or active lx streamer 5 or streamer jazzman 5. All have ovangkol necks. Different body woods and pickups as models suggest. 300 dollar variance in price (corvette might be overpriced at 800 cdn). Thoughts? And still open to not getting one at all....
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I would say if you can swing it get a streamer model. Like my Thumb bass they come with a contoured body design that's pretty comfortable. The steamer jazzman has that double buck pickup.
 
#55
dkelley said:
Yea im looking at streamers.... which are like 9 lb basses by the way and well balanced. My ebmm fretted is 10 lb....
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Streamers rule! And ignore all those who say all Warwicks weigh a lot. Just like every other manufacturer out there with several models, they're all different. Same goes for balance. Streamers are very well balanced. They just play one or two and say they know everything. I've owned several light weight, perfectly balanced wicks. Not that uncommon.
 
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#56
I traded a 4 string ebmm stingray and $800 for Warwick Streamer Stage I, and I could not be happier. Love the Warwick.

The only things I've ever played that were instantly noticeably nicer were Foderas and a Ritter. Not even a USA Spector was all that much better, and I also love my SSD Euro Spector. But the Wick is a bit mellower and I prefer the electronics controls of volume blend over two volumes. I actually prefer the EQ curve of the SSD more, but can work fine with the Wick.
 
#58
inthebassclef said:
sorry to insult all the warwick loves out there but I think you will regret getting a warwick without extensively playing one in a store while standing.
They are heavy, real heavy. My friend had a thumb for years and it was close in weight to the late 70's fenders that weighed a ton. His warwick was 13lbs and neck dove like nobody's business./QUOTE]
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Some models are heavy. The bubinga bodies are the heavier ones. I have 2 german corvettes with ash bodies and they're both in the 9lb range. Pretty light in my book..
 
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