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Warwick Fortress Footmen, unite!

#241
Philonius said:
This one is in my collection now (stole the picture from an earlier post in this thread.)

DSC00180.jpg


I had my heart set on a Fender, saw this in the classifieds, and just had to have it. It's in great shape, and has a wenge neck ta' die for!
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You done good, Philonius! I'd love to have a 5-string Mastermann!
 
#242
Here is my 94 Fortress One the day I purchased it. Looks and sounds much better today.

BTW Not seeing where anyone is ordering parts from Louisville KY rep. I got parts from them in days and didn't have to pay the $60 shipping for a $1 part. Never heard of the NYC parts rep.
 

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#243
LONG overdue update!

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#247
dje31 said:
Nothing quite like spending $60 US for shipping a $0.15 screw, is there? And you don't even get a kiss afterward...
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some folks have had good results contacting their US distributor (I don't even know who that is at the moment), while others have had HORRIBLE experiences. This thread has a lot of discussion about that. But those screws should be standard sized in South Africa, like they are in Europe.
 
#248
Hey everyone. Change in topic but I recently had one of my Fortress Masterman fretlesses resurrected at the Warwick custom shop in NYC. They did a fab job. You honestly cannot see where the body was split. Anyway...

The day I picked it up I brought it to my weekly jam where we play roots rock with me playing through a 65 Apollo Tube amp. I have played other active 'Wicks through that amp with great results including my Corvette active 5 and my Altus (pre FNA baby!).

Anyway, we track the sessions and while the other basses sounded great both in the room and live, the MM FL was abysmal. Now admittedly, I was concerned about the dual pre amps overloading a 50 watt tube amp, even in the "padded" mode. So I started with bass flat and treble rolled back. It was impossible to hear in the room and mix, so I rolled up the bass, and the amp took it like a champ. Still the same problem. Nothing in the mix and the bass was amorphous in the room.

I switched to the house P bass just to A/B and it was just fine.

Wondering if anyone reading this can tell me off hand if 1) they have found a way to dial in their MM for more traditional tones and 2) they have found that MM is relegated to certain sounds or styles of music more so than other Fortresses.

I certainly never had this problem with my F1...

Thanks.
 
#249
RCCollins said:
You could order them from the Warwick website, but they only ship via expensive overnight courier. Is it impossible to find equivalent screws in South Africa? It IS a problem in the US, but it seems to me you should be able to get equivalent screws where you are...
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It is very difficult I was told by everyone who ordered from the website that it took them over a year sometimes. And this is many people as warwick is a very popular brand in this country. But I would like those screws sooner rather than later.
 
#250
FortressBass01 said:
It is very difficult I was told by everyone who ordered from the website that it took them over a year sometimes. And this is many people as warwick is a very popular brand in this country. But I would like those screws sooner rather than later.
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Is that typical of foreign packages in SA? In my experience the warwick shipping is ridiculously expensive, but very fast.
 
#252
FortressBass01 said:
Yes it seems to be like that it is very difficult to get things on time. Some things I have ordered from the states and U.K have been very troublesome they usually arrive about a month or 2 longer than they should.:crying:
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For those in the US having issues, try the US distributor. They are called US Music Corp. and are in the Chicagoland area, I believe. Their number is (847)949-0444. They have been helpful to me in the past. Likewise, I am sure there are local distributors in the UK, etc. Warwick IME has great customer service.
 
#253
rogerbmiller said:
For those in the US having issues, try the US distributor. They are called US Music Corp. and are in the Chicagoland area, I believe. Their number is (847)949-0444. They have been helpful to me in the past. Likewise, I am sure there are local distributors in the UK, etc. Warwick IME has great customer service.
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Thanks, I hope that helps folks get the screws they need. Not everyone has had such great experience with Warwick CS, as stories in this thread will attest. The changes in US distributor sure haven't helped. Hopefully US Music Corp is handling things neatly and politely.
 
#254
RCCollins said:
Flashback has an ash body, most other fortresses are Maple. Many offer active/passive switching (but not all). The Flashback has some very particular sounding low-output lipstick pickups, providing a more "vintagey" tone.

Anybody got an ash body P/J Fortress "R&B" they wanna sell me?
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I just joined the warwick family., bought a fretless corvette std., from europe, with babinga wood, duo mec jazz pick-up
 
#255
rogerbmiller said:
Wow the club has been quiet for a while. I owe you guys some pics- I recently picked up a vintage Fortress One, a Flashback 4 string, and a Fretless Masterman, thus cementing my place in TB history as Fortress Footman #11. Here is the F1 . I have been toying with a sale/trade and it is on the TB classifieds, though i have really grown to love and and am not sure I can part. Pics of the others coming soon.

Picture021.jpg
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Why is the routing around the p pickup so generous?

Just curious cos mine is exactly the same?
 
#258
smgleitch said:
Anyone know if the masterman was ever made with anything but the wenge neck? Found one for sale and I know I don't have the money but just might not have a choice in it. LOL Why do people sell these? I just don't get it.
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There may have been some transition-era Fortress basses with ovangkol necks made around 1999, but if you see such a bass it could also be a custom order, or a replacement neck.
 
#259
I have seen ovangkol fortresses. One to be exact and it was a 99 maybe even a 2000 from the custom shop. Iirc it had 2 p pickups in Buzzard configuration.

As to why people sell these I am actually contemplating a sale of one of my 2 fretless fortress masterman basses. I just don't need 2 of them as I hardly have occasion to play one of them. I would rather hold on to them both but it starting to seem a bit excessive having both which get little gig tme.




RBM
 
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