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What is the sound of a Warwick?


D.I. Joe
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Fishbone, especially, sound like Thum basses, which is (to many people0 Warwick's defining instrument, a great big burpy sounding thing.

I rather like that sound, but cannot get on with the instruments for a bunch of ergonomic reasons, they are ridiculously heavy, and the strings (particularly the G and D) are a short taxi ride off the body which means my index and middle fingers dig in too far for slapping/popping on them. Always disapointed me whenever I tried one as a result.

Edited by 51m0n
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I've always liked the idea of Warwick basses, and they do sound really great but for the same reasons that 51m0n just stated, I couldn't ever use one. I got really hooked on Stuart Zender's sound when I was younger, I think it goes a long way to epitomising what a lot of the Warwicks I've tried sound like, minus the massive amount of compression that he regularly used.

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[quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1346143464' post='1785643']
Fishbone, especially, sound like Thum basses, which is (to many people0 Warwick's defining instrument, a great big burpy sounding thing.

I rather like that sound, but cannot get on with the instruments for a bunch of ergonomic reasons, they are ridiculously heavy, and the strings (particularly the G and D) are a short taxi ride off the body which means my index and middle fingers dig in too far for slapping/popping on them. Always disapointed me whenever I tried one as a result.
[/quote]

My experience also, had a beautifully made, great sounding Thumb but it just didn't hang right. Great for playing at the dusty end, but I like to be able to reach frets 0 to 5 :P

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[quote name='DiMarco' timestamp='1346134176' post='1785567']
Vintage Warwicks sound very different from the current ones as a long time ago they weren't using MEC but EMG and Bartolini pickups a lot.

Modern ones are all growly and hifi sounding, the differences are for a great deal caused by wood types and pickup placement. Most wicks I played have a throaty, metal kinda growl going on with exception of the streamer stage I which has a huuuge palette of tones and is the allrounder of the bunch.

I chose the Dolphin pro1 because most wicks lose their growl when slapping, this one keeps growling and has the beefiest n most agressive slap tone I have ever heard.
[/quote]

Warwick has been using MEC pickups as standard on all basses since 1988! Please let me know if you have any questions or if I can assist in any way. Thanks!

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[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1346072044' post='1784833']
If you want to hear what a Thumb bass sounds like, listen to The Reality Of My Surroundings, or Give A Monkey A Brain And He'll Swear He's The Centre Of The Universe by Fishbone. Thumb 5s were used on everything and Reality has a lot of fretless on it. There's a range of tones in use too - some dubby deep stuff, the odd bit of slap, etc.
[/quote]

Pleased I read the whole thread before posting - because this is exactly what I was about to say!! :blush: :D

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KVkMS0JMA8&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KVkMS0JMA8&feature=related[/url]

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[quote name='Warwick_Official' timestamp='1346165377' post='1785969']


Warwick has been using MEC pickups as standard on all basses since 1988! Please let me know if you have any questions or if I can assist in any way. Thanks!
[/quote]

This is not true for all models. The twinjazz wasn't developed until 1990 so dolphins before 91 were standard fit with Bartolini jazz and splittable humbucker. Also there are many emg fit early models. Besides this some models that used to have two band preamps nowadays are three band which makes it an entirely different instrument imho.

I am not saying the old wicks are better, just different.

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[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1346166944' post='1785994']
I don't know why people gripe about MEC electronics, I've always thought they suited the basses very well. I guess because they aren't as high profile as some brand names people think they should replace them with something more famous.

Humans. Honestly...
[/quote]

they are designed for Warwick instruments, and don't do exactly the same things a fender designed preamp will.... most preamps seem to have a bass boost at around 40hz - the MEC is about 100hz... if you're not expecting that it's different. It's got a certain tone you'll either love or hate. They do work well. I like mostly, having said that the pups did get swapped out (I don't like active pups) and the pre may do soon- but more for very specific sound wants rather than there being anything at all wrong with the MEC stuff.

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[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1346186576' post='1786351']
they are designed for Warwick instruments, and don't do exactly the same things a fender designed preamp will....
[/quote]

What Fender make instruments with pre amps :mellow: when did this happen.

