Try before you buy?

[Dazm66]

So I'm interested in buying a Warwick. Either a Thumb or a Streamer SS1. There's one of each currently for sale that look around the right money, reputable sellers etc BUT they're  both around a 2 hour drive from me (in different directions).

 

Full disclosure is that I want a Streamer or a thumb based on the usual, super important and logical GAS reasons:

• they look really cool!
• They'll make me play and sound like Stuart Zender/Jack Bruce/any other fabulous Warwick endorsee!
• They sound great on all those YouTube reviews
• They use only the best tone woods
• They produce that legendary Warwick growl (whatever that is!)
• I don't have one
• Did I mention they look really cool!

What I've never actually done of course  is play either! I did have a 5 string Corvette, but these are different beasts.

 

Now I don't fancy driving 2 hours X 4  to find I don't actually like em, so I'm wondering whether there's anyone in my locality (Colchester and surrounding) who has either of these who would be happy for a fellow basschatter to have a noodle on it to find out if he really does want to part with a load of cash for either of aforesaid basses.

 

And then it occurred to me that this could be something that Basschatters might be happy to offer generally. I know that I would be ok with the occasional visit to try my gear.

[Jonesy]

Hullo! 

 

That sort of thing def goes on (who doesn't love nerding out over gear and a cuppa?) and I'm sure a Warwick fan will be along to help out sooner or later.

 

It might be worth asking, or linking to this thread in the Warwick thread over in the gear gallery.....

 

 

 

Good luck!

[Risk101]

Your logic is impeccable 😂😂

[crazycloud]

I don't like Spectors because ergonomically, they hang uncomfortably on me. A Thumb is much worse so I'd suggest try before you buy. I really loved the old Thumb NT5 I tried otherwise.

[Dazm66]

Thanks Crazycloud. That’s exactly what worries me, especially with the Thumb. 

[Mrbigstuff]

On 06/05/2025 at 14:58, Dazm66 said:

So I'm interested in buying a Warwick. Either a Thumb or a Streamer SS1. There's one of each currently for sale that look around the right money, reputable sellers etc BUT they're  both around a 2 hour drive from me (in different directions).

 

Full disclosure is that I want a Streamer or a thumb based on the usual, super important and logical GAS reasons:

• they look really cool!
• They'll make me play and sound like Stuart Zender/Jack Bruce/any other fabulous Warwick endorsee!
• They sound great on all those YouTube reviews
• They use only the best tone woods
• They produce that legendary Warwick growl (whatever that is!)
• I don't have one
• Did I mention they look really cool!

What I've never actually done of course  is play either! I did have a 5 string Corvette, but these are different beasts.

 

Now I don't fancy driving 2 hours X 4  to find I don't actually like em, so I'm wondering whether there's anyone in my locality (Colchester and surrounding) who has either of these who would be happy for a fellow basschatter to have a noodle on it to find out if he really does want to part with a load of cash for either of aforesaid basses.

 

And then it occurred to me that this could be something that Basschatters might be happy to offer generally. I know that I would be ok with the occasional visit to try my gear.

Good idea in principle but not all guitars are identical, with woods being a natural product. Then if they’re second hand it’s how they’ve been treated, one could have a warped neck and never been setup, the other looked after meticulously.

 

if it was me and I was spending that sort of money, the trips would be worthwhile but I also know these models tend to sell fairly fast.

[tauzero]

A fundamental point about Thumbs is the year they were made. Early ones have lovely slim necks, then at some point in the 90s they became horrible engorged monsters, and apparently they've slimmed down again. Also, how many strings? And Thumb NT or BO?

[binky_bass]

I've had both Streamers and Thumbs, BO and NT. I do love their unique sound, but they are really heavy things (mine are all and have all been 6ers) and I find that after an hour my shoulder get very uncomfortable.

 

The hang slightly more offset that most basses, so when playing stood up, the low end of the neck feels further away than say my EBMM Bongo. 

 

The tone is unique, and cuts like a knife - but they do have their challenges! 

[Hellzero]

54 minutes ago, binky_bass said:

I've had both Streamers and Thumbs, BO and NT. I do love their unique sound, but they are really heavy things (mine are all and have all been 6ers) and I find that after an hour my shoulder get very uncomfortable.

 

The hang slightly more offset that most basses, so when playing stood up, the low end of the neck feels further away than say my EBMM Bongo. 

 

The tone is unique, and cuts like a knife - but they do have their challenges! 

Do you need glasses, coffee, grammar, smaller fingers or the whole package, Russ? 

[prowla]

I have 3 Warwick Corvette 5-strings and they are each different; one in particular has a thicker neck which is not suited to my hands.

I would assume that there are per-instrument variations in the other models too and thus you couldn't have 100% confidence that the one you were looking at would be just like the one someone had let you have a go on.

