NBD - Warwick Corvette 6

[FDC484950]

So I saw this Teambuilt bass pop up on BassDirect’s website. I thought the Teambuilt models only had nickel silver frets, but this one came with the regular bell brass frets. It was pretty cheap by Warwick standards, so I took the plunge. I was curious to see whether the cheaper Teambuilt models showed any signs of being built to a price.  The answer is... not really.

 

Fit and finish

Compared to German Warwicks I’ve owned in the past, the only real differences are chrome hardware only, 3-piece body (grain looks OK from the front but is a touch jarring on the back), and a satin rather than oiled finish on both neck and body. Weight-wise, it’s a bit heavier than the original German version of this bass I owned a few years ago, but the balance is much better, so guess the extra weight is in the body. Other than that, you’d think it was a custom model - invisible fret technology, all the same hardware and electronics and perfect from headstock to bottom strap button.

Playability

The neck feels quite chunky, but similar to other Warwick 6s I’ve had in the past. Top fret access isn’t great, but then that’s the Corvette design with 24 frets. The satin finish on the neck feels ultra smooth and I don’t miss the oiled finish one bit. Fretboard is basically flat and everything is easily adjustable, but I didn’t need to do anything to set it up except tune it - neck relief, intonation and action were spot on. One other point that I like is that there is no large cutaway on the top where your plucking arm rests - so not like the original Corvettes, but the same as the $$ model.

Sound

Typical Warwick growl - a little too bright for my taste when set flat, but that might be the Black Label strings as they are quite tinny. Cutting a little treble makes for a great basic tone. My favourite tone with active with both pickups - fully panned to the neck sounds great but the bottom end is a bit flabby, panned to the bridge makes for a great soloing or chording tone, but is a bit thin for regular bass lines. Anyone that thinks you need a Dingwall for a good B needs to try a Warwick. IMHO the best bottom B string out there, and 34” scale makes life easy.

 

Overall

I really like the bass. The whole thing feels top quality - as a comparison my Sterling 5, which was £800 more, is also very good but the fit and finish cannot hold a candle to the Warwick - perfect fretwork, super-tight neck joint,  nice woods and a deep, punchy tone. If anyone wasn’t sure about Teambuilt Warwick basses, and they find one with brass frets like I did, don’t hesitate as they’re excellent.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 28, 2021 by FDC484950

[CookPassBabtridge]

Glad you like your new bass! I agree with everything you said. I have a Teambuilt Thumb BO 4 and it's fantastic. Fit and finish are superb. Although I'm not a huge fan of the MEC preamp - this may be what's making the bass sound a little bright as mine was very harsh and 'hissy'. I replaced it with a Bartolini and it's made a huge difference.

[thodrik]

Great review. I have been seen considering the Teambuilt Thumb 6 for a while now. I really don’t need a six string but if I did a Warwick would be right at the top of the list.