Fionn

I would think that £650 was in the right ball-park for a black and gold. However, it's not true that all original pickups are coming to the end of their life. Original pickups become available from time to time, but they are not cheap. I don't know whether or not the Kent Armstrong would perfectly replicate the original, as suggested by the seller. I'd be more inclined to buy an original, rather than the re-issue ... more collectable, and the value just keeps on increasing as folk become more aware of the incredible quality of Aria SB's ... Such great great basses.

Sad-ow-sky or Sad-ov-ski? ... that is the question. I've heard both.

[quote name='artisan' timestamp='1398955016' post='2439393'] Well at least it livened up my dead NBD thread [/quote] What did you get?

I would stick with the Warwick. Why would you want a Stingray ... Is it an image/ aesthetic thing?

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1398847874' post='2438115'] Come, now! Surely that must be a "w@nk" of guitarists?? [/quote] Haha! ... quite!

A "w@nk" of bassists

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1398610284' post='2435688'] Kev... you've had a fair few people agree with this... and warwickhunt too also used nickels.... can you expand why you find they work well with 'wicks? Just I'm going string shopping soon and always gravitate towards DR Full beams which are steels [/quote] In my experience, I find that the less "bell like" characteristics of nickels somehow allow the woody characteristics of a Warwick to sing through. I find that stainless steel strings are a bit lively and project too much of an alert "middy" vibe for my liking. It's almost as if a Warwick benefits from just the slightest bit of taming afforded by string material. It's splitting a fine hair, but after all these years of playing both I'm convinced. I only use nickels now. I understand that we have EQ controls for fine tone adjustments, etc, but this is a fundamental quality which is perceivable however you EQ. I've experimented with both string types on 3 of the 4 Warwicks that I've owned (I didn't even change the strings on the first one). These were a Streamer LX, Thumb NT, and my current Streamer Stage 1. The difference was most notable in the Thumb bass. It should be noted that I'm talking about strings which are played-in a bit. That's how I like them. The difference is less obvious in brand new strings.

[quote name='Kev' timestamp='1397514193' post='2424790'] I have found that Warwicks favour nickel rather than steel strings, for me it seems to bring out the characteristics of the Warwick tone best. I have used Dr, D'addario and Dunlop strings to great effect. [/quote] THIS!!! I completely agree about the nickel. I only use D'addario nickels on my Warwick.

Those who are familiar with the earlier "batwing" Aria SB's will have noticed the name "H.Noble", written amongst the blurb on the headstock. This was the western-sounding pseudonym of [color=#252525]Nobuaki Hayashi, of Matsumoku ... designer of the Aria SB series of basses, which are rightfully acknowledged as being[/color][color=#252525] highly innovative in their era.[/color] [color=#252525]All these decades later, [/color][color=#252525]Nobuaki Hayashi is still thinking outside the box. Check out the basses that he's designing these days! ...[/color] [url="http://atlansiaguitars.com/Bass-Guitar.php?type=bass"]http://atlansiaguita...r.php?type=bass[/url] And from the same website, a little bio' of that bright man ... [url="http://atlansiaguitars.com/About.php"]http://atlansiaguitars.com/About.php[/url]

I've heard it said that "A Warwick Streamer is just a copy of a Spector NS" ... yawwwwwwwn! Both are basically copies of a Ned Steinberger design. This was originally licenced to Spector, fair enough ... but getting away from that, a licence or trademark doesn't affect the playability, tone, or functionality of an instrument. It doesn't guarantee a superior bass. For arguments sake, I'd rather have any Jazz Bass copy made by Sadowski, Celinder, Lakland, Sandberg, etc, etc, than a Fender "original". I prefer the Warwick take on Steinbergers design, particularly in the attention to tonewoods. I know less about electronics, and in those terms I only know which end-sound I prefer, and yes, it's Warwick every time. Even the aesthetic variances (which Warwick adopted for legal reasons) have created better looking basses, to my eye. I'm a dyed-in-the-wool Warwick player, sure ... but that's for good reason. I've played Spectors too and I'm not a fan. I believe that Spector make great basses, but its difficult for someone who is familiar with Warwick Streamers not to be attuned to the relative differences in the instruments, and to make comparisons and taste-judgements as a result. Of the Spectors I've played, I always felt that there was a hole in the guts of the tone somewhere, like they lacked the punch and thrust that I'm familiar with, and there was none of that indefinite "woody vibe" that Warwicks seem to ooze (the ones I know, at least). Maybe if I'd grown up with Spectors, I'd find something missing with Warwicks ... It's all subjective.

[quote name='Cameronj279' timestamp='1396652977' post='2416239'] I know it must break a billion unwritten rules of owning such a bass but I'm very close to taking out the P pickup and adding another twin jazz pickup... [/quote] !!!

[quote name='Horizontalste' timestamp='1396911609' post='2418784'] Probably the one that sounds good to your ears my friend, what I like you might hate. [/quote] This

[quote name='el borracho' timestamp='1396689626' post='2416394'] Because I don't have that sort of money these days. [/quote] Fair enough. That's a good reason

[quote name='el borracho' timestamp='1396687789' post='2416375'] I was tempted recently by this one on ebay - but not at £600 + carriage + import duties! [/quote] Why not? It is far superior to a great many basses which sell at that price. Very unusual too. I would say that it was worth it.

[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1396368329' post='2412772'] Bear in mind you will probably end up singing bad arrangements of pop songs you've never liked. [/quote] Haha! The world of Gaelic choirs is ever so slightly different. ... We're currently working on a 15th century Hebridean bardic war song

[quote name='Mr H' timestamp='1396472094' post='2414172']apparently there is a "national shortage" of tenors [/quote] Absolutely. It's the same in Scotland. I'm a baritone, naturally, although I've had to train my voice so as to be able to sing as much of the tenor register as possible. Such is the seeming scarcity of natural tenors. Suffice to say that a good new tenor is always made welcome ... Basses and baritones are ten-a-penny.

Man, you've got to give it a go!!! Sounds like you'll take to it well. You've obviously got a fair amount of musical comprehension, so don't worry about sight reading too much. The necessity of learning complex new material will have you sight-reading before you've even realised you can do it. Not all choirs are full-on about that kind of thing though.

Go for it! It's a great thing to do. I love the huge sound, big, complex pieces of music gradually coming together. When it locks together it is spectacular. You're right there in the heart of the sound. It's powerful and moving. Other benefits are that it has sharpened my comprehension of music theory and brought on my sight-reading by leaps and bounds. It made me confident in voice. So much so that I now sing as a soloist. That's something that I would never previously have imagined doing. Then there is the camaraderie. being part of something so big, done well, is very rewarding ... it's all good. If you're doing it seriously it's a BIG commitment though. I sing both baritone and tenor, in two different (Scottish) Gaelic choirs ... Coisir Gaidhlig Mhealbhaich and Coilich a' chinn a tuath. I've won a National championship with the later, performed and competed nationally and internationally. It has become a part of my life that I couldn't imagine being without.

[quote name='JuliusGroove' timestamp='1392630131' post='2370703'] Any advice/tips on improving reading? [/quote] I struggled for years, trying to sight read whilst playing bass. I got quite disheartened with it and kinda gave up. Then something unexpected happened. I joined a Gaelic choir. Sight reading became a necessity, although it seemed to be easier to sing whilsy reading, as opposed to playing bass. About 3 years into that, I turned my efforts back to bass and it was there. I suppose what I'm suggesting is that you try a different approach. Seperate it from the bass somehow, then go back to it. It worked for me.

Sorry to hear about that situation, but you're right enough to get the hell out of there. No one should let themselves be taken for granted.