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The Warwick bug

jimmy rocket

jimmy rocket

Jan 24, 2008
2,434
267
Ayden, NC
#1
Circa 2012 I owned a sweet German built Warwick Corvette Standard. Nothing fancy, but it sounded like an angry tree and I loved it. Things changed, I needed different gear, yadda yadda, and I traded it for what now seems a shameful sum.

Fast forward to last week when I narrowly missed a low bid auction on a fretless corvette (because I wasn't paying attention when it ended) and now I've got the Warwick bug hard. Scouring the interwebs has me asking the question, should I wait for a nice used German bass to show up at a reasonable price or should I go for something nice in the Rockbass line? In 2012 the Rockbasses seemed like silly little sisters to the German line, but dang, they grew into their curves.

I can get on with a maple neck, I think.

I'm not gigging at the moment, nor am I desperately in need of a new bass, but I've got the sickness.
 
#2
I'm wouldn't be overly worried about maple as opposed to ovankol or any other neck wood.

I just traded for a new Thumb BO5. I had enough trade-in value that I could have also left the store with a Rockbass Corvette $$ 5, but I didn't. The Rockbass was a decent bass, and I could have made it a lot better with some setup work to dial it in to my liking, but I didn't. It just wasn't the same quality as the GPS Thumb.

I would say that if money is an issue - whether it be what you can afford or what you think it is worth spending - then the Rockbass is a good choice and should scratch your Warwick itch. The ones I played were well made, nice looking instruments - and lighter than the German bass. IMO, the German bass was a few rungs up the ladder in terms of overall quality, though.
 
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#4
Lighter sounds better to my back, so thanks for that perspective wvbass. It seems like the materials quality is high on these instruments and that a little tweaking would go a long way.

Hurricane Jimmie, nice. thanks for the testimonial. I really need to get my hands on some, but the nearest GC is 2 hours from here.
 
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#5
I caught the bug a few months ago. Picked up this 2005 German $$ for around $900. It had a busted tab on the nut (the v2 that always broke) that I’ve upgraded to v3. Someone had replaced the pickups with EMGs and I’m really happy with its sounds. The playability of this bass is unlike anything I’ve ever owned. It’s got lots of blemishes on the body that don’t bother me; it’s living its best life. :)

A8F407EF-D1B9-42DD-8730-8BF330A5A168.jpeg

 
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#6
There’s nothing like a wenge or ovangkol neck of a German Warwick. Nothing. I’ve played many of them, as well as various Rockbasses. The tonal difference between Warwicks and Rockbasses are night and day to my ears. If I were wanting the “Warwick sound”, then I wouldn’t bother with the Rockbass stuff. Hold out for the real deal. You’ll be happy you did. :thumbsup:
 
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#10
Used German Vettes make the rounds very frequently and can be had from anywhere from $400-$800. Ive owned 2 separate rockbass corvettes and, while they sounded similar to the German one I own, BOTH had ruined truss rods and weren't worth a damn thing in the aftermarket. Couldnt rely on them as even useful backups.

My 06 German Corvette has been through 500+ gigs and countless rehearsals/practices. the ONLY thing i needed to do to it was a re-fret after a rough summer with stainless steel strings (which ate into the brass frets on E & A strings).

No comparison in terms of quality in my eyes. Wait it out for a German in my opinion. Check Craigslist/Letgo/Offerup/Reverb/etc.
 
#13
Daedraziel said:
Used German Vettes make the rounds very frequently and can be had from anywhere from $400-$800. Ive owned 2 separate rockbass corvettes and, while they sounded similar to the German one I own, BOTH had ruined truss rods and weren't worth a damn thing in the aftermarket. Couldnt rely on them as even useful backups.

My 06 German Corvette has been through 500+ gigs and countless rehearsals/practices. the ONLY thing i needed to do to it was a re-fret after a rough summer with stainless steel strings (which ate into the brass frets on E & A strings).

No comparison in terms of quality in my eyes. Wait it out for a German in my opinion. Check Craigslist/Letgo/Offerup/Reverb/etc.
Click to expand...

Good advice, methinks. Thanks.
 
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#14
I have two 4 string German double bucks, both made in 2006 with 3-pc ovangkol necks. They are the best basses I have ever played/heard. I prefer the ovangkol over the wenge necks because the ovangkol has a much tighter grain and feels smoother than wenge, also the open grain of wenge can trap dirt.

I paid $800 for the first one (red) some scratches on back, and $1150 for the second (natural) which was in perfect condition. Knowing that these basses went for $3500+ new the prices I paid seem like a steal. I would buy a third if they made a lined fretless version.

The Rockbass line seem nice, they sound great. I don't think I would get a Rockbass though unless it were really cheap because you can find German Warwicks for as low as $700. The German Warwicks have brass frets, brass bridges, the swamp ash is apparently dried very carefully, the neck pockets are as tight as can be. The GPD line cost $1000 less because brass is expensive, a new Warwick brass bridge is almost $400, the steel version is about $150. They are much easier to make because you don't have to machine everything.

The instruments overall feel very solid, after playing guitar for 20 years I honestly avoid bolt on necks (I am usually a neck through guy), but the tuning stability and sustain changed my views on that, at least with the basses I have.
 
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#18
Floppystrings said:
I have two 4 string German double bucks, both made in 2006 with 3-pc ovangkol necks. They are the best basses I have ever played/heard. I prefer the ovangkol over the wenge necks because the ovangkol has a much tighter grain and feels smoother than wenge, also the open grain of wenge can trap dirt.

I paid $800 for the first one (red) some scratches on back, and $1150 for the second (natural) which was in perfect condition. Knowing that these basses went for $3500+ new the prices I paid seem like a steal. I would buy a third if they made a lined fretless version.

The Rockbass line seem nice, they sound great. I don't think I would get a Rockbass though unless it were really cheap because you can find German Warwicks for as low as $700. The German Warwicks have brass frets, brass bridges, the swamp ash is apparently dried very carefully, the neck pockets are as tight as can be. The GPD line cost $1000 less because brass is expensive, a new Warwick brass bridge is almost $400, the steel version is about $150. They are much easier to make because you don't have to machine everything.

The instruments overall feel very solid, after playing guitar for 20 years I honestly avoid bolt on necks (I am usually a neck through guy), but the tuning stability and sustain changed my views on that, at least with the basses I have.
Click to expand...
I completely agree with you on this. My thumb is a 06 with the ovangkol neck, and I absolutely adore it. I've played the wenge necks and didn't find a wow factor in them. I found them very porous and just not overly exceptional compared to an ovangkol neck. IMHO, I think the ovangkol necks sound just as good and are smooth and tight. The neck on my thumb is a chunky neck, but I love it. It fits good in my hands.

I've owned a few Rockbasses before as well and was just not impressed with them. They are a good basic bass with the Warwick headstock. Nothing real special about them. If someone wants that Warwick wood and wool, you have to get a German made one. No doubts about that.
 
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