Rockbass Corvette basic - any good? (circa 2005ish)

[budget bassist]

Hey folks,

I'm trying to spend a bit more time playing bass and thinking about a punt on something with 5 strings since a lot of the music I'm interested in right now is fairly heavy/crunchy prog metal type stuff, think Tool, Karnivool etc.

 

I've found locally here in Vancouver an old Rockbass Corvette, looks like around 2005. The used market (and the market in general) here is much smaller than in the UK, and things tend to be A. impossible to find and B. expensive, so I can't afford to be as picky as I'd like.

 

I owned a german Corvette $$ and a Streamer $$ about 10 years ago or so and loved the neck, loved the sound. I tend to enjoy a really crisp yet dark sound that cuts through well and works well dialling in a little crunch - I found those $$s to work perfectly for that.

 

My question is, am I going to find anything remotely like I'm hoping for, or am I going to be disappointed?

I'd also like to add that I currently have a broken leg and so getting over there for a test run is a little difficult for me right now, so I'm trying to do as much research as I can

 

I've attached photos from the listing

 

Thanks for your help!

[Geek99]

They’re the Chinese made licenced versions, from what I know they are made of different woods and sound slightly different but are fairly sound 

[neepheid]

I had a 4 string of these, many many years ago.  Did my audition for my first originals band with it.  Got the gig.  Can't be awful then

 

Can't advise on any of the comparisons to Warwick (GER) basses though, that's a bit of a blind spot in my bass experience.

[40hz]

They're nice basses in isolation (I have an early Rockbass Streamer 5) but they share very little in common with the real deal. Build and tonally. So, don't go in thinking you're getting the Warwick sound, but what it is instead, is very nice in of itself.

[Rayman]

Agree with the above… nice basses in their own right, but as the owner of a few German examples, in my experience the RB range are a very different proposition. A little bit uninspiring tonally, but hey, they’re not cheap basses, they’re well made from the ones I’ve tried.

[redbandit599]

I have a 32" 5 string RB Corvette and a 34" 5 string German Corvette. I'd agree with the above that the RB isn't quite the same sound as the German version but it's still very good. Probably my punchiest bass and I have no complaints.  If it helps I've linked a live video of my band that I'm using it in, just a phone recording but may be useful. 

 

[risingson]

I had one of these, years ago now. Very thin neck profile. Not active, mine was vol pan tone tone. A totally honest appraisal were the pickups felt weak and the tone a little thin, as others have said they don’t sound a thing like the German built ones.
 

I do remember getting it as a 14 year old though thinking it was the greatest thing ever.

[redbandit599]

Mine in the video above is active btw. So that is quite a difference. 

[LeftyJ]

They're nice basses, but be advised there are a couple of things different about these than on a German Warwick:

• First of all, this one is from the very first Rockbass series. You can easily tell them apart by the one-piece bridge, instead of the typical Warwick two-piece bridge and tailpiece. The later Rockbass series (which replaced the Korean Warwick Pro Series) do have the bridge, and are a lot more expensive. Sellers will often try to sell the older models for newer model money, but they're a completely different animal and really not worth that much. When production of the first series ended, Thomann was offloading these for €200 (and Rockbass Streamer Standards at €99). I think they originally sold for about €350-400 max;
• Second, you won't find the typical Warwick woods in these. Bodies were often pine (Warwick calls it Carolena), with maple necks and rosewood boards. Nothing wrong with that, but it may sound different from a German-made Corvette;
• It looks like this one has the same active MEC pickups and pre as many German Warwicks, which is a huge plus of you like them. 

Most importantly: don't pay too much. There are a few on Reverb for well over 600 USD, but that's crazy.