Muzz Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 So I've recently got my hands on a nice Warwick (cheers Soulboy!) and after a bit of fettling and a fret dress, it's playing very very nicely. On the strap, it balances well, the wenge neck's great, and the sound's more or less there*. Eyes closed, it's near enough the nicest, easiest bass I've played, and positively addictive. All sounds dandy, the only problem is...how it looks. I've never seen a Warwick on wall or in a brochure and thought "Wow, that looks great", but up close, the details are great, the quality's great, the neck profile's great. I'm just struggling to love this one, and it's all aesthetic. Anyone else as shallow as me? * Well, near enough for live situations with the band - it might not be the sound in my head, but I've realised that sound doesn't actually work with a band anyway. This one does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doddy Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 Let's be honest... aesthetics are important. My first question is what made you gravitate towards it if you didn't like it's looks? If you love everything else about it,then you may be able to get past it's looks. If not,maybe it's the wrong instrument for you. Which model Warwick is it,by the way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynepunkdude Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 Main problem I'm having finding a 5 string is because they are very metal looking, it's not shallow it's just knowing what you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottomE Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 No i don't think you are shallow. You gotta have a thing for the bass you sling round your neck. Why did you get one if you think its ugly? At the risk of being flamed i also think they are ugly basses but do what they do very well. You always know its a Warwick - they have their sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted February 20, 2011 Author Share Posted February 20, 2011 Well, I've got a oldish (ebony board) fretless Corvette I've had for a while, which was bought on a whim as a tester for fretless. Same thing - I love its quality and it's the most woody-sounding fretless I've ever played (which is what I was looking for in a fretless), but again it's no looker (IMO). I saw Soulboy's Fortress, and remembered I'd played one ages ago which I thought was a great-playing bass, and again it's the wenge neck, the build quality, and the passive P/Js which I wanted. Took me a lot of looking at the photos to decide to buy it, but I went for it. It takes some admitting, but I'm sure we've all stood in front of a mirror with the bass on to see what we look like, and to be frank I think I look like a bit of a dick with this one. Just wanted to know I wasn't the only one... It might just be good enough to get over the looks, tho, but Lord, it's gonna take some doing. Everything else I've kept long-term is black with a maple board. Anyone got any sugggestions for a bass which plays like this but isn't a Warwick? (now there's a long shot) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 I'f you've no love for your Warwick, I'll swap you my defretted Vox Standard for it. It's in much need of TLC & needs put back together & some new parts (nut, pick ups, electronics, strings, knobs, maybe even a new neck). Tempted? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted February 20, 2011 Author Share Posted February 20, 2011 If I ever actually go through with my oft-threatened response to Justin Bieber et al of pulling out my eyes and stuffing them in my ears, I'll be all over that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 (edited) Aesthetics are very important really, you'll never love a bass if you don't like how it looks. I actually LOVE the look of Warwicks so i can't relate to that, but the Musicman Bongo is an example, i love the sound of that bass but it just looks awful. Same goes for buying expensive versions of existing instruments and justifying it. For example i could never i don't think own a 'super' jazz or precision bass, as id look in the mirror and just see a bog standard boring Jazz or Precision copy that would look the same whether it was a £100 china copy or a £3000 USA sadowsky! IMO Edited February 20, 2011 by Kev Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahpook Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 each to their own, but i think the fortress is one of the best looking wariwck models there is, but [i]i'm[/i] struggling to get on with the tone. jack spratt and all that ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 Equally, sound is a major player, even if the aesthetics are good. I had a Fender MIM Classic 70s Jazz Bass, in 3TS, black scratchplate, bound RW neck, with blocks. To me, simply the best looking bass there is. But it just didn`t sound right, cos I like the Precision sound soooooo much, anything else is just, well, wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linus27 Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 I must admit, looks play a massive part for me. Around 30% looks, 25% feel and 45% tone. Just check out my other thread where I can't get my head around playing Motown/Joplin/Acoustic type stuff on my white with black scratchplate Precision as it looks too punk. For me, I got to feel comfortable getting up on stage with a bass that I can wear with pride. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 [quote name='waynepunkdude' post='1134642' date='Feb 20 2011, 06:47 PM']Main problem I'm having finding a 5 string is because they are very metal looking, it's not shallow it's just knowing what you want.[/quote] You need a MM style 5 string Or a Lakland. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland Rock Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 [quote name='Muzz' post='1134696' date='Feb 20 2011, 07:35 PM']Anyone got any sugggestions for a bass which plays like this but isn't a Warwick? (now there's a long shot)[/quote] Warwick have a couple of Gibson copies - the Jack Bruce one and the Star. Need to save your pennies, though! Aesthetics are a big part of loving your bass. It could be a superbly built, immense sounding bass, but if it looks wrong, you'll never feel totally comfortable playing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thodrik Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 I think that everybody has preferences in regards to looks which can rule out great basses. I for one have never liked the 'toilet bowl' look of Musicman Stingrays, so have never really been tempted by them, despite them being great basses. I have never really been impressed with the looks of most Warwicks (Jack Bruce model apart), and didn't really like the one thumb bass I have tried, but every time I hear them in a live setting they generally sound great. If it feels and sounds 'right' I would suggest sticking with it. Over time you might just get used to it and learn to love it for what it is and get more comfortable with the bass over time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveK Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 [quote]Anyone else as shallow as me? smile.gif[/quote] When I got my first brand new sunburst Fender Precision (very early 70s). I would wake up in the night, switch the light on and marvel at its shape and contours... ...and then I would look over and notice the bass Of course you're not being shallow. We're all a big bunch of kids who want to look cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynepunkdude Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 [quote name='Musicman20' post='1134754' date='Feb 20 2011, 08:15 PM']You need a MM style 5 string Or a Lakland.