Seriously though, I had Warwicks down as having significant bass boost - indeed a fundamental part of the signature sound.

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[quote name='drTStingray' timestamp='1346192218' post='1786452']


What Fender make instruments with pre amps :mellow: when did this happen.

Seriously though, I had Warwicks down as having significant bass boost - indeed a fundamental part of the signature sound.
[/quote] I had my streamer with a passive pup wired straight to jack. The fundimental bass boost isn't down to the pups or pre

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These two tracks were recorded on my gorgeous streamer LX
I loved it but found it didn't suit rock as much, it seemed to sit over the mix more than in it. Loved that bass. http://www.myspace.com/gafbass/music/songs/08-ill-make-a-man-out-of-you-mp3-79099463

http://www.myspace.com/gafbass/music/songs/10-the-mans-a-creep-mp3-79099673

Here's my old FNA jazzman in a different setting entirely, yet sounds really similar to the LX
(bass starts at 3:42, it's only a soundcheck jam)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BR8gDjHpN2o&sns=em


In the first 20 seconds here, again messing around at a soundcheck it sounds more like an (active) jazz (to me)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxYmgW4s6qw&sns=em

And here, (when you can pick it out in the mix), the same bass with the same settings sounds more like a ray (to me!)
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tG-B4Mbqgds

Funny things warwicks. Played em for Years but found I always needed a good old passive jazz on hand. Nearly every time I took one in the studio I ended up playing the jazz. I still miss that streamer LX though, and a tasty stage 1 I had.
Sorry for the old videos

Edited by gafbass02
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[quote name='gafbass02' timestamp='1346224093' post='1786580']
but found I always needed a good old passive jazz on hand. Nearly every time I took one in the studio I ended up playing the Jazz...
[/quote]

I think it's like learning to ride a bike - eventually you don't need the stabilisers ;)

As far as I can see, this can be a bit of a comfort blanket - which often appeals to the guitarists and sound engineers rather than the bass player.

Can you imagine someone having told Kossof he should have been playing a Strat cos he didn't sound like Hendrix - people seldom question the guitarist's choice of tools to create his sound..........not so the bass player - just my personal experience.

I have absolutely no doubt a Warwick is a fully competent studio instrument with the ability to cover all the 'utility' bass sounds and a lot more as well - but as with everything, it will depend on the player skill (and recording engineer's skill).

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Hah hah. After 20 years gigging and over 65 vases (ahem.. BASSES!) ;) both active and passive I reckon the stabilisers are well off lol.
Funnily enough I eventually ditched actives altogether and went back to all jazz basses, I found they just worked better for me live, less faff and sound better with drive.
Horses for courses etc

Know what you mean though, it's always everyone else tells the bass player what they should use. Had that a lot!

Edited by gafbass02
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[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1346166944' post='1785994']
I don't know why people gripe about MEC electronics, I've always thought they suited the basses very well. I guess because they aren't as high profile as some brand names people think they should replace them with something more famous.

Humans. Honestly...
[/quote]

^ This.
Warwicks with MEC pups have what I would call the classic 'Warwick Sound'. A bit of growl but still quite round. If you associate colour with sound as I do then Warwicks sound blue.............. :huh:

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I find my Rockbass Corvette has a deeper growl than my Bass Collection SB315 (my only other with twin J single coil pups). An example (which is still in the mixing stage so is far, far from perfect but the bass sound I'm after is there at the beginning): [url="http://soundcloud.com/whisky-river/badly-parked-cars"]http://soundcloud.com/whisky-river/badly-parked-cars[/url]

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[quote name='Mog' timestamp='1346251355' post='1787019']
^ This.
Warwicks with MEC pups have what I would call the classic 'Warwick Sound'. A bit of growl but still quite round. If you associate colour with sound as I do then Warwicks sound blue.............. :huh:
[/quote]

Seriously? My Fortress MM5 (strung with Elixirs at the mo') is the sonic equivalent of staring at the Sun (if you play it hard)
The only thing holding it back is the 9v electrics. 18v (without any extra gain) would be shocking.....

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