Warwick

[scubaduba]

My new Warwick

 

[bass12]

My new Warwick

That's a very nice looking bass. The thickness of the top versus the thickness of the back is quite unusual (and cool). Why did you decide on that particular combination/ratio?

 

[Turxile]

Production has been reduced from around 9000 instruments per year, to about 2500 per year.

Would it be correct to assume that this is only the ones made in Germany?

 

[lousybassplayer]

My new Warwick

Obviously I can't say for sure not seeing that in person, but just from that side shot this thing looks to be head and shoulders above some of the older Warwicks that had initially put me out about the brand in terms of QC. I take it this is not an off the shelf model, but still. These are the Warwicks I see on the internet and such and think I'd love to try one out, but I never have come across one.

 

[TinIndian]

I'd argue that the most ergonomic Warwick shape is the Fortress, IMO. It's a shame they don't offer it as a standard German model anymore.

Big +1

Mine is simply the most comfortable bass I've ever played. It hangs better than ANY bass I've picked up. Remarkable really. It almost plays itself.

 

[WarwickOfficial]

Would it be correct to assume that this is only the ones made in Germany?

Hello Turxile

Yes, Warwick Germany is currently producing +/- 50 instruments per week, which includes both Warwick Basses and Framus Guitars - for a total of about 2500 instruments per year. Thanks!

 

[rustindeth]

I love my 90's Fortress, adjustable brass nut, really slim wenge neck and killer tone. I have owned three Corvettes previously which were really nice in their own right especially the double buck, also I owned one of their 250 watt combos back when I had the double buck which really complemented the sound of that bass.
Never had any issue with Warwick quality control personally, would be interested in trying out a thumb after seeing Jack Bruce and the sound he gets from his fretless thumb.
I find the design of the Single cut, Katana, Buzzard, Alien and Vampire a bit odd, but each to their own I suppose.

 

[ilikebass7]

I really love the fortress bass. I think the only one I would own is the masterman. I had a 94 fortress one fretless. Probably the prettiest bass I have ever owned but the passive pjs did not give me the tone I wanted. As far as the quality control I have owned 7 Warwicks and all of them have been exceptional to any other bass I've owned with exception of my g&ls. They are pretty equal to g&l for qc from my experience. The JAN II had a broken tab on some of my basses but outside of that they were pretty much all perfect!

 

[WarwickOfficial]

... would be interested in trying out a thumb after seeing Jack Bruce and the sound he gets from his fretless thumb.

I just saw Jack Bruce the other night in San Francisco with his current project Spectrum Road, playing his trusted Thumb bass. He never ceases to amaze to me...and at 69 years old he showed no sign of slowing down. A really incredible evening!

 

[SteveHeissner]

I'm with you. Am also a Fender guy but I LOVE my German Warwick Corvette and will never sell or trade it.

 

[FaithNoMan]

I've had the opposite experience: the Thumb NT 5 that I owned got absolutely lost in any kind of band setting while the BO 4 I owned was punchy and clear. I spent a few years playing Warwicks (Streamer Stage I plus the aforementioned Thumbs) before I got fed up with the narrow frequency range of most Warwicks (I was always trying to get more bass out of them than they could provide) and was turned off the company by some very bad customer service. If you're a Fender player then you're used to playing an ergonomically-friendly design, something a lot of Warwicks are not. The Thumb and Dolphin are very good examples of a company that often prioritizes style over function. So try them out before committing to anything (and make sure you try them standing as well as sitting, as you might be in for a nasty surprise otherwise).

Ths shows that any good maker can have problems, or even problematic periods in time.

My '03 4003 has been a flawless bass, with one of the most stable necks I have seen on an all-wood bass.

 

[nuno.ka]

On the topic of ergonomy, I've been playing my passive '93 Fortress One PJ 4 string for 18 years. Recently I wanted to try something different so I got a nice precision. It sounds really good but the Warwick spoiled me. I can't get used to the precision's inferior [sorry] ergonomy, it feels like I'm fighting the instrument whereas the Warwick plays like butter and sounds pretty good too.
I've been thinking about adding a Glockenklang preamp to the fortress to add some more tones, what do you think?

 

[bass12]

Ths shows that any good maker can have problems, or even problematic periods in time.

My '03 4003 has been a flawless bass, with one of the most stable necks I have seen on an all-wood bass.

Sure - my 2003 Thumb BO was an excellent bass (the only issue I ever had with it was a broken Just-A-Nut II, which were terrible nuts). But a good company that cares about its customers would have treated me very differently. And notice that our resident Official Warwick Media presence didn't have anything to say about my later post. If I'd posted something similar on the Sadowsky thread you can bet Roger himself would have been the first to respond. :scowl:

 

[WarwickOfficial]

Sure - my 2003 Thumb BO was an excellent bass (the only issue I ever had with it was a broken Just-A-Nut II, which were terrible nuts). But a good company that cares about its customers would have treated me very differently. And notice that our resident Official Warwick Media presence didn't have anything to say about my later post. If I'd posted something similar on the Sadowsky thread you can bet Roger himself would have been the first to respond. :scowl:

bass12, I'm very sorry to hear about your experiences. We're making great strides to be more accessible and available for our customers, and quality control is something we take great pride in. Our newly formed Social Media team was created so that we can move forward in the most supportive way possible. Email to the company is almost always answered by Hans-Peter Wilfer himself, please feel free to send a message to [email protected] Thanks for your comments!

 

[scubaduba]

Obviously I can't say for sure not seeing that in person, but just from that side shot this thing looks to be head and shoulders above some of the older Warwicks that had initially put me out about the brand in terms of QC. I take it this is not an off the shelf model, but still. These are the Warwicks I see on the internet and such and think I'd love to try one out, but I never have come across one.

It's a special edition. One of only 40 made. 1" thick Redwood burl over 1" of ash. Quality is superb. Actually it's one of my favorite basses I've ever owned. Love the Bart electronics in it. Maybe a little more compressed but plenty of balls and awesome growl. Takes super low action and the neck is not chunky. Love it.

Here's a couple more pics.

 

[scubaduba]

 

[Bass4LifeRS]

As for Dolphins, have you ever tried playing one sitting down, with it resting on your leg?

I got a Dolphin. It balances perfectly while standing up (it's made for gigs! ), but while sitting, it's best to wear a strap as it still wants to be between your legs....

I always wear a strap, and honestly don't see that as a problem. I want to wear a strap even while sitting and practising, no matter the bass.

 

[Turxile]

I got a Dolphin. It balances perfectly while standing up (it's made for gigs! ), but while sitting, it's best to wear a strap as it still wants to be between your legs....

I always wear a strap, and honestly don't see that as a problem. I want to wear a strap even while sitting and practising, no matter the bass.

+1. the Dolphin has good ergonomics.

 

[cfsporn]

It's a special edition. One of only 40 made. 1" thick Redwood burl over 1" of ash. Quality is superb. Actually it's one of my favorite basses I've ever owned. Love the Bart electronics in it. Maybe a little more compressed but plenty of balls and awesome growl. Takes super low action and the neck is not chunky. Love it.

Here's a couple more pics.

I have been Gassing for one of those since I saw Ed Friedland's review. Nice bass!

FWIW, the one Warwick I have played (a Thumb BO) was one of the best basses I have played. I even liked the two band MEC pups and pre. Amazing growl and a slap tone to die for.

 

[gravesbass]

These are very good basses and can get very aggressive if you upgrade the stock preamp. I own one of the batch and upgraded the preamp to a Bart 918 with 3-band MID switch. Night and day improvement over the stock 2-Band Preamp. Perfect balance, nice light bass with BIG tone.