Warwick Streamer Stage I '91 Blue

[warwickhunt]

Bit of a strange one! The winner lives 3 miles away, insists on paying by PayPal and refuses to collect or accept an offer for me to drop it off in person. I even offered to meet him at the local ASDA car park to give him the bass (in case he didn't want me coming around to his house... though I do have his address), I explained this could be after he paid so that he didn't have to carry cash and that it would save any possibility of damage in carriage, Nope!

I can't see sense or reason and even though I'm likely to lose even more money (sharing the PayPal fees) I suppose he is exercising his rights.

[warwickhunt]

Well the wheels are slowly falling off the wagon on this sale

Turns out the seller thought he could pay via PayPal and get x number of days credit before having to pay off the balance with his credit card. However there is a problem with his card and/or PayPal and it won't let him proceed! He can't pay so 'won't' pay! I've possibly exacerbated the situation as I gave him a knock (I was passing his front door on the way to the in-laws) and he took offence at my intrusion. Fair does I suppose but I just wanted to try and sort something out face to face if possible.

Long and short is that if anyone wants the bass @ £600 [b]inc delivery[/b] then give me a shout before I relist it.

Please note I no longer have the hardcase. It will come in a gigbag and the packaging will include ply or hardboard to the front and back of the packaging (effectively as much protection as a case).

Edited February 19, 2008 by warwickhunt

[bassaussie]

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='143208' date='Feb 19 2008, 06:11 PM']Well the wheels are slowly falling off the wagon on this sale

Turns out the seller thought he could pay via PayPal and get x number of days credit before having to pay off the balance with his credit card. However there is a problem with his card and/or PayPal and it won't let him proceed! He can't pay so 'won't' pay! I've possibly exacerbated the situation as I gave him a knock (I was passing his front door on the way to the in-laws) and he took offence at my intrusion. Fair does I suppose but I just wanted to try and sort something out face to face if possible.

Long and short is that if anyone wants the bass @ £600 [b]inc delivery[/b] then give me a shout before I relist it.

Please note I no longer have the hardcase. It will come in a gigbag and the packaging will include ply or hardboard to the front and back of the packaging (effectively as much protection as a case).[/quote]

I seriously can't believe the drama you've gone through with this bass. For a start, the price you're selling it for is a steal. I sold a much later one (2000 or so) through the Bass Gallery around 2 years back, and while I can't remember the specific amount, it was closer to the grand mark - I think I got around £900 after comission. On top of that, you're now having to put up with the crap you've just described above. Un-friggin'-believable!!!

I really do wish you the best of luck with this, mate. I will say, though, that I did have a bit of a look at Warwicks on Ebay a few days ago, and they're really not pulling the sort of money that they're worth. Is there no chance you could hang onto this until their prices become a bit more reasonable?

[Pedro1020]

[quote name='bassaussie' post='143239' date='Feb 19 2008, 05:29 PM']..Un-friggin'-believable!!![/quote]

+1

I honestly can't believe it, is there something cursed about this bass that it won't sell? It's Blue, It's Mint, It's Warwick...*argh* absolute dream bass.. dunno why ppl are pulling out..

[warwickhunt]

What can I say?

Occasionally things go up and down the for sale forum for so long and at such a low price that people assume there must be something up. I do know that Andy from this forum came to buy a bass (or two) from me and he has played it and can vouch for the fact that it has that typical Warwick growl and is indeed a fine player (the bass and him ). Well it's been hoicked about since October and not a genuine solid offer so I may well take the advice (inc' my own) and put this away till Summer. I'll give it till the weekend!

[bassaussie]

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='143287' date='Feb 19 2008, 06:39 PM']What can I say?

Occasionally things go up and down the for sale forum for so long and at such a low price that people assume there must be something up. I do know that Andy from this forum came to buy a bass (or two) from me and he has played it and can vouch for the fact that it has that typical Warwick growl and is indeed a fine player (the bass and him ). Well it's been hoicked about since October and not a genuine solid offer so I may well take the advice (inc' my own) and put this away till Summer. I'll give it till the weekend![/quote]

Nah ..... we're not gonna give up yet!! Let's give this a legitimate bump with a serious question.

Being from 1991, this puts the bass in the "preferred" period of Warwick construction, right? I'm not really up on these years, maybe you could just give a quick guide as to which years are the ones that people seem to be more interested in.

