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Something deadening strings

socialleper

socialleper

Bringer of doom and top shelf beer
May 31, 2009
10,158
13,690
Canyon Country, CA
#1
I purchased a used German made Warwick $$ 5-string a few months a go and noticed that no matter what strings I put on it, the strings always sound a little dead.
You know that shimmering metallic snap you get out of brand new set of steel round wounds when you dig in? It doesn't do that.
I've tried tapered and non-tapered, a few different brands, had the set up done at a reputable luthier, but I just can't get the same ring out of it that may other basses get.
Is there something in a setup or design of a bass that cause this, like bad saddles or nut? Is there something inherent in Warwick basses that just makes them "darker" sounding, even without being plugged in?
 
#4
all my warwicks sounded dead quicker than any other bass, but never right away after changing strings. What king of nut do you have? I personally like the brass nuts even though they have some intonation problems. I have found the graphite nuts to fragile and have broken at least 3 of them. what controls do you have with actives it was easier to get good tone naturally, but with the passive corvette i owned it did take tweaking to get a higher tone. i used to love my warwicks now i only own 1 because of the problems i had with them, the basses themselves are though as nails but all the hardware and electrical in my opinion is a tad cheap.
 
#5
It is active, with a passive switch; but I have changed the battery.

I notice the tonal difference when the instrument isn't plugged in. It almost sounds like the string doesn't have enough room to move or something has a slight damping effect.

I've thought about replacing the pick ups with some SD humbuckers, but if that is just the natural tone of the instrument I won't bother.
 
#6
lyes4string said:
all my warwicks sounded dead quicker than any other bass, but never right away after changing strings. What king of nut do you have? I personally like the brass nuts even though they have some intonation problems. I have found the graphite nuts to fragile and have broken at least 3 of them. what controls do you have with actives it was easier to get good tone naturally, but with the passive corvette i owned it did take tweaking to get a higher tone. i used to love my warwicks now i only own 1 because of the problems i had with them, the basses themselves are though as nails but all the hardware and electrical in my opinion is a tad cheap.
Click to expand...

The bass has the standard adjust a nut that came with it. It has all of the original MEC electronics.

The strings aren't dead in the sense of a string being completely flat, but it isn't as sharp across all strings as my other 4 basses.
 
#14
socialleper said:
It is active, with a passive switch; but I have changed the battery.

I notice the tonal difference when the instrument isn't plugged in. It almost sounds like the string doesn't have enough room to move or something has a slight damping effect.

I've thought about replacing the pick ups with some SD humbuckers, but if that is just the natural tone of the instrument I won't bother.
Click to expand...

I trust you've made all the necessary adjustments including the nut, relief, and string height....and witness points. Please don't assume your tech did these correctly.

Riis
 
#16
Zooberwerx said:
I trust you've made all the necessary adjustments including the nut, relief, and string height....and witness points. Please don't assume your tech did these correctly.

Riis
Click to expand...

This may sound a little silly, but I'm not sure I would know the "necessary adjustments" well enough to second guess the setup. I tinker with that stuff, but often think I do more damage than good. The plane of the strings is good, the tension and action feel good, and there isn't any buzzing. "Witness point" is a new term to me, which I just went and looked up (saw a post you made just a few days ago) but still don't have a clear idea of. I've never checked this on my 3 other basses for the 20 years I've been playing, so I don't know if that would be an issue over repeated string changes.
 
#18
socialleper said:
I purchased a used German made Warwick $$ 5-string a few months a go and noticed that no matter what strings I put on it, the strings always sound a little dead.
You know that shimmering metallic snap you get out of brand new set of steel round wounds when you dig in? It doesn't do that.
I've tried tapered and non-tapered, a few different brands, had the set up done at a reputable luthier, but I just can't get the same ring out of it that may other basses get.
Is there something in a setup or design of a bass that cause this, like bad saddles or nut? Is there something inherent in Warwick basses that just makes them "darker" sounding, even without being plugged in?
Click to expand...

Some instruments are just dead. I wouldn't suggest throwing money at this; move it out, and move on.
 
#19
If it's doing the same thing not plugged in I wouldn't mess with the pick ups. Get a light magnifying glass and look at the string ends where they contact. That's the most likely place.

The adjust a nut is just something else to go wrong but if you have you have it.

socialleper said:
It is active, with a passive switch; but I have changed the battery.

I notice the tonal difference when the instrument isn't plugged in. It almost sounds like the string doesn't have enough room to move or something has a slight damping effect.

I've thought about replacing the pick ups with some SD humbuckers, but if that is just the natural tone of the instrument I won't bother.
Click to expand...
 
#20
socialleper said:
This may sound a little silly, but I'm not sure I would know the "necessary adjustments" well enough to second guess the setup. I tinker with that stuff, but often think I do more damage than good. The plane of the strings is good, the tension and action feel good, and there isn't any buzzing. "Witness point" is a new term to me, which I just went and looked up (saw a post you made just a few days ago) but still don't have a clear idea of. I've never checked this on my 3 other basses for the 20 years I've been playing, so I don't know if that would be an issue over repeated string changes.
Click to expand...

Warwicks are strange agents and almost over-engineered in some regards IMO. JLS may be right...you could have a "dead" bass but let's rule out the simple stuff first.

Witness points: once strung and tuned to pitch (rough intonation helps, as well), press firmly downward on each string just ahead of the bridge saddle (neck side). Same holds true for the nut. This creates a clean "break" or delineation for the vibrating string path. If ignored, the strings, especially the thicker gauges, have a tendency to form a "lazy loop" as it passes over the contact surfaces. I even go as far as to forcibly bend the string as it winds around the string post during installation.

Adjusting string height: I set the G string saddle insert at its lowest position with the brass bridge block at its lowest position. Once tuned to pitch, the G string will probably buzz like hell...that's to be expected. I then unlock the bridge block and raise it just above the G's buzz threshold. Re-lock the block and adjust the remaining saddle inserts to establish the necessary profile. You have some wiggle room on the procedure; you just don't want any single insert to look like it's standing on stilts!

Riis
 

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