Warwick Thumb 4 Through Neck - Early 1988 model in excellent condition for year Special Offer for BC Members only £1995 £2500 Ashton-under-Lyne (Manchester), or Derbyshire (ten mins from M1 J25)

[HeadlessBassist]

Here we have an early model Warwick Thumb Through Neck Bass from 1988. (The Thumb was first produced in 1985.)

 

Made in November 1988 with a Wenge wood neck with original Mother of Pearl inlays, Wenge fingerboard with bronze Frets & brass 'Just-a-Nut', three-piece solid Bublnga body, oil finish polished with Beeswax, active JJ EMG pickups and MEC 2-band preamp & black Schaller hardware.

 

Lovely bass for its age, with an unbelievably fast neck. All electronics working, and only damage we can see is two screw holes where a Thumb Rest has previously been added.

 

Price is £2400.  Special Christmas offer for BC users, £1995.

 

This bass can be viewed (or played) by appointment at either Ashton-under-Lyne in the Manchester area, or in Derbyshire, 10 mins from M1 J25.

 

Buyer to collect, or can meet half way up to 100 miles distance. (200 miles total distance.)

 

Interesting trades considered - PM me pictures of any trades you may want to make towards this instrument.

 

 

Edited 8 hours ago by HeadlessBassist

[Skinner]

Early era neck through Warwick's like this are unparalleled, they sound fantastic. 

[dyerseve]

On 06/10/2025 at 15:12, Skinner said:

Early era neck through Warwick's like this are unparalleled, they sound fantastic. 

They are indeed! I love mine and as the seller states, the necks are so fast and easy to play. To me, the body looks like Afzelia which was used on almost all the early thumbs including both of my '87 JD Thumbs. Either way, killer bass and this one sure is a beauty!

[HeadlessBassist]

1 hour ago, dyerseve said:

They are indeed! I love mine and as the seller states, the necks are so fast and easy to play. To me, the body looks like Afzelia which was used on almost all the early thumbs including both of my '87 JD Thumbs. Either way, killer bass and this one sure is a beauty!

 

[tauzero]

On 07/10/2025 at 17:13, dyerseve said:

They are indeed! I love mine and as the seller states, the necks are so fast and easy to play. To me, the body looks like Afzelia which was used on almost all the early thumbs including both of my '87 JD Thumbs. Either way, killer bass and this one sure is a beauty!

 

My '87 JD was my main bass for 20 years until I went to 5-strings in 2007, and it's still with me getting the occasional run out. Superb neck - it took a long time to find a 5-string with an equivalently playable neck.

 

I assume the OP's is from a transition period (though I don't know how long a period), as it's got the 2-piece bridge rather than the earlier one-piece Schaller, and a JAN I, but it has a carved rear to the headstock rather than the plain flat rear, and a separate battery compartment rather than the battery living in the control cavity as it dd later. 

Edited October 12 by tauzero

[dyerseve]

On 07/10/2025 at 19:37, HeadlessBassist said:

 

HPW said mine was bubinga too until i asked him to look again. Afzelia Was the standard wood for Thumbs from this time...

[BassTool]

Beauty, GLWTS 👍🏼

[potato bass]

On 06/10/2025 at 15:12, Skinner said:

Early era neck through Warwick's like this are unparalleled, they sound fantastic. 

Looks like a crack in the body, on the third picture, just above the E-string close to the bridge, maybe just a scratch ?

On 04/10/2025 at 01:14, HeadlessBassist said:

Here we have an early model Warwick Thumb Through Neck Bass from 1988. (The Thumb was first produced in 1985.)

 

Made in November 1988 with a Wenge wood neck with original Mother of Pearl inlays, Wenge fingerboard with bronze Frets & brass 'Just-a-Nut', three-piece solid Bublnga body, oil finish polished with Beeswax, active JJ EMG pickups and MEC 2-band preamp & black Schaller hardware.

 

Lovely bass for its age, with an unbelievably fast neck. All electronics working, and only damage we can see is two screw holes where a Thumb Rest has previously been added.

 

Price is £2400.

 

This bass can be viewed (or played) by appointment at either Ashton-under-Lyne in the Manchester area, or in Derbyshire, 10 mins from M1 J25.

 

Buyer to collect, or can meet half way up to 100 miles distance. (200 miles total distance.)

 

Interesting trades considered - PM me pictures of any trades you may want to make towards this instrument.

 

 

Edited November 17 by potato bass

[HeadlessBassist]

18 minutes ago, potato bass said:

Looks like a crack in the body, on the third picture, just above the E-string close to the bridge, maybe just a scratch ?

 

Looks like a surface scratch, probably from a hasty string change.