[warwickhunt]

[quote name='bassaussie' post='143324' date='Feb 19 2008, 07:38 PM']Nah ..... we're not gonna give up yet!! Let's give this a legitimate bump with a serious question.

Being from 1991, this puts the bass in the "preferred" period of Warwick construction, right? I'm not really up on these years, maybe you could just give a quick guide as to which years are the ones that people seem to be more interested in.[/quote]

A potted history then... all in my own words and from personal experience going back 25 years to when I read about the first one through the 20 years of me actually owning them. TBH even Warwick don't give a whole lot away and you can get a lot of info from the Warwick forum but as with any bass manufacturer hands on experience of as many of a particular bass as possible brings a whole heap of info.

At present I'm not sure that you can truly call anything made by Warwick as vintage BUT just as Fender has the pre/post CBS stuff then Warwick has various periods and has made a variety of alterations to their basses. Specifically relating to the Streamer Stage I range;

The earliest Streamers had spade headstocks with machineheads as per the Spector that they were 'ahem' borrowing from. These basses were normally Cherrywood with 5 piece necks; 3 thick wenge pieces with 2 thinner lighter stringers (various assumptions on what that wood might be but it would seem prudent to think that they are either Cherry or Maple) and had 1 piece Schaller bridges. After legal wrangles with Spector the headstock shape changed and tuners were angled. In the late 80's (I'm being cagey here because just like Fender there are exceptions to any rule during transition times and customer specification throws up a few oddballs but about 87/88) the Stage Is were fitted with 2 piece bridges at about the same period they phased in Maple bodies and retained the thick wenge stringer necks. Then in about '89/90 they changed to the more familiar maple bodies with predominantly Maple necks with thin wenge stringers. This, give or take small changes in electrics/pups/volute etc is the bass that we have today. However in about '92 production was moved and scaled up and CNC became the norm for Warwick; prior to this the manufacturing of Warwicks was 'much more' hands on and if you pick up a Streamer from pre '92 you'll find that there are subtle differences in the sculpting and dishing of any two basses.

After the early 90's Warwicks were finished less and less by hand and I have handled plenty of these basses to know that is not necessarily a good thing. In particular the fingerboard edges are left a lot squarer and are not as pleasing to play (again a comparison to a Fender with a rolled fingerboard edge). In my humble opinion the biggest difference is in the qualities of the woods used. Yes you get a lot of pretty basses from Warwick today but you'd be dismayed at how soft some of these woods are and this does affect tone. This sin't just a Warwick thing I believe a lot of manufacturers are turning to wood that isn't as good a tonewood as timber from 20/30/40 years ago.

Now as to which one people want? The earliest basses have a darker woodier tone. The period between 89/92 produced the classic Stage I tone to my ears with the characteristic growl but with a touch more attack than the earliest models. After that period I noticed that it became very hitty-missy as to what you got out of a StageI and a personal dislike for me was the change to 3 band EQ (a bit like the 2 band EQ on a MM Stingray is THE classic Stingray tone but the 3 band sounds good but IMHO not quite the same).

I stress these are only my views and obviously highly subjective but please... Discuss

[andy b]

Hello You All !!!

I would just like to put on record that I tonight received a lovely Streamer Stage II that I have just bought from senior Warwickhunt and I am totally satisfied! - (thanks John it's a blindingly good bass ). - I also own a Steamer Stage 1 from 91 and I am in full agreement with the comments made. (p.s. I paid £875 for my S1 over 10 years ago!)

I could only deal with John via phone and email due to travel commitments, and I can personally vouch that this man is indeed good to his word.

If you are reading this with a consideration to buying the "bluey" my suggestion is[b] just do it [/b][i][/i]- you will be very happy indeed.

Anyway, got to go I have a great new bass to play !!!

sincere thanks again
Andy B









[quote name='warwickhunt' post='143352' date='Feb 19 2008, 08:30 PM']A potted history then... all in my own words and from personal experience going back 25 years to when I read about the first one through the 20 years of me actually owning them. TBH even Warwick don't give a whole lot away and you can get a lot of info from the Warwick forum but as with any bass manufacturer hands on experience of as many of a particular bass as possible brings a whole heap of info.

