Warwick - Give me the good, the bad and the ugly.

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='ahpook' post='921536' date='Aug 11 2010, 12:58 PM']also...look how cool they make you look ![/quote]

[Urban Bassman]

[quote name='lee4' post='921593' date='Aug 11 2010, 01:46 PM']I owned a $$ and loved the neck shape,the brilliant pups and eq,but I found that the Just-a-nut cut my fingers,and the weight caused pain in my left shoulder.
Despite fitting a Comfort strap,I had to sell it.
If they were lighter and had a standard nut I would have another.[/quote]

Oh yeah both the S$$ and SS1 are heavy beasts no doubt about it but for me that adds to the overall feel of the instruments. Something to grab hold of if you get my drift! Can't say I had any issues with adjust-a nuts other than those already made by Warwickhunt. My Thumb is much lighter than my SS1 so if it's lighter weight you need, go for a Thumb I guess.

[warwickhunt]

On the issue of weight. I have 4 Streamers in front of me (one leaving in the next day or two) and they weigh; 7lb 14oz, 8lb 4oz, 8lb 6oz and 9lb 5oz. Now even the heaviest of those is considered a light weight by some folks!

I do accept that not all Warwicks will be this weight, the older they are, then generally the lighter they are BUT of the 30-40 Warwicks that I've owned I can say that 50% of them will have been 9lb or less, the others varied from 9lb - 10lb and I've not had a one over that. I'll add the caveat that these basses were all 4 string and none were post 93 instruments.

[ahpook]

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='921686' date='Aug 11 2010, 03:28 PM']On the issue of weight. I have 4 Streamers in front of me (one leaving in the next day or two) and they weigh; 7lb 14oz, 8lb 4oz, 8lb 6oz and 9lb 5oz. Now even the heaviest of those is considered a light weight by some folks![/quote]

plus the one...a 9lb bass is light !

[machinehead]

My Streamer stage 2 is my lightest bass at 9.0lbs. It's lighter than both my Fender jazzes which both come in at 9.5lbs. My 51 reissue Precision is also about the 9.5lbs mark.

My last Streamer was 8lbs 4ozs !!

So Warwicks are heavy? Not in my experience.

Frank

Edited August 11, 2010 by machinehead

[Urban Bassman]

Having no idea how much my basses weighed so I thought I'd try and qualify things by actually weighing them, so here goes.

Thumb BO 4 string is 7 3/4 lbs
SS1 4 string is 9lbs
$$ 5 string is 9 1/2 lbs


and for comparison my P Bass weighs in at 8 3/4 lbs

Not sure what any of that means since I don't have an issue with weight of any of the basses but include them for interest as much as anything else. Naturally the Thumb is noticeably lighter when you strap it on but after a while the difference is not really noticeable.

The bottom line is I think my Warwicks are great

[alanbass1]

I've got a Thumb NT and it is a great bass and the one I'm gigging with my covers band almost exclusively - it just sits so well in the mix and has a great growl to the sound when you hit the strings hard

[LukeFRC]

I have an old 1991 streamer (stage one bass)
Before that I had the blue streamer in warwickhunt's photo (also a 1991 one)

Both very good basses.
The blue one was heavier and with a very different tone to my natural one. Which is light weight and sounds lovely.
Sounds nothing like a fender P and sits very differently in the mix but it has a good sound. It is great fun to play.
jack sockets are awful!

Dig around secondhand and you can pick up a bargin. I paid a while back £600 and £400 for mine, both of which are great prices.
It's a question of what you want;
you want to look cool, at the moment don't buy one.
You want a fender sound? buy a fender.
You want something different and special get someone to build you a custom bass.
You want a solid brilliant instrument for (S/H) not much money- warwick are great.
Maybe one day they will be fashionable and the price will go up but having been on basschat a while and looked at the sale boards a 1991 streamer is about as good a bass as I could ever get for the money i paid for it.
Play it and see if you like the sound it makes.

In another note mine has been played a lot pre me getting it and could do with a refret i think, now the frets i can get off warwick, anyone know a luthier (esp in scotland or N. england) who has exp with warwicks?

[warwickhunt]

[quote name='LukeFRC' post='921795' date='Aug 11 2010, 05:15 PM']In another note mine has been played a lot pre me getting it and could do with a refret i think, now the frets i can get off warwick, anyone know a luthier (esp in scotland or N. england) who has exp with warwicks?[/quote]

Hey Luke, Warwicks can look as though they need refrets when in fact they've got loads of life left in them (those bell metal frets are hard wearing and the original profile of the frets was never very high). Not saying it defo won't need one (not seen your new bass in the flesh) but find a luthier you trust and ask his opinion... hoping he's not desperate for a bit of work and says it does need regardless, as one or two unscrupulous repairers can do!

TBH anybody with experience of refrets can likely do the job (so long as they are aware that the fingerboard is Wenge and 'can' be prone to splintering if they are a bit rough handed) but for names... 'The Bass Doc' Howard can do refrets on Warwicks as can Dave Wilson (both BC members in the NE). I'm sure there'll be others near you who can do it, just depends who you trust.

[Muzz]

Oh, and on the looks front - a mate of mine (non-musician) ruined the Corvette (and a few others) for me by pointing at the top horn the first time he saw it and saying (in front of a crowd):

"That looks too much like a nob for me..."

[ahpook]

[quote name='Muzz' post='921846' date='Aug 11 2010, 06:09 PM']Oh, and on the looks front - a mate of mine (non-musician) ruined the Corvette (and a few others) for me by pointing at the top horn the first time he saw it and saying (in front of a crowd):

"That looks too much like a nob for me..." [/quote]

exactly what girlfren says about warwicks.

