Kev

[quote name='Ruck' timestamp='1454786476' post='2973023'] He's just told me he is not going to refund me and it is upto DPD to compensate me. Which I doubt will happen either. well. damn. Not surprising of course. [/quote] DPD will not compensate you, you are not their customer. Please ask him again and let a member of the moderating/admin team know if you have further problems with this member. We are happy to assist in any way we can.

I read this on Facebook this morning, horrible thing to happen As far as I am concerned, it is the sellers responsibility to pursue the Insurance Claim through DPD and get what money they can back, but the entire amount should be refunded to you. It is their responsibility to get the bass to you, and incidents such as this cannot mean you are out of pocket, unless you explicitly agreed with the seller pre-sale that all responsibility of shipping lies with you, which I doubt you did! I do feel awfully sorry for the seller but I hope they do what's right for you. I also feel sorry for you as a lovely Warwick has gone Hopefully one of you has a note of the serial number? Get that posted up. The bass is unusual in that it has an ebony fingerboard with no inlays; I have a hunch it started life as a fretless and was fretted at some point, but if that isn't true then it is quite a rare combo indeed; fretted SSII's have wenge fingerboards and the inlays. In other words, if another comes up like it it will stand out to me and other Warwick aficionados like a sore thumb. Get it shared on the Warwick forum too if you haven't already.

[quote name='eude' timestamp='1454769487' post='2972812'] Did you have a Dirty Blonde then? Always wondered what they sounded like, fairly 'normal' then? Eude [/quote] Dirty Blonde is a great bass, just not a great Warwick bass. Will appeal to many who like the look of Warwicks and not the sound. At the time, i bought a Highway One P and a dirty blonde Thumb at the same time, and the thumb did the P thing better than the P, true story. A great bass, but did not have the balls and power of a proper Thumb bass so I got rid.

Tonewood makes a helluva difference, not matter what anyone says. If that thumb weighed 8lb, was made of ash and had a maple neck, totally different sounding bass. However, at 11lb plus, Bubinga and wenge, it sound like that. Blooming beautiful.

Great video! The Warwick wins it by a mile for me, such character to the sound with the other 3 almost generic by comparison. I did like the clarity of the Modulus, but the Spector and particularly the Roscoe sounded weak to me. Warwick > Modulus > Spector > Roscoe

[quote name='goblin' timestamp='1454539281' post='2970736'] Definitely playing it as safe as I can to avoid any issues, would it be worth leaving it in a room with a dehumidifier too? [/quote] Any advice that Chris at Alpher has given you, follow it. The guy knows how to oil his wood like no other....

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1454450575' post='2969950'] I'm no expert but that looks very suspiciously exactly like a 2008 road worn Mexican Jazz. [/quote] What I thought too, and this was before I looked at the headstock!! Hmm. Sadly for him, I don't think a con would post that picture. But then again, surely noone would believe 1960s Fenders were made in mexico??

[quote name='owen' timestamp='1454336194' post='2968668'] I think the whole vinyl decal thing is a complete red herring. Mine is fine and dandy. I do not spend time looking at it. The "so called" cheaply built thing is also a red herring. I'm sure there are other companies out there who laser etch their boxes and have them put together by robots. However, there is no one out there making boxes that make these noises. I am MORE than happy with my bang for the buck on this pedal. [/quote] That's more reassuring

I signed up for the 2nd batch of these but I am thinking of withdrawing. I don't like the business with the artwork on this pedal just peeling off as it is just a vinyl decal, and the general comments of it feeling rather cheaply built really detract me from spending what in a huge investment in a pedal. I would want something built at least as well as a Deep Impact Any comments from owners on here re this subject?

