Vintage Warwick?

[pmjos]

I have seen a few early Warwicks up for sale and I was wondering if they would become collectable as well as being the very usable instruments that they are.

Will they ever be seriously sought after?

[Chiliwailer]

I think the one I'm selling in my signature will give you back at last 10 times your investment

Seriously though, I'm doubtful they will ever sky rocket but I honestly haven't a genuine clue and I'm sure someone more knowledgable on Warwicks will come by and shed some light.

I gather from the Warwick forum that pre 1989 is considered early and 'vintage', but I pressume that the safest bets may be with the really early ones that had the older features.

Either way, I love them and they certainly feel different to the later ones I've played.

Edited April 9, 2016 by Chiliwailer

[yorick]

Great instruments, but don't hold your breathe about them being valuable collectors pieces.. 😀

[DiMarco]

If any will become more valuable it will be only the eighties models, like the early streamers with the old headstock and bridge, or the earliest thumbs... But I would not bet on it.

Besides that, current Warwicks are way superior to those old ones in just about every aspect.

[LukeFRC]

Not played a "current warwick" so maybe they are superior in just about every aspect. (except price)

In 1992 or so they moved factories and stopped using solid brass hardware - everything from then on (till about 2012) was when they ramped up production and from what I understand was varying and differing quality as instruments.

But even the earlier ones... are often fantastic basses and they're going to have a certain appeal - but I'm not sure there's a widespread desire for the "sound" of a Warwick, nor the celebrity endorsements that mean people will want to sound like them. I've probably got the first 'custom' thumb ever made - but I doubt it's going to be worth silly amounts ever.
What the plus is is that I've got two awesomely great instruments that would have cost me many many times more if I was looking for similar quality in another make. My streamer is "the one" for me.

[Skol303]

[quote name='pmjos' timestamp='1460201441' post='3023505']
Will they ever be seriously sought after?
[/quote]

Some already are: older Steamers, thru-neck Thumbs, broadnecks. Very sought after by some buyers.

I love Warwicks, but I just don't get on with the narrow string spacing on their 5-strings, having tried a few (although I do have a Warwick fretless fiver, which is a keeper).

All that said, the second hand market for Warwicks is terrible for sellers - they don't seem to hold their value like other brands, which is crazy given the build quality (especially of the German models). Great for buyers though

[warwickhunt]

I've been waiting 20 years for Warwicks to go up in value and you can still pick up used german made NT bass for £700-£1000. That's pretty much exactly where it was back in the 90's and it really is immaterial of age/vintage. I 'personally' prefer basses from the first 10 years of production regardless of whether they are maple or cherry body / wenge or maple neck / 1 or 2 piece bridge. They have a better overall level of finish IMHO, particularly the rolled fingerboard edges. However, I appreciate that CNC production makes for consistency... though I've never noted inconsistencies in the early basses.

In the meantime I may elect to start buying up all the old Streamers that I can find... again!

[happynoj]

I think that the 'collectibility' of vintage instruments is more down to sentimentality and myth than anything else. The main brand which does well in the vintage market is Fender, which is probably because they are the biggest company in the market, they're the most copied company in the market, they've been around for longest, and people remember wanting Fenders when they were kids because their hero played one. There is also the perception that Fenders of various periods are better (pre-CBS, etc), but because all of the pre-CBS models have been snatched up and now command astronomical prices, people moved onto the later basses which are now all more expensive, and now even the 80s stuff is starting to rise in price, which is funny because as far as I was aware, everyone seems to think that the 80s stuff is crap. Because of this, the market is huge, demand is huge, and sellers can ramp up the prices because people will pay them.

Warwick doesn't have any of that stuff. They've only been around since the 80s, no one makes copies of their instruments, and the only people whose childhood heroes played them are people in their mid to late 20s because of the Nu Metal wave of the early 2000s (I'm one of them). The number of buyers for Warwicks is tiny compared to Fender, so if people try to sell Warwicks for high prices they just don't sell, because the demand and the mythology just isn't there.

