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Warwick bridge systems.?

BillytheBassist

BillytheBassist

Aug 18, 2005
1,407
17
Texas
#1
I think i might have unintentially posted a question in the "best warwick bass ever" thread that had the potential to derail so,. I heard from a few people that the bridge systems on a warwick can be a real pain for untapered B strings.... any truth to that?
 
#2
Yes, it is true.

The bridge in the Corvette Std. 5 that I had would not accept a "standard" medium gauge B string.

You basically have 2 choices:
1.)Take the untapered string and give it a "squeeze" with a pair of needle-nose pliers where it passes through the bridge or
2.) Buy tapered strings.

I just kept mine strung with Warwick Black Label Round wounds. No worries :)

Randy
 
#5
Yes, it is. I have always just used Warwick Black Label's on my Thumb, for that reason. I'd like to be able to play around with different strings, but the Black Label's are very good strings IMO.

I did know a guy that had a 5 string corvette who consistently had his B strings break at the bridge, probably because of the tapering issue. I tried to explain to him what the deal was but he was too happy to be able to brag to everyone how he always breaks strings that he didn't want to hear it.
 
#6
Hey guys,
It's true - that slot is a little tight. I modified mine years ago with a dremel tool to just widen the slot a bit. It doesn't take a whole lot, and can be done fairly easily and without the utmost skill. Just use a sanding or grinding bit, or use a round file for that matter, and just widen the edges of that slot in the tailpiece on both sides. Haven't had any problems with strings fitting since.
 
#10
SurrenderMonkey said:
The new bridges should work with tapered strings. I've strung my $$ with DR Hibeams no problem. My old Thumb, on the other hand, I need to flatten the strings significantly.
Click to expand...


That's true in my case too. When I got my Corvette Std. 5 new in '05, I was interested in stringing it with Sadowsky flats. However, I'd read in bass forums that the slots in Warwick tailpieces were too narrow for the B string.

I looked around Warwick's site, and found the suggestions about filing the tailpiece or squashing the string ends, but also there was an announcement about a new Warwick tailpiece that had wider slots in it. I looked into getting one, but never found out how to order it. I don't know if they were actually offered for sale or not.

Soon after, I read on another bass forum about how the newer (again, in the ~'05 time frame) Warwicks came standard with the new, wider-slotted tailpiece. I tried the Sadowskys on mine, and they fit fine without any modification. I am guessing that mine is one that came standard with the wider tailpiece.
 
#13
According to Dana B. Goods (USA Warwick distributor), the only way to get an un-tapered B string into the tailpiece is to file-down the sides of the B string tailpiece slot. I love Warwicks, but come on....:(
 

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