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Tell me about Warwick necks


2020Jazz
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A local pawn shop has a 4 string Corvette Bubinga for sale, and the neck is bowed as heck. Action is ridiculously high. I know nothing of these basses, are they prone to such like a mexican Geddy Lee, or is it just in need of a setup? I'd hate to buy it and the truss rod is maxxed out. TIA mates :)

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46 minutes ago, SteveK said:

I've owned several Warwick basses since mid 80s and have never encountered bowing problems.

Unless, the shop has no problem (which I doubt) with you turning up with your tools and attempting an in shop setup, I would steer clear!

 

I was afraid of this. :(  I tried to reason with the chap, I said I'd like to get it set up, and if it comes back good I will pay for the setup and his asking price, I have a new bass! He declined. He wants to sell it as is no warranty, no responsibility. The bass has been there for at least 3 months. Looking like everyone(anyone) who has seen it has shied away. He is asking 900 dollars for it. I forgot to grab the serial number---I guess one can determine the manufacture date from the serial number?

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I've never played a Warwick with a hardwood neck that was bowed - they're usually laminated and rock solid. However the flamed maple neck on the Streamer Stage 1 (my experience here is only with 5- and 6-strings) is more variable. I've tried a couple that had a lot of relief in certain areas of the board and one with a visible twist (top string a long way from the neck, low B rattling unless both nut and bridge were raised. 

With the bass in question it's probably just moved over time and hasn't been adjusted. However, if you can't verify the truss rod moves properly in both directions and works, steer clear. It's not worth the hassle as, depending on the age, it's likely that if the truss rod is gone it's a fingerboard off repair...

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The fact he wont let you get it set up makes me suspicious. He has the chance of a sale here and if not the set up will make the bass more sellable.

I'd be very wary of this one.

I've had 2 Warwicks with no neck issues but i've heard about truss rod issues on some but dont know the details behind it.

Dave

Edited by dmccombe7
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I agree with all these, why would a seller not want an instrument to be set up at the cost of the buyer. As said even if the intended buyer pulls out it makes it a lot more attractive to future ones. Iffy methinks.

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I looked at an early Fortress for sale locally last year, the neck was badly twisted, a bit of digging confirmed this was a reasonably common thing with the early basses, we tried adjusting the neck but it didn't want to know, the seller ended up taking it to a luthier who confirmed the neck was stuffed, I believe he just ended up hanging it on the wall as an ornament! 

 

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There are too many alarm bells with this one. Without any knowledge of its provenance, I doubt anyone could evaluate the likely causes and thus what might be involved in fixing it -- if it can be fixed economically -- without scrutiny that the vendor will not permit.

 

Perhaps it is better to live to fight another day.

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When the necks on my basses need a trussrod tweak, they're never bowed as heck with a ridiculously high action; they're slighty bowed with a slightly higher action than is optimal.

 

It sounds like the neck is knackered and the shop owner knows it is knackered.

 

Here in the UK there would be some comeback if a shop sells a secondhand item that is already broken when sold, but I'm guessing there's no such consumer protection in the land of the free?

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1 hour ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

When the necks on my basses need a trussrod tweak, they're never bowed as heck with a ridiculously high action; they're slighty bowed with a slightly higher action than is optimal.

 

It sounds like the neck is knackered and the shop owner knows it is knackered.

 

Here in the UK there would be some comeback if a shop sells a secondhand item that is already broken when sold, but I'm guessing there's no such consumer protection in the land of the free?

 

It isn't a proper music shop. It is a pawn shop, also known as a hock shop. The place that you take your friend's Corvette when you spent all your money on drugs and they give you a tenth of its value. If I sound bitter it is because a friend turned junkie stole my bass and hocked it back in the early nineties. I never found it so me must have taken it across Atlanta where I wouldn't find it.

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I’ve got a 2008 Thumb BO (Ovangkol baseball bat neck) and never had any issues.

 

To echo other comments though - if the seller won’t let you take a proper look at the truss rod etc. to verify the issue then leave it. I know Warwicks are slightly harder to come by in the US but there are still plenty of really good second hand options out there, I’m sure you’ll find another (better) one. 

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12 hours ago, 2020Jazz said:

 

It isn't a proper music shop. It is a pawn shop, also known as a hock shop.

 

We have pawn shops and junk shops in the UK, and they all need to follow the same consumer protection laws as any other shop.

 

I'd definitely walk away and make the bass someone else's problem. If its a bolt-on neck and you really like the bass you could find out how much it would cost to order a replacement neck from Warwick and adjust the amount you'd offer accordingly but asking $900 for an unplayable bass is taking the Mickey.

Edited by Jean-Luc Pickguard
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  • 2 weeks later...

ARGH!!! I call this maroon today and coax the serial number out of him. It is this---

 

Serial number:
K13869307
Article number:
1244030000CZBUBOWW
produced:
25.10.2007
Description:
Corvette Standard, 4-string
Natural Oil finish
Bubinga body
Ovangkol neck
Chrome hardware
 
Made in Germany
 
I told him I would leave a deposit of 1000 dollars, take it for a setup, I WILL PAY for the setup. If it is a bad neck I collect my deposit and he is out nothing. If it sets up ok, I eat the setup, pay him for the bass. NOPE. That fat bastard knows the neck is shite. GRRRRR
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