1976fenderhead Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 (edited) A new Warwick has just arrived from Germany and I was a quite disappointed when I saw the fingerboard (see picture attached). It has a huge lighter stain under the first frets of the G string... Is this normal or frequent? I never saw a fretless fingerboard looking like this! Thinking of exchanging it back but are these imperfections the rule rather than the exception in wenge? Am I likely to get another imperfect one? It's merely an aesthetic thing btw, it feels fine to touch, just looks like cr*p. Edited August 14, 2009 by 1976fenderhead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahpook Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 hmm...sure ain't pretty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PURPOLARIS Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 It looks like it's heavily worn and you only play the one string. Did Adam Clayton own it before you ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badass Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 [quote name='PURPOLARIS' post='568840' date='Aug 14 2009, 11:42 AM']It looks like it's heavily worn and you only play the one string. Did Adam Clayton own it before you ?[/quote] Ouch Yeah i agree, my fretless looks similar to that, but the whole board where the fretted areas are. It has been in coinstant use for around 2 years or more though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1976fenderhead Posted August 14, 2009 Author Share Posted August 14, 2009 [quote name='Badass' post='568857' date='Aug 14 2009, 11:52 AM']Ouch Yeah i agree, my fretless looks similar to that, but the whole board where the fretted areas are. It has been in coinstant use for around 2 years or more though.[/quote] Really? But isn't dark brown the natural colour of it? If it gets worn, shouldn't it continue to be dark brown? Or is it coloured in anyway? I've arranged for exchange, they didn't cause any problems, yet at least, waiting for courier pickup details... I'm so bloody unlucky, when I got my Fender American Deluxe Jazz seven years ago I had to return 2 basses until I got a decent one! One had a bridge so misplaced to the side that the G string was not over the fretboard where it joins the body, and the second one was clearly an ex-demo, full of scratches and dents...! Different shops (and countries) though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martthebass Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 Is this the tiger stripe ebony? I've seen some with striations in the TS type but not one that looks as 'unique' as this. If you don't like it send it back, on buying a new bass in my view cosmetics are a valid reason for rejection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1976fenderhead Posted August 14, 2009 Author Share Posted August 14, 2009 [quote name='martthebass' post='568957' date='Aug 14 2009, 01:05 PM']Is this the tiger stripe ebony? I've seen some with striations in the TS type but not one that looks as 'unique' as this. If you don't like it send it back, on buying a new bass in my view cosmetics are a valid reason for rejection.[/quote] No, it's wenge. yeah, exchanging it back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 I don't really see the big problem, wenge isn't completely black/dark like ebony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 That's a really weird looking piece of wenge. It tends to be very evenly coloured, with consistent lighter/darker stripes in the grain itself. Has it been bleached by the sun or some chemical? Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1976fenderhead Posted August 14, 2009 Author Share Posted August 14, 2009 (edited) [quote name='thedontcarebear' post='568962' date='Aug 14 2009, 01:10 PM']I don't really see the big problem, wenge isn't completely black/dark like ebony.[/quote] I've personally never seen a single fretboard that looked as bad as this new, fretted or fretless! If this is the way wenge is, then it's not a good choice for fretboards. Warwick sure puts a lot more quality control into their pictures then they do into the basses they send to sell, because they all look fine on their website! And on Thomann's website! Edited August 14, 2009 by 1976fenderhead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1976fenderhead Posted August 14, 2009 Author Share Posted August 14, 2009 [quote name='alexclaber' post='568973' date='Aug 14 2009, 01:16 PM']That's a really weird looking piece of wenge. It tends to be very evenly coloured, with consistent lighter/darker stripes in the grain itself. Has it been bleached by the sun or some chemical? Alex[/quote] That's an interesting possibility. It sure isn't as reflective of light on the stain. Maybe some chemical bleached it after oil had been applied? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bass Culture Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 It even looks like it could be a poorly stained piece of a lighter wood... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahpook Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 [quote name='1976fenderhead' post='568883' date='Aug 14 2009, 12:09 PM']I've arranged for exchange, they didn't cause any problems, yet at least, waiting for courier pickup details...[/quote] well, that's good news, but you'd think they'd have looked at the wood and realised that it wasn't the prettiest bit of lumber they could have used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1976fenderhead Posted August 14, 2009 Author Share Posted August 14, 2009 [quote name='ahpook' post='569068' date='Aug 14 2009, 02:30 PM']well, that's good news, but you'd think they'd have looked at the wood and realised that it wasn't the prettiest bit of lumber they could have used.[/quote] Definitely, I expected more care being put into what cuts of wood to use! