• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Warwick value

#21
lippylou said:
I'm pretty sure you are talking about my thumb I had listed. I paid 2300 for my thumb used. Wanted to sell for 1800 because I truly felt I overpaid for it. Also no one batted an eye at it when it was around 2000, especially when other people had theirs for 1600.

German Warwick's are nice, but for some reason, the love for it quickly vanished. I had it for a month and it's gone on a trade. Honestly it's a great bass, but lacks a lot of low end. Harmonics and chords sound brilliant, slapping is easy. It didn't do anything better than my US Spector does so bye bye she goes for a six string. I lost money in the deal but when it comes to higher end basses, you are going to take a hit on resale. Buyer's market all day on used instruments.
Click to expand...

I think your post was the one I was referencing at the time. Honestly I am looking for something for chords, harmonics, harmonies in the upper register, and some tapping stuff. Mostly for recording. My wal will always be my "band" bass. I am thinking I really wanna get my hands on a Thumb BO
 
#22
Maybe I just got lucky with my Corvette but almost every drummer I play with compliments the tone. I think because it is so different than a Fender people's ears really latch on to it. I've also never understood the complaints about the weight and ergonomics of Warwicks. Mine is much lighter than any Fender I've owned and I have no problem playing it for a few hours at a time. It does seem like Warwicks are a love it or hate it kind of thing for a lot of bass players.

As far as value goes a used German Warwick is one of the best values you can find right now. The build quality is top notch. Much better than any American Fender I've looked at.
 
#23
Musicman1901 said:
I owned a warwick years ago and got rid of it for a few reasons that I think I won't have with a thumb so i'm itching to pick one up. I had a corvette in 2007 and It had that disgusting fat baseball bat neck that I hated. I don't know how ANYBODY can find that comfortable. It also had passive pickups which I was not a fan of. I'm thinking if I can find a newer thumb BO It will have the slimmer neck, active electronics, and a different body wood all together. Maybe it's risky seeing as I didn't like the corvette but I'm thinking the differences I have listed are large enough that I should give a thumb a chance...Any opinions? Would love to hear from somebody who has owned something like that. 2 warwicks with very different specs. Different body wood, passive to active, different neck etc etc. Thanks!
Click to expand...


Quick opinion you can only assess after playing it yourself: a new Thumb will have a slimmer neck than your Corvette, but so to will it have a shorter upper horn - shifting the first position much further away from your fretting-hand shoulder. It can be far more of a hindrance than neck size, don't buy anything from Warwick until you try if in the conditions you will use it, is my opinion.

Which sucks, because a Thumb has probably my second favorite bass tone, that said, I'll never own one unless it is a gift or a no-brainer transaction, as I would never sign up to gigging with that bass.
 
#24
It will mainly be for home playing and recording so the weight is not a big deal. I will be using a different bass for my gigs and band settings. The slim neck is part of it but I think the ovangkol body with active pickups vs the bubinga body with passive pickups should make a pretty drastic change in tone. I'm assuming/hoping it will sound much brighter, more aggressive, and more clear than my vette did.
 
#25
Musicman1901 said:
I think your post was the one I was referencing at the time. Honestly I am looking for something for chords, harmonics, harmonies in the upper register, and some tapping stuff. Mostly for recording. My wal will always be my "band" bass. I am thinking I really wanna get my hands on a Thumb BO
Click to expand...

It's all good brotha, truth be told man you'll find what you are looking for with a Thumb NT or BO. They are great basses. It's excellent for exactly what you just said but if you want the slimmer necks, you will have to go 2009 and up.
 
#28
I've got 2 thumb b/o 5s, a fretted '05 baseball neck n a fretless '97 slim neck. I luv em both n I'm comfy with both neck sizes in spite of being 5'6" with small, girly hands! I don't get the infamous neck dive from my thumbs yet got a lot from a n/t 5 I tried at a store which I attribute to the longer 26 fret neck n more squat body of the neckthru model thumb: the bolt on bodies are a slightly elongated n slimmer shape which helps but I think the curved backs also help the ergonomics. I found my old corvette was the most difficult to get comfy with, which again I attribute to the flat backed body & is why I got rid of it: the longer horn seemed to be negated by the non-curved back ergonomically IMO, n I guess this is why it's the least popular of the Warwick models, although it sounds n looks great. As for sound, the thumbs have more bark than a Doberman but do lack a fat, MM style bottom end as mentioned so if that's ok, go for a used one n you'll be a happy, slappy, tappy guy!
 
#29
I bought a Rockbass Corvette $$ a couple of weeks ago and I love it. It has a different sound than my p or J basses, its build quality is top notch, it's gloriously overbuilt, and flat out crushes! It is my heaviest bass, but it doesn't bother me because of the way it hangs on a strap. The neck is thinner front to back than a Rockbass Corvette active that I owned a few years ago, and feels much more comfortable. I can understand that they aren't for everybody, much like a Ric or a Thunderbird, but for some of us nothing else will do! I can't afford a new German model, but if I could I wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger. Maybe I'll pick up a used one down the road.
 
#31
I'd seriously consider a vintage (pre 1991) NT thumb, especially the ones from 85 (rare find) to 88. These basses were made when Warwick was a small, relatively unknown company and have very fast and slim necks and the 'handmade' quality is more than evident.