TBH, though, the same applies to most instruments.

[binky_bass]

3 hours ago, Hellzero said:

Do you need glasses, coffee, grammar, smaller fingers or the whole package, Russ? 

Me not no have thyme two cheque mye spelleng. 

 

 

Seems that you do though, so I'll leave it to you to continue to check for me! 

Edited Saturday at 11:19 by binky_bass

[NancyJohnson]

On 06/05/2025 at 14:58, Dazm66 said:

Full disclosure is that I want a Streamer or a thumb based on the usual, super important and logical GAS reasons:

• they look really cool!
• They'll make me play and sound like Stuart Zender/Jack Bruce/any other fabulous Warwick endorsee!
• They sound great on all those YouTube reviews
• They use only the best tone woods
• They produce that legendary Warwick growl (whatever that is!)
• I don't have one
• Did I mention they look really cool!

 

Bullet point responses.

 

A Warwick won't make you sound like any of their endorsees or make you play better.  Tonally, I wouldn't compare anything on You Tube with a real life experience. Tonewood?  Growl?

 

If you want a frankly fantastic NS bass, just buy a Spector Euro model.

[Kev]

On 06/05/2025 at 14:58, Dazm66 said:

So I'm interested in buying a Warwick. Either a Thumb or a Streamer SS1. There's one of each currently for sale that look around the right money, reputable sellers etc BUT they're  both around a 2 hour drive from me (in different directions).

 

Full disclosure is that I want a Streamer or a thumb based on the usual, super important and logical GAS reasons:

• they look really cool!
• They'll make me play and sound like Stuart Zender/Jack Bruce/any other fabulous Warwick endorsee!
• They sound great on all those YouTube reviews
• They use only the best tone woods
• They produce that legendary Warwick growl (whatever that is!)
• I don't have one
• Did I mention they look really cool!

What I've never actually done of course  is play either! I did have a 5 string Corvette, but these are different beasts.

 

Now I don't fancy driving 2 hours X 4  to find I don't actually like em, so I'm wondering whether there's anyone in my locality (Colchester and surrounding) who has either of these who would be happy for a fellow basschatter to have a noodle on it to find out if he really does want to part with a load of cash for either of aforesaid basses.

 

And then it occurred to me that this could be something that Basschatters might be happy to offer generally. I know that I would be ok with the occasional visit to try my gear.

 

I think you definitely need to try and find a way of trying them both.  They are really different basses, the feel very different to play and sound quite unalike, particularly the 5's.  No Basschatter will be able to help you with that stuff.

 

You can't go wrong with an SSI (think Spector, only with character ) but the Thumb is my favourite.  But they're unique marmite basses, for sure.

[Dazm66]

13 hours ago, NancyJohnson said:

 

Bullet point responses.

 

A Warwick won't make you sound like any of their endorsees or make you play better.  Tonally, I wouldn't compare anything on You Tube with a real life experience. Tonewood?  Growl?

 

If you want a frankly fantastic NS bass, just buy a Spector Euro model.

I was trying to be a bit tongue in cheek 😌

[tauzero]

16 hours ago, NancyJohnson said:

Bullet point responses.

 

A Warwick won't make you sound like any of their endorsees or make you play better.  Tonally, I wouldn't compare anything on You Tube with a real life experience. Tonewood?  Growl?

 

OTOH, I bought my first Warwick after splitting up with my first wife. I subsequently had a number of girlfriends and two further wives (mostly consecutively) and so I would conclude that owning a Warwick (or two, or three) made me more attractive to the opposite sex (no experiments were performed to find out if I was more attractive to the same sex).

[NancyJohnson]

9 hours ago, Dazm66 said:

I was trying to be a bit tongue in cheek 😌

 

Sigh.

 

We live in times where there's a fine line between sarcasm/irony and genuine pleas for help; Basschat is no different.

 

There's hundreds and hundreds of posts here where members are, in all seriousness, detailing similarities in your bullet points being of the belief that <insert bass/pickups/nut width/'tonewood' here> will make you sound like <insert name here>.

 

There's a little unwritten rule that subtle use of 😉 or 😏 suffixed to a post might have helped.

 

 

[Mrbigstuff]

23 hours ago, NancyJohnson said:

If you want a frankly fantastic NS bass, just buy a Spector Euro model.

I have had a few Warwick’s and love them, but I’ve played a few Spectors and never gelled with the necks or sound. Although the streamer shape was copied, I wouldn’t say they’re the same at all. 

[Hellzero]

10 hours ago, Dazm66 said:

I was trying to be a bit tongue in cheek 😌

And you were, some people simply don't seize (subtle) humour.

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

@Dazm66  +1 for a lot of the reasons given above.

There and back the same day (possibly twice) sounds like a small price to pay for the assurances you want.

Either that or buy one from Thomann and if you don’t like it, you can send it back.