pmjos

I had a '96 BO 5 Thumb for many years and that was really nice, crisp and easy to play, not too heavy Ovangkol body. It was distinctly thumb but not too 'barky' if you now what I mean. I then bought an early throughneck 6 thumb which weighs about as much as a bus but the tone is amazing, unique early Warwick on Bartolini pups, thunderous clear bottom end growling mids and bell like highs. If you like 'that sound' then go for it whilst old Waricks are 'relatively cheap' You can get an 80's thumb for under a grand BO for under £700 if you look. All I can say I got my Thumb for a fraction of a new one, for a fraction of what it cost when it was new and that won't last forever. So if you are tempted do it now and see how you get on. Thumbs ALWAYS sell son ot much to loose.

Try this guy [b][font="Arial Black"][size="6"]Gerry Hogan Music c/o HOGAN MUSIC Winchcombe House 123-126 Bartholomew Street Newbury RG14 5BN[/size][/font][/b]

I make you 100% right. Great post.

This year I bought an 86 Warwick thumb 6. It was a very early number and immaculate. It weighs a tonne but it plays like an angel. I paid a fraction of what it cost when it was new and a fraction of what a new one would cost today. It is an inspiring bass. I didn't buy it because it was old but because it was good. I would be VERY surprised if in 20 years these early Warwicks were no considered as sought after as old Ricks or Fenders are now.Its invest I an old Warwick time methinks.

The thing for me about vintage basses is to remember that when you by a 60's instrument you are within spitting distance of the very beginnings of modern music. The music of our generation was truly born out of the efforts of a tiny handful of inovators like Leo Fender (for one) who made something almost completely new. For me the Fender P & J basses are at the heart of that. Some people feel that way about Gibson or RIcks. These designs hit the nail on the head so firmly that their design remains almost unchanged. I guess being born in the early 60's I grew up with these instruments at the heart of my earliest musical memories. I'm lucky enough to have a vintage P and soon (all being well) a J. When you pick up a 50 year old instrument that has been crafted well, looked after for all its life and pick it up to play you feel something. Crank that old P up with the tone rolled off just a bit and it growls punk tones at you, play it further up the neck and even with the tone rolled all the way back you still get distinct clear warm notes. You will pay a lot of cash to get that in a new instrument, and all it will be is a facsimilie of the 'real thing'. I own old basses becuase they sound wonderful, they have lasted the journey, they will remain precious. They are the heritage of every line of this and every other bass blog. Its an honour to keep and look after one, even if though its taken most of my life before I could aford one.

Cmon Paul kick some butt, show us some non US sanitised nice aggressive edgy phat Trace -. shake the room geez.

I've recently test driven the Amp 2 & 3. Holy Bjesus the thee is astonishingly loud and arse kickingly deep. I wound up the bass boost and thought the bugger was going to have my leg off. Two was amazing but three......... its tiny. It has some kind of German noise tardis inside with an 8X10 2KW Mesa rig inside. I truly cannot express how punchy, warm and musical it sounded. Blown away.

A friend of mine's dad (a Marconi Electronic Engineer) designed the microprocessor MP11 graphic with MIDI for Trace eons ago when they were in Witham, Essex. We must be going back well over 25 years. I remember thinking how damned smart it was with endless presets and shaping options. When they did this it was pretty revolutionary but even then they weren't exactly pushing the boat out when it came to design investment. The product is still out there but not many sold I don't think. Trace seem to have been a bit of a one trick pony when it came to design. You can have any amp so long as it has a graphic! eq.