[quote name='Kev' timestamp='1453330936' post='2958608'] Well, I received my strings a few days ago, thank you very much! For those interested, the 5 string set is 130 100 80 65 45. I have used D'addarios on and off for around 7 years and I am a big fan of their Flex Steel, Pro Steel and Nickel sets, depending on the bass. I tried these out on my Alpher Mako bass, replacing a Newtone Steel round core set 127 100 80 67 47, so a Nickel hex core makes for quite a different string , despite the gauges being very similar. Upon stringing up and tuning, first thing I noticed was the much higher tension feel than the Newtone strings. Whilst round cores are more flexible in general, I was still surprised at how much stiffer they were. I was quite amazed at how well these strings stayed in tune immediately after tuning to pitch for the first time. I can't remember ever tuning up new strings and not having to adjust the next time I picked the bass up. These strings are LOUD and very punchy. A good bit louder than the Newtons. Lots of low end and low mids rumble, quite a signature tone of these strings as eqing never really dialled this 'tone' out. Not boomy, but thick. Highs are very 'polite' with not too much zing for fresh strings. I haven't tried the Nickel D'addarios for a while but off memory they are a less zingy, and much less zingy than pro steels/flex steels. Finger noise is low and the higher tension meant low fret noise too. Its interesting to read some comments about the strings sounding 'open'; I actually found the sound quite focussed. They sound equally good with fingers and with a plectrum, they don't seem particularly suited to slap. Strings smooth and comfortable to play, good balanced sound across all strings with pleasant harmonic content. Use of these has been limited to amplified home use through a Markbass combo and headphone use through an iOS setup. Obviously have to see how they break in, and I understand longevity is a big part of the pitch here, but initial thoughts: [b]Pros[/b] Loud and punchy Nice sound straight out the pack Smooth and balanced [b]Cons[/b] Higher tension than similar gauge strings (which could be a Pro for others) Very much have a tone signature that some may not like Wont be bright enough for some For me, the tension is a bit of a killer as I like a more flexible string, so I do not think I will be investing in these beyond this beta set. However, lets see how they break in. I understand that these strings are going to be around the £30 mark, which if true will put them above flex steels as the top price of the D'addario RW range. If they make a lighter set when released I could revisit, but not as they are. This probably comes across more negative than perhaps is fair or even intended, but I think more than anything they were perhaps just not quite what I was expecting or hoping for. [/quote] Well, Ill post a quick update on this. After getting over the initial differences between these strings and strings I am used to, I actually really like them. The strings are very powerful, loud and punchy, and the comparative lack of string noise is very welcome. They are comfy and seem to sound that bit better each time I pick the bass up. I want to thank D'addario again for letting me be a part of the Beta testing. Someone said something about an online Questionnaire?

This is just gorg grapes. Love it.

1st fret wear sound like the cause, although with high action at the bridge and/or the nut and it still being present is a little odd - certainly the wear would need to be visible for that to happen. Does the fret look visibly worn compared to the 2nd and beyond? The pickup issue is odd. These are active pickups - is the battery fresh and do the cables look sound? I would get the seller to give the bass a full pro service and send it back to you and, providing everything is now fine, pay the £50 or so I wouldn't take it in its current state with pickup replacements and refret possibilities.

I think in the first instance, I would send this back to the seller. If the problem was present the 2nd time you used it it certainly implies the fault was likely pre-existing, be it intermittent or otherwise. I would comment that I found the tracking on the unit to be excellent, so the wobbly comment is interesting and could potentially be linked. If you insist on taking the burden on yourself, a video would be a good idea to try and see what you are saying, as the situation sounds familiar.

That fretless is fantastic, congrats!

[quote name='therealting' timestamp='1453849574' post='2963530'] Optima have been in touch and are collecting the old string (for checking) in exchange for a brand new one. Fair play, that's good customer service. [/quote] Good, but necessary from that vid. Better would have been sending a string without asking for the original back, that is the experience I have had with other string manufactures before (Elixir).

If you have lowered the action right down up until the point of fret buzz and it is still that dull, definitely defective and I'd return them, can't imagine they are cheap?

I have a Prototype WMD Protostar on the way, which is basically a heavily upgraded super fatman. Interested in the Geiger Counter Pro too!

Just bought a set of Fender flats from Andy. As described, can't complain, cheers bud!

There could be no better word than 'Meh' to describe these. A shame, given I was rather curious from the build up in the article.