As for the prices, I think they just raised them to regain some high-end status perception they might have lost (after becoming so successful, and having to deal with more and more boutique-type basses) and not so much because of production costs. Warwicks had always been in the $2k-3k+ range, and suddenly a Thumb is now $4k+!

Are they for everyone? Certainly not (especially those who bitch and whine incessantly about the slightest neck-dive issue and weight). It is without a question though, that they have a very special vibe to them.
 
#32
Some of this could be due to the fact that Warwick is now gained popularity from being in stores and online shops frequently. Their sales are up, likely, so more people are buying them. When I bought my Thumb V NT in 1996, there was only a small shop in Nashville at the time that even had Warwicks, much less a Thumb NT. I paid $1950 for it new, then sold it 5 years later to a shop in CA for $1950, used. It was a good deal to me at the time, but then they went up to as high as $4400. I think because there's so many more of them out there, and you can still buy them new, the price may drop a bit. They should shrink the new builds and drop a few instruments from the line to increase resale value. Warwick doesn't seem to understand that boutique market anymore.
 
#33
I think it comes down to exchange rates. The dollar is weak against European currency. So, lets say they make a bass that they want the equivalent of $1500-$1800 in their value then we spend $2300-$2800 in our value for it, but its a $1500-$1800 bass. So when it depreciates as used you really lose money.
I have a rusty streamer double buck and love it! Its as comfortable as my fender or musicman and has a great, but unique, tone.
 
#35
Musicman1901 said:
I think your post was the one I was referencing at the time. Honestly I am looking for something for chords, harmonics, harmonies in the upper register, and some tapping stuff. Mostly for recording. My wal will always be my "band" bass. I am thinking I really wanna get my hands on a Thumb BO
Click to expand...

Just finished working out with my Thumb 5 BO and I love it as much as when I bought it 7 months ago. I've bought 5 more (basses, one 6 string NT Thumb right after this one) since and I'm still blown away by the quality of build, sound, and esthetics of it. Today after not getting to it for a while I was so impressed with how solid it feels in my hands and consistent it is overall on the neck (no dead spots). Mine's an '06 German made. As for why they don't hold their value - their greatest attribute is also their greatest curse - the mass and density of the woods they use. For me it's more than a fair trade off for the qualities I mentioned earlier and in a lot of respects, accounts for them. My 6 NT Thumb has all of what the 5 has but also plays faster and smoother than anything I've ever picked up.
 
#36
I recently picked up a limited edition Streamer with redwood top and and ebony board. Gorgeous bass that plays anything I need it to. It's so much more comfortable to play than my old Thumbs, but I also prefer the Spector NS design. Super think neck, too.

I totally disagree with some of the comments in this thread - Warwick makes some amazing basses, but they are all different from the more traditional Fender styled bodies and necks and tone. Not for everyone, but people like to try em. Some find it's not always comfortable to switch back and forth with a P or Jazz to a Wick. so I think people try them and then realize having two different style basses doesn't feel right and decide to stick with the tried and true and sell the Wicks.
 
#37
It's a simple equation: It doesn't net because it isn't worth more. That means the people trying to sell it second hand paid too much for it new then. That's the deal with branded stuff, you pay for the name. That isn't supposed to say Warwick products are bad but seriously, a more or less standard solid body bass shouldn't cost five grand. In no world.
 
#38
GretschBassist said:
It's a simple equation: It doesn't net because it isn't worth more. That means the people trying to sell it second hand paid too much for it new then. That's the deal with branded stuff, you pay for the name. That isn't supposed to say Warwick products are bad but seriously, a more or less standard solid body bass shouldn't cost five grand. In no world.
Click to expand...

I do agree with this. I have been a pretty die hard Warwick fan for the last few years since I got my first Rockbass, which smoked my American Fenders out of the water, and was a quarter of their price. I have since bought another Rockbass, and now just decided to move from 4 strings to 6 strings. The only 6-string 'Wick I can afford is the Rockbass Corvette.

However, ideally I'd like three 6-stringers (one fretted with rounds, fretless with rounds, fretless with flats), but only affording three of the exact same model is kind of pissing me off. I've looked at Ibanez and for the same price range I can get the Rockbass Corvette for, I can choose between several mid-level Ibanez's with better woods, pickups, and electronics.

Now, I'm on the breaking point and ditching my "Warwick or nothing" attitude and adding some Ibanez's to my lineup.

However, I have a feeling I have some stupid conflict making me love Warwicks so much and I'll end up selling the Ibanezes, for only unexplainable mental reasons alone.

If Warwick's were a bit cheaper, there wouldd be no indecisiveness about this. I'd get 6-string Corvette, Streamer, and a Thumb... But I can't afford to, may only get one or two 'Wicks instead and fulfill the rest of my needs with Ibanezes.
 
#39
Being a huge Warwick fanatic, the way to go is to buy a used one in excellent condition. If and when you sell it, there will be VERY little depreciation, if any. I think Warwicks are simply some of the best, but a brand new one from Germany is just too much money. However, if you take care of them, they will last forever. Their tone is super-rich!
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back