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Warwick serial numbers


lemmywinks
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I'm a bit confused regarding the serial number on my Warwick Fortress One. I always understood that the last 2 numbers indicate the year of manufacture and the letter indicates the month.

My Fortress has B and 05, indicating February 2005, however i thought Fortress were discontinued long before then? It was sold as a 90s model and i've never checked it. It has the Fortress Truss rod cover and the adjustable brass nut so i assumed it was all original, however i am now thinking it may be a different neck on the original body

What do we think?

Edited by lemmywinks
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Cheers, the serial number search doesn't turn up any results though. Maybe best to email Warwick on this one i think

I took the neck off and there's no other holes in the heel so i'm stumped. The neck couldn't be off a Corvette as i compared it with mine and the screw holes are in differently places

Weird!

And before anyone asks, no i haven't mistaken the 05 for a 95! (although that does sound like something i'd do)

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[quote name='LukeFRC' post='603156' date='Sep 19 2009, 09:14 PM']strange. can we see pictures of this lovely bass, ive always liked the fortress shape[/quote]


Yeah i keep meaning to get some up but my missus keeps forgetting her camera! I'll get some tomorrow

I'm not actually too bothered if this isn't an original neck as i got the bass very cheaply, just a bit curious!

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Mmm. This is an odd one.

The divots on the body next to the neck aren't familiar to me. I've never seen that shape before.

The neck looks like ovangkol to me - it can vary in shade. It could be a replacement done by Warwick themselves, though they usually stamp the new neck with the serial from the original. Most of the 90s necks should be Wenge. Still a decent bit of wood though.

P.S. The the truss rod cover plate appears to be on upside down!

Edited by rjb
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If its an '05 it might be a custom order. Alot of the older models can still be purchased. An '05 bass with a brass nut would not be standard in my knowledge. Would either be a later addition or a custom option. The contours near the neck joint would either be a custom option or a later addtion.

If that is standard it is very unique. My guess is either custom order or someones project bass. ie. Addtional body contours added and maybe a neck swap from another warwick bass. Maybe a FrankenWarwick.

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The grooves near the neck are a feature of some Fortresses, i think the early ones (this is a '94 i think, well the body is!):

[url="http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh9/TheRandomEvent/Bass%2520Stuff%2520For%2520Sale/IMG_1140.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php%3Ft%3D444055&usg=__0Q5NIGeCTVVq-C8mMQUudRjKAUQ=&h=691&w=922&sz=504&hl=en&start=46&um=1&tbnid=g5K2wpIjPDGaQM:&tbnh=110&tbnw=147&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwarwick%2Bfortress%26ndsp%3D18%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26start%3D36%26um%3D1"]http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=h...t%3D36%26um%3D1[/url]

I have since put the truss rod cover the right way round too :rolleyes: . I've not had the bass long so i only discovered it was upside down yesterday!

I know Warwick made the Fortress with Ovangkol necks as well as the more popular Wenge, also i have heard of them using a 3 piece maple neck on the German ones too.

I posted on the Warwick forum and it's either:

-A custom order made from old parts. However this wouldn't explain adjustable the brass nut unless that was lying around too. The only custom Fortresses on the Warwick site both have the Just-a-nut

- An original body with a replacement neck. Still doesn't explain the nut unless Warwick were kind enough to take it off the old neck, or again it was lying around

I suppose it's unlikely that there was an error when the serial was being stamped, giving an 0 instead of a 9?


It's been confusing me all weekend! :)

Edited by lemmywinks
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[quote name='LukeFRC' post='604781' date='Sep 21 2009, 05:56 PM']the tuners say 'west germany' on them which would suggest that them, like the nut, are older?[/quote]


Yeah that's one of the reasnos it's so confusing! Post-Fortress Warwicks just said Germany on the machine heads

A guy on the Warwick forum said they had a stock of parts from when they were discontinued and they eBayed a few around 2006 so it might be one of those. A new/old stock type of deal, that's probably a better explanation.

Like i said, it's definitely a Fortress neck due to the neck bolt configuration

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[quote name='Brave Sir Robin' post='604970' date='Sep 21 2009, 09:01 PM']the tuners do say west germany. Could it be 95?

hmmm Ovangkol neck, Thought Fortresses were Wenge? Puzzling. The cuts on the body near the neck are strange. Could it be a replaced broken neck and refinish?[/quote]


They did make them with Ovangkol necks, and there's one or two with maple necks too. The grooves near the neck are also on some other Fortresses, the one in the link i posted is a '93 and that has them. I had a looksee on the Warwick forum and a few there have Ovangkol necks and at least one other has the grooves near the neck

Apart from the date it seems to be normal, everything else on the neck points to before they were discontinued

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