I have just taken delivery of a brand-new Warwick Take 12 combo. My intention is to replace my aging (25 years?) HH power baby. Imagine my disappointment when I discover that it sounds worse than the one it's to replace! Having listened closely I'm convinced it's distorting the sound. It's more obvious at low signal levels, e.g. if you hold a note on it gradually sinks into the 'fuzz'. I've tried the headphone socket which sounds fine. I've even replaced the battery in my Streamer, but it made no difference. Anyone else experienced this? Am I imagining it, is it faulty and should go straight back or is this the "Warwick Take 12 sound"??
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Warwick Take12 distorting?
- Thread starter Robad
- Start date
No-one ever had a 'problem' like this? I've tried playing a CD through the amp and it sounds ok. But the distortion is definitely there when I play the bass. Harmonics are a good way to spot it. Or harmonies - you know how distortion sounds so much greater if you play two notes together. I'm sure I've heard something like this before but can't remember where or why. Could the speaker exhibit these characteristics?
Something to do with active/passive input on the amp? Anyway, if it's new I'd take it back and try to distort it in the store for them to hear.
Unfortunately it doesn't have an active/passive selector or seperate inputs. Just a gain control. It's definitely not clipping though. Also, it was mail-order... Saved nearly £30!Must admit, I'm now tempted to send it back and go try it at a store!
Go try it at a store before sending it back, this way you will know if it's just your amp, so you can ask for another one from where you bought it.
I know exactly what you mean.
I've tried two different take 12's, and a number of Sweet 15's.
I even owned a Sweet 15 as well.
The distortion you speak of is not a dream.
Mostly the amps sound great, and the tone is there, but there's this kind of "background distortion", accentuated by the HF horn.
On the amps I tried/owned, it was intermittent. When it didn't happen they sounded BRILLIANT, when it did happen I just didn't want to play.
Every time I took my Sweet 15 back to the store, it wouldn't do it - but it did it in the rehearsal room, and at home.
Eventually I got it (and another one) to behave and do it in the shop.
"SEE! I'm not dreaming, I said
"
I think it's an inherrent design issue. This is confirmed by the fact that I've seen it on a number of amps here, and it's happening to you in London (I suppose it might be a batch issue?).
FWIW I have a Blue Cab20 and it is pure sweetness! I've never seen any of the blue cab series do it. I've also played a couple of Pro FET series heads, and haven't seen it on them, and own a couple of Warwick Cabinets which are great too.
It might be worth checking out the Blue Cab 60?
I've tried two different take 12's, and a number of Sweet 15's.
I even owned a Sweet 15 as well.
The distortion you speak of is not a dream.
Mostly the amps sound great, and the tone is there, but there's this kind of "background distortion", accentuated by the HF horn.
On the amps I tried/owned, it was intermittent. When it didn't happen they sounded BRILLIANT, when it did happen I just didn't want to play.
Every time I took my Sweet 15 back to the store, it wouldn't do it - but it did it in the rehearsal room, and at home.
Eventually I got it (and another one) to behave and do it in the shop.
"SEE! I'm not dreaming, I said
"I think it's an inherrent design issue. This is confirmed by the fact that I've seen it on a number of amps here, and it's happening to you in London (I suppose it might be a batch issue?).
FWIW I have a Blue Cab20 and it is pure sweetness! I've never seen any of the blue cab series do it. I've also played a couple of Pro FET series heads, and haven't seen it on them, and own a couple of Warwick Cabinets which are great too.
It might be worth checking out the Blue Cab 60?
Thanks Luke - I thought I was starting to go out of my mind! I've tried test tones, different basses, whatever, to try and reproduce the distortion with no success. Then I start playing the original bass and all is fine! It really sounds great! 
Tweak the gain controls and, like you say, I don't want to play any more. 
Can't really be certain about much but, maybe, it happens when the output gain is at around 6... I had noticed it's accentuated by the horn, but assumed it was just the extra HF. Before your reply I was coming to the conclusion it was the bass picking up the speaker output. It's not easy to hear the distortion if you play the bass 10 feet from the amp! So I tend to crouch in front of it playing harmonics. Did you notice it through the headphones? I couldn't really tell if it's there when the mute is off 'cos you can hear the speaker though the headphones, but it's definitely not there when the speaker is muted
The Blue Cab 60 is cheaper than the Take 12 (so it ought to sound worse
), but it's also heavier. I wanted something lighter than the HH. Thanks for the suggestion anyway.
One other thing - although I bought it from a German distributor, it's made in China. Don't know if that makes any difference...
Tweak the gain controls and, like you say, I don't want to play any more. Can't really be certain about much but, maybe, it happens when the output gain is at around 6... I had noticed it's accentuated by the horn, but assumed it was just the extra HF. Before your reply I was coming to the conclusion it was the bass picking up the speaker output. It's not easy to hear the distortion if you play the bass 10 feet from the amp! So I tend to crouch in front of it playing harmonics. Did you notice it through the headphones? I couldn't really tell if it's there when the mute is off 'cos you can hear the speaker though the headphones, but it's definitely not there when the speaker is muted
The Blue Cab 60 is cheaper than the Take 12 (so it ought to sound worse
), but it's also heavier. I wanted something lighter than the HH. Thanks for the suggestion anyway.One other thing - although I bought it from a German distributor, it's made in China. Don't know if that makes any difference...
I've heard the Pre-China produced German Sweet 15's do it too, so I don't think it's a China thing. Lots of their other gear made in China is fine.
RE the headphones...I must say I never tried it through headphones, so I can't say.
It certainly used to do it with either the HF horn switched on or off on my Sweet 15, but it was more noticeable with the horn turned on.
Regarding the Blue Cab 60, I wouldn't go purely on price. I have a Blue Cab 20, and it sounds too good!
It's awesome.
I haven't played the Blue Cab60 yet, but if it's anything like the Blue Cab 20 it's definitely wrth checking out. One difference between the Blue Cab 60 and the smaller Blue Cabs is that it's fan cooled (like the Take12 and Sweet15). It could be possible that the noise (distortion) we're discussing is a result of noise induced by the cooling fan I suppose (although in hindsight, I doubt it because it's not all the time - only when playing).
...?
RE the headphones...I must say I never tried it through headphones, so I can't say.
It certainly used to do it with either the HF horn switched on or off on my Sweet 15, but it was more noticeable with the horn turned on.
Regarding the Blue Cab 60, I wouldn't go purely on price. I have a Blue Cab 20, and it sounds too good!
It's awesome.
I haven't played the Blue Cab60 yet, but if it's anything like the Blue Cab 20 it's definitely wrth checking out. One difference between the Blue Cab 60 and the smaller Blue Cabs is that it's fan cooled (like the Take12 and Sweet15). It could be possible that the noise (distortion) we're discussing is a result of noise induced by the cooling fan I suppose (although in hindsight, I doubt it because it's not all the time - only when playing).
...?