At present I'm not sure that you can truly call anything made by Warwick as vintage BUT just as Fender has the pre/post CBS stuff then Warwick has various periods and has made a variety of alterations to their basses. Specifically relating to the Streamer Stage I range;

The earliest Streamers had spade headstocks with machineheads as per the Spector that they were 'ahem' borrowing from. These basses were normally Cherrywood with 5 piece necks; 3 thick wenge pieces with 2 thinner lighter stringers (various assumptions on what that wood might be but it would seem prudent to think that they are either Cherry or Maple) and had 1 piece Schaller bridges. After legal wrangles with Spector the headstock shape changed and tuners were angled. In the late 80's (I'm being cagey here because just like Fender there are exceptions to any rule during transition times and customer specification throws up a few oddballs but about 87/88) the Stage Is were fitted with 2 piece bridges at about the same period they phased in Maple bodies and retained the thick wenge stringer necks. Then in about '89/90 they changed to the more familiar maple bodies with predominantly Maple necks with thin wenge stringers. This, give or take small changes in electrics/pups/volute etc is the bass that we have today. However in about '92 production was moved and scaled up and CNC became the norm for Warwick; prior to this the manufacturing of Warwicks was 'much more' hands on and if you pick up a Streamer from pre '92 you'll find that there are subtle differences in the sculpting and dishing of any two basses.

After the early 90's Warwicks were finished less and less by hand and I have handled plenty of these basses to know that is not necessarily a good thing. In particular the fingerboard edges are left a lot squarer and are not as pleasing to play (again a comparison to a Fender with a rolled fingerboard edge). In my humble opinion the biggest difference is in the qualities of the woods used. Yes you get a lot of pretty basses from Warwick today but you'd be dismayed at how soft some of these woods are and this does affect tone. This sin't just a Warwick thing I believe a lot of manufacturers are turning to wood that isn't as good a tonewood as timber from 20/30/40 years ago.

Now as to which one people want? The earliest basses have a darker woodier tone. The period between 89/92 produced the classic Stage I tone to my ears with the characteristic growl but with a touch more attack than the earliest models. After that period I noticed that it became very hitty-missy as to what you got out of a StageI and a personal dislike for me was the change to 3 band EQ (a bit like the 2 band EQ on a MM Stingray is THE classic Stingray tone but the 3 band sounds good but IMHO not quite the same).

I stress these are only my views and obviously highly subjective but please... Discuss [/quote]

[warwickhunt]

[quote name='andy b' post='143433' date='Feb 19 2008, 10:29 PM']Hello You All !!!

I would just like to put on record that I tonight received a lovely Streamer Stage II that I have just bought from senior Warwickhunt and I am totally satisfied! - (thanks John it's a blindingly good bass ). - I also own a Steamer Stage 1 from 91 and I am in full agreement with the comments made. (p.s. I paid £875 for my S1 over 10 years ago!)

I could only deal with John via phone and email due to travel commitments, and I can personally vouch that this man is indeed good to his word.

If you are reading this with a consideration to buying the "bluey" my suggestion is[b] just do it [/b][i][/i]- you will be very happy indeed.

Anyway, got to go I have a great new bass to play !!!

sincere thanks again
Andy B[/quote]

Ah shucks Andy I'm blushing

In all seriousness I was confident that you'd be happy and I tried to be as honest and accurate as I could in my description without 'over-egging the pud'.

I don't have anything to hide with 'Bluey' here but I am growing tired of trying to justify someone buying it. I know it is good and I seriously can not see how it can't be worth LESS THAN £600! FFS the average cost of the other Warwicks that I have sold in the last 3 weeks (excluding the BO Swirly Bubinga bass to Waldo) is £1100 and I can't get £600 for this one... mental, seriously mental.

[Pedro1020]

[quote name='andy b' post='143433' date='Feb 19 2008, 10:29 PM']If you are reading this with a consideration to buying the "bluey" my suggestion is[b] just do it [/b][i][/i]- you will be very happy indeed.[/quote]

I would like to, but I have to get rid of my Fender Bronco first..I'm peeved the same, as this bass haunts me :wacko: *mentally rocks*

[Metallicat V3.0]

It seems the warwicks seem to be dropping a bit in price of late which is odd as they're awesome basses and precisely why I'm thinking of loosing the sub and getting one again.

Good luck with the same but definately do not go below £600 (unless its to me ;P) in all seriousness the bass should be quite a few quid more then what its at at the moment!!

Darryl

xx