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To swap, or not to swap...

Reedt2000

Reedt2000

Supporting Member
Apr 26, 2017
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#1
Is the decision I find myself facing. So I've always wanted a Warwick Streamer and I got a 2015 Stage 1 a while back. It plays better than any bass I've ever had (including a Smith I picked up recently). The issue is I don't love the tone. I've had a Warwick corvette FNA jazzman as my #1 for 15 years and I love the woody, growly, punchy tone (granted, it has a MM pickup). The streamer has active J pickups and they are too balanced and smooth, without that beefy growl. Because I never connected with the tone i put it up for sale

(Here's the listing)

For Sale - PRICE DROP - 2015 Warwick GPS Streamer Stage 1 5 String Natural Made in Germany SSI

It has been sitting with little interest, and I have a set of Barts (split coil, original bass J PUs) I bought for a stalled project. I'm considering swapping them into the streamer just to see if it's better.

I hesitate cause there is no guarantee I'll like it, and I'd have to do a bunch of work putting things back together. The Warwick is all 100% stock and I don't want it to look like someone's been screwing with it if I do end up selling it (I haven't opened it up so I don't know what the connections are like, i.e. little plastic connectors or traditional solder joints). The current PUs are active, I wouldn't want them for my project bass, and I don't know that they're worth much to sell.

So there it is. If anyone has experience w Barts in a Streamer I'd be interested in opinions.
 
#2
That's a beautiful Streamer.

YMMV... I put Bart Js and a Bart 3-band pre in my Black Corvette Standard and it was too thumpy and tame for me with less growl (I think the standard silver MECs had more)... So I think my last attempt is going to be switching it to Gold Js with the Bart pre.

I bought a black Corvette $$ and love the tone and growl. I also just bought a Streamer FNA and love the tone of it as well, so I think I'm just not a J pickup guy when it comes to Wick's :)
 
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#3
You'll never know until you try them out. If you don't have to do any rework to physically install them other than soldering a few connections, what's holding you back?

If you're worried about the soldering, any skilled technician can solder them up for you in a couple minutes if you have everything prepared. If someone brought something like that into my shop, I wouldn't even charge for the few minutes to solder it up.
 
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#4
byacey said:
You'll never know until you try them out. If you don't have to do any rework to physically install them other than soldering a few connections, what's holding you back?

If you're worried about the soldering, any skilled technician can solder them up for you in a couple minutes if you have everything prepared. If someone brought something like that into my shop, I wouldn't even charge for the few minutes to solder it up.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I can solder well enough to do it and do it right. I have to take a look, all I really have to lose is an afternoon of F'n with it :smug:
 

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