[/quote] Find me a Lakland for £250 you you're on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markstuk Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 Warwicks do seem to be the "Cabbage Patch" basses... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 (edited) These days with the number of different bass manufacturers and models available there is absolutely no point in putting up with a bass that you find aesthetically unpleasing. Unless you only play on your own in a dark room, then how an instrument looks is just as important as how it plays and sounds. Personally I wouldn't even try a bass that I didn't like the look of. Edited February 21, 2011 by BigRedX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuicideVeilBassist Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 Personally, I think Warwick are hit and miss..I love the streamer, vampyre and thumb but dislike the other shapes. Warwicks sound awesome and play beautifully. That said, I won't ever buy one because I went for a job with them in the new UK office in Hailsham and the guy that did my telephone interview was so rude he put me off for life. Still think the basses are great though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
endorka Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 [quote name='BigRedX' post='1135153' date='Feb 21 2011, 10:00 AM']Unless you only play on your own in a dark room, then how an instrument looks is just as important as how it plays and sounds. Personally I wouldn't even try a bass that I didn't like the look of.[/quote] This and the similar sentiments expressed by others in the thread surprises me. From my perspective, these instruments are tools and I would no more consider the visual aesthetics of a bass than I would those of a screwdriver. In most musical situations, the instrument will be heard far more than it will be seen. I own several instruments that played and sounded great, but I did not initially like the look of. Over time their appearance grew on me. My Black & Decker powered screwdriver looks crap as well. Jennifer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveK Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 [quote name='endorka' post='1135197' date='Feb 21 2011, 10:35 AM']This and the similar sentiments expressed by others in the thread surprises me. Jennifer[/quote] Come on Jennifer, the word "shallow" in the topic title should've been enough to tell you that this was a [i]males only[/i] thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 Yes sure they are tools, but normally nobody is watching me when I'm using my screwdriver, but when I'm playing music on stage to a possible audience of 100s (and hopefully maybe even 1000s) then IMO how I look and how my instrument looks is very important to me (although playability and tone is just as important). If all my playing was done in the studio, or hidden away in the pit or at the back of the stage out of the spotlight, then maybe I wouldn't be quite so bothered about the aesthetics of the instrument, but it's not so therefore the looks are an important factor in deciding which bass to play. I use different basses for the different bands I play in and although they do have different sounds in the overall scheme of things this isn't a big enough difference for the look of the instrument to not be a deciding factor in which one I choose to use. Also having recently bought a new electric screwdriver there's not that much variation in design - it essentially comes down to whether you want a screwdriver style or a drill style. However there's thousands of different looking basses available, so it's highly unlikely that you can't find one that ticks all three boxes for looks, playability and sounds if they are all important to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahpook Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 [quote name='BigRedX' post='1135254' date='Feb 21 2011, 11:16 AM']Yes sure they are tools, but normally nobody is watching me when I'm using my screwdriver, but when I'm playing music on stage to a possible audience of 100s (and hopefully maybe even 1000s) then IMO how I look and how my instrument looks is very important to me (although playability and tone is just as important).[/quote] oddly, it doesn't bother what other people think any of my basses looks, just whether i like it or not. they are just tools, but using jennifer's example, a screwdriver is designed primarily for function so aesthitics aren't that much of an issue - the materials and ergonomics are the key. basses can be functional as well as pretty, so why not chose one that does both...if you can. (btw - after two hours last night with my new swr head...i am getting into the sound of my fortress) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 Aesthetics is important. No question. How important is down to the individual. I find the appearance of a bass incredibly important to me. I like the Warwick Corvette body shape a lot, but Warwick do some ugly shapes too. If I'm going to buy a bass, I need to feel I want to sit and stare at it is as pleasurable as playing it. Also, if I am going to be seen in public with it, it's going to have to reflect my personality. Even seemingly small details such as the shape of the bridge, or the hardware colour can make or break the deal for me. Body colour is very important, I do NOT like the look of daftwoods. I would not be seen dead with an Alembic, a single cut or any bass with more than 4 strings. A five string daftwood custom build with the vague look of a Carl Thompson is the ultimate in ugliness for me, as is a Fodera single cut. I don't care if it plays like a dream and sounds like god, you could not pay me enough money to own one. If all this makes me seem shallow, bring it on! I don't care. Hopefully the music I make on the basses I choose vindicates me. Something I do find very odd though is when people stick a pic or two of their 'gorgeous' bass in the gear porn section, maybe their wondrous Sei Flamboyant with the bookmatched burl ives top and all those laminates and gold hardware, waxing lyrical about the utterly beautiful aesthetics - and the bass on a stand next to an unmade bed with a hideously ugly duvet cover, magnolia fitted carpets, some sh*t looking Ikea built-in wardrobe in the background, and a load of dirty socks and even underpants lying next to the bass. I even see this in the FS section god help us! Some people reserve their aesthetic for certain things. If you really have an aesthetic, you will hopefully apply it to your entire life, not just a bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deep Thought Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 I don't care how fantastic it sounds, I wouldn't touch most Warwicks with two barge poles tied together, with the possible exception of a Dolphin. You've got to feel good about what you're playing, for whatever reason. You've got to have the confidence to get up there on a stage and play in front of people, maybe quite few of them, and having a bass you're happy with is all part of that. I happen to agree with the idea of regarding an instrument as a tool to do a job, but on the other hand, playing live is a slightly different sort of job to using a screwdriver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.