Warwick Buzzard BO5

[alembic1989]

Has anyone here ever played the bolt on 5 Buzzard by Warwick?..the one fitted with 2 j type pups.
Any opinions based on experience?
What is the 'going rate' for one?

[Henrythe8]

Zombie thread Alert. 

I am the proud owner of two buzzards Bolt-On, one 4 strings and one five strings. 

I have to say that although those instruments have the real Warwick feel and growl, they are not, in my opinion, to be compared with their NT counterparts. 

If the 4-strings can show some brutality due to the dual P, whereas the 5er has a somewhat tamer character.

What you expect from those gigantic birds is something else than what any Corvette can do. I blame the Ovangkol neck. 

On the 4-strings, it had a 38.5mm nut width, baseball bat chunky neck. I couldn't get comfy with it and was almost going to sell it, when I had the idea to transfor it into an 8-strings. the 8-Strings bridge is a direct replacement for the 4-strings. I had my local luthier make a new neck, wider and thinner, out of hard maple and padouk. I also fitted two preamps, one per pickup, in the cavity. The result is something that tone-wise, matches the looks of the beast. The very resonnant neck transformed the bass into a much clearer, agressive instrument. 

 

As for the 5-strings version, I just got mine. Funnily enough, the bodies are exactly the same, but routed differently. I already know I'll change the pickups and neck, to make it a real, powerful rock instrument, and not just a "qualioty" one. 

Cuz I sure didn't buy a Buzzard to sound like a normal bass 🙂 

 

 

[Chris2112]

An interesting analysis! Thanks for sharing. 

[Henrythe8]

No problem. I had a chance to play the Buz5er a bit longer, and most especially on different amps. It really found it's way with my SWR rig, and instantly regained some badassery.