[bubinga5]

[quote name='happynoj' timestamp='1460284452' post='3024301']
I think that the 'collectibility' of vintage instruments is more down to sentimentality and myth than anything else. The main brand which does well in the vintage market is Fender, which is probably because they are the biggest company in the market, they're the most copied company in the market, they've been around for longest, and people remember wanting Fenders when they were kids because their hero played one. There is also the perception that Fenders of various periods are better (pre-CBS, etc), but because all of the pre-CBS models have been snatched up and now command astronomical prices, people moved onto the later basses which are now all more expensive, and now even the 80s stuff is starting to rise in price, which is funny because as far as I was aware, everyone seems to think that the 80s stuff is crap. Because of this, the market is huge, demand is huge, and sellers can ramp up the prices because people will pay them.

Warwick doesn't have any of that stuff. They've only been around since the 80s, no one makes copies of their instruments, and the only people whose childhood heroes played them are people in their mid to late 20s because of the Nu Metal wave of the early 2000s (I'm one of them). The number of buyers for Warwicks is tiny compared to Fender, so if people try to sell Warwicks for high prices they just don't sell, because the demand and the mythology just isn't there.
[/quote]good point well said.

[Grangur]

[quote name='bubinga5' timestamp='1460291490' post='3024361']
good point well said.
[/quote]

This. Plus, if you're looking for an investment get an ISA.

On the matter of heroes playing Fenders I think this is all sad really, because I'm sure most choose Fender because of its serviceability and easy replacement, not for it being a great instrument. But that's just my humble opinion.

[goingdownslow]

I remember seeing Fender ads in the '70s that 9 out 10 bass players used a Fender.
I have always been one of the 1 in 10 that didn't.

[Lw.]

If any Warwicks ever become collectable it'll be the pre-89 ones but I wouldn't be spending loads on them at the moment - there are substantially better ROI's out there.

What you do get is a really high quality, nice sounding bass for not a lot of money. Assuming that's the sound you like. If I were getting a YOB bass it'd probably be an early streamer.

[40hz]

[quote name='Lw.' timestamp='1460370929' post='3024983']
If any Warwicks ever become collectable it'll be the pre-89 ones but I wouldn't be spending loads on them at the moment - there are substantially better ROI's out there.

What you do get is a really high quality, nice sounding bass for not a lot of money. Assuming that's the sound you like. If I were getting a YOB bass it'd probably be an early streamer.
[/quote]

Snap. My plan for a YOB bass is an 86 Streamer!

Edited April 11, 2016 by 40hz

[Roger2611]

I am hoping the dealer LTD editions will at least hold their valuable (so I can off load my $$ German dealer only edition) The problem is knowing where to value it, with vintage Fenders there is a pretty set pricing structure for the various age and desirability of the instruments but with something like my $$ , I don't know what it is worth (I know what I traded it for) so I don't expect that many others will be able to put a value on it either, at the moment it sits in its case until such time that I feel it may make sensible money (which to me is the value of the bass I traded it for)

I guess not being able to put a value on an instrument will hold its value down?

[Lw.]

The LTDs generally go for 3/400 more than the standard editions of the same model & year used so that should give you a rough ball park.

Markets always balance themselves out (I.e. it's worth what someone is willing to pay for it) - if you really want to know a valuation put it for sale on a free website like Gumtree or Facebook at the top end of the above & see if you get any nibbles. You can always withdraw it afterwards.

[Kev]

[quote name='pmjos' timestamp='1460201441' post='3023505']
I have seen a few early Warwicks up for sale and I was wondering if they would become collectable as well as being the very usable instruments that they are.

Will they ever be seriously sought after?
[/quote]

No, sadly. If anything, they are going down in value. As has been said, £900 odd with get you an eighties Streamer if you look in the right places. A few years ago you would be harder pressed to find one for less than four figures. Relative to handbuilt basses, there are so many of them knocking about as well, which doesn't help.

The rarer models and [i]some[/i] LTDs are holding value a little better, but I can't ever imagine seeing them go up.