Warrior 9-String Bass - $2000 - Bay Area, California preferred

[Dave Grossman]

Warrior 9-String Bass - $2000 - Bay Area, California preferred

List price on a new Warrior Signature 9-string is $4,970. This is an older one. Probably from around 1998 or 1999. It used to belong to Jean Baudin (Nuclear Rabbit bassist and TalkBass regular). I tried it out at Jean's house about a year ago and fell in love with it. I basically made him an offer on it on the spot.

As you can see from the photo below and the additional photos at: http://www.unpronounceable.com/images/warrior/ , this is a beautiful instrument. It has some issues though. That is why I am selling it for $2000 (that's what I got it for and it is in the same condition as when I bought it). The price is firm. I only want to sell it if I can get what I paid for out of it. I could use the money to help pay for my new Hanewinckel Piccolo 7-string.

The issues are:

• Repaired headstock where part of it had been broken off (it was repaired beautifully as you can tell from the photos)
• Various dents and scratches (don't really bother me since I didn't do them. )
• The upper frets on some strings do not intonate well (possibly correctable with truss-rod and bridge adjustments, it's not too bad. A little buzz.)
• The low F# does not sound that great (the notes below the 5th fret are okay but the higher ones just don't intonate well)
• The sound isn't quite as thick as many other high-end basses. I still dig the tone though. (I'll post some recordings sometime. It sounds great through an overdriven amp.)

Some people have talked about problems with Warrior necks here in the past. I'm not sure how it applies to this instrument. This is an early 9'er and those issues may explain the intonation problems in the upper frets (above 15th). It has dual truss rods which I have not been able to adjust because I don't have the right tools. It's not so bad as it is. I have used it many times in my studio. It's fun to play! The neck is really thin.

I would prefer to sell this to someone in the area so that they can check it out before they buy.

It's really a great instrument despite the issues. It comes with a nice Warrior hard-shell case, recessed straplocks and a ComfortStrapp.

This bass plays beautifully. I was used to my 7-string Hanewinckel with 5/8" string spacing at the bridge and 5/16" spacing at the nut and this bass has identical spacing (as far as I can tell). The action is nice and low. I took to it really easily which is why I wanted it so bad. For the time being, I am concentrating on my Bach recordings which work best on my 7-string Hanewinckel. My upcoming piccolo bass will satisfy my upper-range needs.

- Dave

 

[Selta]

Not again!

-Ray

 

[elros]

• The upper frets on some strings do not intonate well (possibly correctable with truss-rod and bridge adjustments, it's not too bad. A little buzz.)
• The low F# does not sound that great (the notes below the 5th fret are okay but the higher ones just don't intonate well)

• 
  
  Did you ever concider that the exposed core strings might be the problem?
  Look Link Removed for a brief explanation and sound clips of my bass with and without exposed core strings.
  
  BTW, I like how the Warrior looks! I'd very much concider buying it, but the pickup config isn't my cup of tea.

 

[Dave Grossman]

Did you ever concider that the exposed core strings might be the problem?
Look Link Removed for a brief explanation and sound clips of my bass with and without exposed core strings.

BTW, I like how the Warrior looks! I'd very much concider buying it, but the pickup config isn't my cup of tea.

I'll check that out but I think the problem is more due to the neck thickness and weight of the instrument. The instrument probably absorbs those low frequencies like a sponge. That, in combination with the pickup type, seems to result in a weak low F# and weak bass in general.

The pickups are set up in stereo. Though, I haven't tried it out in stereo.

I like the sound of the instrument when cranked up really load through my Eden rig. It has a very Entwistle-like Alembic tone. I just prefer the sound of my Hanewinckels.

- Dave

 

[Dave Grossman]

Still available. I'll record and post some sound clips when I get a chance.

- Dave