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Warwick streamer stage - please advise?

Jun 22, 2016
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145
My dearest community,

I am writing this from the footsteps of an overseas hotel, completely insomniac at 4am, an in need of advise. I have been lurking talkbass for a while (although silent), learning and enjoying the sense of community and knowledge from y'all.

A little background prior to the topic of discussion that will be: "thoughts on buying a Warwick Streamer Stage II that I absolutely do not need?"

I started playing bass +10 years ago... first bass: Ibanez SR200, wife's gift. After a few unsuccessful attempts at playing the bass consistently as a hobby (never in a band, been an intermediate guitar player for +20 years) I went back to playing bass intermittently, 2 years ago. I got myself a nice entry level Warwick Corvette (China made, 2013) 5 strings. Loved it compared to my Ibanez, and then went on to get a fretless, same thing.... loved the sound of the wicks.

I am in my 40s, and with little time to play. that said I thoroughly enjoy those few moments I can rock out. Just by chance and partially driven by the looks of it, got myself one of them thumb BOs (4 string, bubinga). Fell in love. Love. That sparked my interest on different sounds and I went on to a few stores to try the fenders, ricks, musicmans, and other high ends just to find out that wood/wicks did it for me. The feel, the sound, the growl....

To make the long story short, after a year I ended up with a few warwicks on the rack:

1) RB corvette active, fretless, 5 strings (my first wick had to go, wife was about to kick me out)
2) Fretted BO thumb 4 strings
3) Infinity TCS 5
4) Thumb BO 5
5) Thumb BO 5 fretless
6) Thumb BO 6
7) Thumb BO 6 fretless
8) Alien standard 5

Amps and cabs don't do it for me yet, as I need to keep the glass in my house intact, and wife happy. I am likely to get something better than my Fender rumble 100 as I try one that does it for me.... (looking into the BC300.... and the rumble 100 was another gift from wife!)
I am well aware that playing a 1.5K bass through a Peavey 35W or a Rumble 100w doesn't make sense (or justice) for higher end basses, but cut me some slack on this one, working on it.

I have been thinking on buying a Streamer Stage II used for 2.5K, used. I cannot try it as it is an online purchase.... although I doubt it will not be loved as well as all the other members of my warwick family.

I have exercised plenty of restraint by not buying foderas, Rybskis, Alembics, etc so that's not the issue.

So the question for all those bass guitar connoisseurs out there is: go for it as it is an awesome sounding piece of equipment that I will not regret buying (I reckon it is a personal decision - broad strokes here), or is it too much of a bass guitar for a non professional/gigging bass player?

I reckon that streamers stage IIs are top of the line warwicks and I am curious to try it out..... worth shelling out approx 2.5K?!

Penny for your thoughts, and constructive criticism is always appreciated.

Regards,

G
 
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I have owned a few wicks including a vintage thumb 5 NT, thumb 6 BO, star bass 5, thumb flaming blond 5, corvette 6, and currently have a streamer BO LE

the NT warwicks are in another league IMO-they are so rich and complex in tone. when I found the NT thumb 5, I sold my BO thumb because it was that much better.
a stage 2 streamer would be a bucket lister; I doubt you could go wrong if you already love wicks.
PS-the older ones are better if you can find one
 
I'd say go for it. Just check if there is a return policy - assuming it is used from a shop.
You will obviously know pretty quickly when it arrives if it is put together as you would expect from a Warwick... You do have some experience there.

If it is not up to scratch, send it back.

(If it is used from an individual, I guess that all changes, sorry)
 
I bought my Warwick 2004 neck thru 6 string thumb off ebay through a guitar store mint condition for 2800. Spent 300 on bartolini pickups 120 on bartolini 3 band preamp, 625 on a defret and poly job so I can use roundwounds, had custom hidden side markers put in and paid another 150 or so for the modifications to the pickup mounting hardware and installation. All in all about 4300 to get exactly what I wanted and sounds and feels better than any bass I've had. Ohh god the mwah. the luthier is a very highly regarded luthier around these parts who's worked on Carl Thompsons and stuff of the like and said he had not heard a bass that sings and growls with the fierce mwah that this bass has. He said it will be a very memorable project for him. Now with that being said it was worth every penny and the nt wicks are very very high end. You will not he disappointed even if you go used. Just watch out for making sure the neck has no peaks or valleys(there were minor peaks and valleys on mine but was fixed when they defretted, releveled, poly'd and releveled multiple times now it's absolutely perfect).

I'll post a pic it is bubinga pommele, Ovangkol neck, and ebony fretboard, just a nut 3 brass
 

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I bought my Warwick 2004 neck thru 6 string thumb off ebay through a guitar store mint condition for 2800. Spent 300 on bartolini pickups 120 on bartolini 3 band preamp, 625 on a defret and poly job so I can use roundwounds, had custom hidden side markers put in and paid another 150 or so for the modifications to the pickup mounting hardware and installation. All in all about 4300 to get exactly what I wanted and sounds and feels better than any bass I've had. Ohh god the mwah. the luthier is a very highly regarded luthier around these parts who's worked on Carl Thompsons and stuff of the like and said he had not heard a bass that sings and growls with the fierce mwah that this bass has. He said it will be a very memorable project for him. Now with that being said it was worth every penny and the nt wicks are very very high end. You will not he disappointed even if you go used. Just watch out for making sure the neck has no peaks or valleys(there were minor peaks and valleys on mine but was fixed when they defretted, releveled, poly'd and releveled multiple times now it's absolutely perfect).

I'll post a pic it is bubinga pommele, Ovangkol neck, and ebony fretboard, just a nut 3 brass

gorgeous, plain gorgeous.
 
I am not a wick person but regardless of anything it sounds like you want it!

The internet is such today that buying and selling is easy so if you tried it and didn't like it you could move it on even if you had a loss on it.
The way I see it if you had it a year and lost £120 on what you paid for it and someone said to you at the start of the year you can rent a really nice bass for £10 a month you would probably say ok!

Go for it!
 
I recommend Infinity NT five string, as I think that's the top of Warwick's line.
Then a Thumb NT five string. Fretless if you have call to play it, otherwise fretted.

Beyond that, Warwick's aesthetics get a little rangy for me but those two are primo as far as I'm concerned.
 
Yes we are. Personally, I think you need a few more Warwicks, and then need to start branching out into adjacent territory.

What do you think of Spectors by the way?

I may send a few covert ops to explore but its not looking good right now. all of our friendly assets still in german soil. after conquering foreign we shall address domestic.
 
I recommend Infinity NT five string, as I think that's the top of Warwick's line.
Then a Thumb NT five string. Fretless if you have call to play it, otherwise fretted.

Beyond that, Warwick's aesthetics get a little rangy for me but those two are primo as far as I'm concerned.

the infinity made the list (got it from portugal, shipping was not fun to fund). quite a heavy puppy yet powerful and punchy.
 
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