[Floyd Pepper]

After years of using Fender, I bought a '91 Streamer Stage 1 from a BC'er earlier this year.....and wow.
Whilst I get a bit of stick from fellow Fender followers (you know who you are ) regarding the styling, it's comfortable, light and very funky.
It just feels right for me.
FP

[warwickhunt]

More Warwick love in this thread then I've seen on the whole forum in years!

[merello]

Cheers everyone - more pics though!

[BassTool]

As a bassist of over 30 years I am now the proud owner of a '98 Thumb which I've just bought from jimbobothy on here. I let one of the early models of these beautiful things pass me by back in the mid/late eighties. I baulked at the £650 price tag and boy have I ever regretted not getting that particular bass way back then... That feeling continued for all these years, and whilst raising four kids meant spending money on a bass for myself was put on the back burner for quite some time, my chance finally came recently the other week

I knew from way back that the playability of these particular basses was possibly the closest thing to the main bass I have used for the last 25 years, and as I am a lead singer too, my guitar has to virtually play itself when I'm up there making a racket. Despite trying various Fenders, and frankly wondering what all the fuss was about as well as a myriad of other basses, I still wondered what I may have missed out on all those years back Enter the Warwick Thumb from jimbobothy (and yes the neck does drop away from me but nowt that I can't manage with), the sound and playabilty are simply superb. I go DI straight through into our JBL VRX PA system and monitor via IEM's, so what the audience hear is[i] just [/i]the sound of the bass - I've done this for years and am a big believer in letting the guitar do it's own thing without all the gear in between - each to their own and all that and it doesn't half save my back these days

This bass is megga. Cuts through the mix great, it's possible to hear everything I'm doing, complete with bum notes

I just wish I'd bought that one all those years back.......

Get one, you only live once

[AndyTravis]

Love my Corvette Standard from 2000, found the neck a bit rough at first...

But, eventually, i'd like a Streamer Stage II.

I'm a Warwick fan, but it's my special treat bass, currently strung A to C...nice idea.

[basshead56]

This thread is brillant.
I have always wanted to know more about warwicks but the only place I can try any is 2hours away and I´ve not been that pushed before.
One came up locally for what I gather is a pretty ok price- a bolt on corvette active, under 400 pounds
Missed it unfortunately but it seemed pretty alright. May consider one in the future.

[SignsOfDelirium_bassist]

[quote name='Muzz' post='921846' date='Aug 11 2010, 06:09 PM']Oh, and on the looks front - a mate of mine (non-musician) ruined the Corvette (and a few others) for me by pointing at the top horn the first time he saw it and saying (in front of a crowd):

"That looks too much like a nob for me..." [/quote]

Heh, yea they do look a tad phallic...I used to know someone who put a condom over the top horn before going on stage with it still on there >.> He thought it was hilarious, rest of us thought that between that and his rediculous attempts at soloing, it just kinda made him look like a berk...Although all credit to him, most of the girls in the crowds seemed to find it hilarious too, so I can't exactly blame him for carrying on! haha.

I've wanted a warwick for ages...once I start actually gigging an making a bit of money out of it, I'm definitely saving up for one! Not sure which model I'd want though...I'd love to have a stryker or a buzzard, or an infinity! I've been drooling over those for the past 4 years! Love the sound of them too!

[JohnR]

Steer clear if you are a lefty. They fit right handed tail pieces and the slots are not wide enough to accommodate a E or B strings without a bit of DIY with a file.

[Chris2112]

I had a Warwick Thumb BO 1999 with a beautiful wenge neck. It really was an awesome bass, with perhaps one fault. If the strings on it were anything less than fresh it sounded awful, and I owned it at a time when I wasn't playing out a great deal. If you're getting enough use of use of it to justify puttng new strings on every week then you're in luck!

Overall, I still love Warwick basses and I'll own a Streamer at some point!

[OliverBlackman]

i kno its not in the porn section but god im in the mood for some warwick hopefully the weathers sunny enough to get my thumb in the garden

[budget bassist]

Had a streamer $$ (still have this) and a corvette $$, only thing i can complain about is the jack socket. Had to have them replaced on both as soon as i got them. Aside from that, great basses.

Edited August 11, 2010 by budget bassist

[warwickhunt]

[quote name='JohnR' post='922080' date='Aug 11 2010, 10:33 PM']Steer clear if you are a lefty. They fit right handed tail pieces and the slots are not wide enough to accommodate a E or B strings without a bit of DIY with a file.[/quote]

Run that past me again!

So it doesn't come with the correct tempered EADG sized slot (I correct myself, the early basses only had two sized slots EA and DG)? If it does have different sized slots are you saying that direct from the factory they arrive strung for right handed i.e. the G string sitting in an E sized slot and vice-versa... if so I'd be kicking off big style (in the meantime taking the bridge saddles out and reversing them whilst typing a snotty letter to Warwick hoping for a free box of strings ).

[budget bassist]

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='922113' date='Aug 11 2010, 10:55 PM']Run that past me again!

So it doesn't come with the correct tempered EADG sized slot (I correct myself, the early basses only had two sized slots EA and DG)? If it does have different sized slots are you saying that direct from the factory they arrive strung for right handed i.e. the G string sitting in an E sized slot and vice-versa... if so I'd be kicking off big style (in the meantime taking the bridge saddles out and reversing them whilst typing a snotty letter to Warwick hoping for a free box of strings ).[/quote]
Aye, I'm sure the bridge saddles can be removed and moved around... Correct me if I'm wrong.

[JohnR]

I am talking about the tail and not the saddles. You end up trying to force a B string into a slot cut for a G sting or even a C string on a Sixer. I owned a Thumb 5 and two Thumb 6's and they were all the same.