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1976fenderhead Posted August 14, 2009 Author Share Posted August 14, 2009 After posting at Warwick, it seems it really may be tiger stripe ebony!!!! And check this out: the bass I got is the on they photographed for the website: [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/warwick_corvette_standard_fl_02.htm"]http://www.thomann.de/gb/warwick_corvette_standard_fl_02.htm[/url] Other Warwicks with the same wood fingerboard don't show any such stains in their pictures though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreeneKing Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 If the wood is suitable for a fretless bass as either ebony or wenge should be there's two ways of looking at it. It's either a flaw or a feature, personally I'd go for the latter. Peter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahpook Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 [quote name='1976fenderhead' post='569104' date='Aug 14 2009, 03:02 PM']After posting at Warwick, it seems it really may be tiger stripe ebony!!!! And check this out: the bass I got is the on they photographed for the website: [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/warwick_corvette_standard_fl_02.htm"]http://www.thomann.de/gb/warwick_corvette_standard_fl_02.htm[/url] Other Warwicks with the same wood fingerboard don't show any such stains in their pictures though![/quote] very true...my rockbass fortress has a tigerstripe fretboard and it's way prettier than the one on fenderhead's full-blown warwick ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1976fenderhead Posted August 14, 2009 Author Share Posted August 14, 2009 [quote name='GreeneKing' post='569110' date='Aug 14 2009, 03:05 PM']If the wood is suitable for a fretless bass as either ebony or wenge should be there's two ways of looking at it. It's either a flaw or a feature, personally I'd go for the latter. Peter[/quote] True, but I'd be ok with it if it had loads of those stains that looked natural or something, like I've seen in other pictures... It's just that the whole thing is evenly dark and then there's that one nasty thing there... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreeneKing Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 [quote name='1976fenderhead' post='569117' date='Aug 14 2009, 03:09 PM']there's that one nasty thing there...[/quote] Nothing is good or bad only thinking that makes it so Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1976fenderhead Posted August 14, 2009 Author Share Posted August 14, 2009 [quote name='GreeneKing' post='569122' date='Aug 14 2009, 03:12 PM']Nothing is good or bad only thinking that makes it so [/quote] Well it's obviously not BAD but it looks bad! Could look better! It's a lottery really :-p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahpook Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 [quote name='1976fenderhead' post='569125' date='Aug 14 2009, 03:15 PM']Well it's obviously not BAD but it looks bad! Could look better! It's a lottery really :-p[/quote] true...but warwick make a big thing about the wood they use in construction. i'd hope that would extend to the cosmetic as well as sonic considerations. spesh as i'm thinking of a custom fortress as a treat for my 40th !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pushifier Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 (edited) Yes it's ebony. Wenge is a lot more rough structure in the grain. Well ebony is perfect for fretless and the stain( the outside of the tree has this colour) does not effect the tone. Meaning all the different qualty of woods (A A+ A+++ etc) is just for cosmetic reasons not for sound differences. So you can get a new one al just for cosmetic reasons then. But if this one sound good and has no deadspots etc, then personaly, I would keep. Not every fretless of the same brand and type are perfect in tone, this differs from bass to bass. (there are also some fretboard darkners for ebony you can buy like this one [url="http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Finishing_supplies/Colors,_tints,_and_stains/Black_Fingerboard_Stain.html"]http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Finishing_supp...oard_Stain.html[/url] . Edited August 14, 2009 by pushifier Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1976fenderhead Posted August 14, 2009 Author Share Posted August 14, 2009 [quote name='ahpook' post='569141' date='Aug 14 2009, 03:29 PM']true...but warwick make a big thing about the wood they use in construction. i'd hope that would extend to the cosmetic as well as sonic considerations. spesh as i'm thinking of a custom fortress as a treat for my 40th !![/quote] Well, I've found this picture: [url="http://www.privatereserveguitars.com/Warwick-Flamin--Blonde-Limited-Edition-5-String-Bass-Guitar-513474-i1324649.guitars"]http://www.privatereserveguitars.com/Warwi...1324649.guitars[/url] And this one: [url="http://www.warwick.de/media/news_images/00000000234/Rockbass%20Left%20fretless.jpg"]http://www.warwick.de/media/news_images/00...%20fretless.jpg[/url] And this one (ouch): [url="http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l267/eastcoasteddie/basses/DSC_7769.jpg&imgrefurl=http://forum.warwick.de/17-warwick-rockbasses/9440-alright-new-guy-house.html&usg=__WdIlxp6uZ16QrST163hWQBrYFis=&h=798&w=309&sz=67&hl=en&start=1&sig2=Kle4gid00zvMHmkb24Rmgw&tbnid=6uRcTGlb7w8x_M:&tbnh=143&tbnw=55&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwarwick%2Btiger%2Bebony%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Dactive%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US%3a%6ffficial%26sa%3DG&ei=u3WFStmmJOWSjAe3_6yiCw"]http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=h...mJOWSjAe3_6yiCw[/url] Still, all those look better than mine because you can clearly see it's a wood feature. Mine is all dark with that one weird thing that looks like it doesn't belong... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bass Doc Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 I reckon that fingerboard wood is macassar ebony (never heard it called tiger before). I owned an Alembic, ex-OX for a while and the specification included that type of wood but in a more even spread of stripe than the Warwick. I also still own an early Mighty Mite fretless Jazz neck with the same type fingerboard and it's an excellent surface for fretless playing (it cost £125, unfinished and NO side dots around 1979!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1976fenderhead Posted August 14, 2009 Author Share Posted August 14, 2009 [quote name='pushifier' post='569145' date='Aug 14 2009, 03:33 PM']there are also some fretboard darkners for ebony you can buy like this one [url="http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Finishing_supplies/Colors,_tints,_and_stains/Black_Fingerboard_Stain.html"]http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Finishing_supp...oard_Stain.html[/url] .[/quote] That's a great tip, thanks. Wonder if I can find that in the UK? If the one that comes still looks bad, I might go that route! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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