Linus27 Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 I have asked a couple of supplies, GAK for example to see if they can get me a Warwick Streamer LX4 fretless and they are saying they can no longer get them. I also noticed that a lot of other suppliers, for example Andertons are no longer stocking Warwick's apart from maybe the odd Rockbass. Its becoming harder and harder to find Warwick's in this country. Is this because they are just getting far too expensive for retailers to buy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahpook Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 judging by their resale value i wonder if they're just not very popular at the moment, so retailers are reluctant to stock them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machines Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 I think this may be the case - Warwick seem terribly unfashionable at the moment and the (new) prices have shot up too. I think a Corvette $$ 5 is £1300 (Thomann) and I remember them being £700 when they came out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mart Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 I'd heard that Warwick were putting many more conditions on shops before allowing them to be Warwick dealers. As a result there are very few dealers in the UK at the moment. In fact, now that I look it up, according to the Warwick site there is only one "true" Warwick dealer in the UK: Bass Merchant. But there are many dealers for the Korean Pro series or the Chinese Rockbasses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahpook Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 i think they've confused a lot of people with their different lines and manufacturing bases a 'warwick' used to be a warwick, now it's more confusing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eight Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 (edited) [quote name='mart' post='1267468' date='Jun 13 2011, 04:08 PM']I'd heard that Warwick were putting many more conditions on shops before allowing them to be Warwick dealers.[/quote] Yep. I've had a few dealers tell me this. One, not naming names, told me that they were actually selling loads of Warwicks but the company made itself so difficult to work with that the dealer decided not to bother anymore and pushed other brands instead. Edited June 13, 2011 by Eight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linus27 Posted June 13, 2011 Author Share Posted June 13, 2011 Thanks guys, interesting, I wonder why Warwick are going down this route. I can't see the logic in it as they are pushing themselves out of the market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longtimefred Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Warwick should just tell people who want to buy one to come on here. Plenty to be had! lol Tis a shame caus they are great instruments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crez5150 Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 There are several European Manufacturers centralising and closing UK distribution. it's been happening for some time now.... some companies you might not even know this has happened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sime17 Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 (edited) [quote name='mart' post='1267468' date='Jun 13 2011, 04:08 PM']I'd heard that Warwick were putting many more conditions on shops before allowing them to be Warwick dealers. As a result there are very few dealers in the UK at the moment. In fact, now that I look it up, according to the Warwick site there is only one "true" Warwick dealer in the UK: Bass Merchant. But there are many dealers for the Korean Pro series or the Chinese Rockbasses.[/quote] I had a chat about a month ago with a (ex Warwick) dealer - who will again remain nameless (lovely guy tho - actually bought his old dj5 off him as a private sale and still have it...anyway, i digress)... We started off talking about Lakland in the UK and how the exchange rate was killing it for the former importer but he went on to say that Warwick was another one that was once ubiquitous but is now hard to find new and basically for the reason Mart explained. He expanded further on this - one of the 'conditions' is that prospective dealers of Warwick basses are expected to [i]stock[/i] and push their Hellborg amps as well. Now I'm sure they're wonderful devices but they are incredibly expensive (imho) and aesthetically a bit 'individual' so dealers must be a tad cautious about that. Plus it seems they are pretty 'old school heavy' - at a time when a lot of us are discovering that with the new generation neo magnets and switching power amps, hernias no longer come as standard... I can therefore understand why dealers aren't keen. I've never owned (or wanted) a Warwick but to me they are a bit 'interchangeable' with Spectors, pointy Sandbergs, natural-finish Yammies and the like - so maybe dealers are also finding it easy to offer other brands that fit the bill. But then, wtf do I know? I'm one of those phillistines that only likes basses that look like Leo designed them Edited June 13, 2011 by sime17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 early 2000's numetal - they sold lots but screwed up their brand.... who knows what they're up to now- but i like my old warwick- but wouldn't dream of getting a new one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomBassmonkey Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 Warwick have shot themselves in the foot with their amps. As someone else said, you can't get a dealership unless you bring in their amps (I'm not sure if it's got to be the hellbord specifically, but definitely amps are involved). They also have other clauses like you need to spend several thousand with them. As a shop, it doesn't make sense to spend thousands of pounds on undesirable items that would be a struggle to sell even if they were expensive due to their price (lots of shops have problems selling any bass over £500, never mind £1,000+) then on top of that they're expected to spend yet more money on amps (a minimum order of amps specifically iirc). Warwicks were always well made, distinctive German made basses. Now they've given that up for very average amps and watered down the image with cheaper made rockbasses, then further confused people by removing the rockbass title. It's a shame, I had a Thumb and loved it, but I wouldn't buy a new WW now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machines Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 The Corvette $$ 5 I had was awesome, just the neck I couldn't live with. Warwick seem to be more concerned about their brand than credibility with musicians. The older stuff is marvellous and has a great vibe to it (I still want an old Thumb NT5) but to me, they're more concerned with <insert this years signature model> than their core product. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 Warwick to me are fantastic quality, but I just don't get on with the necks or the aesthetics. They are, in my mind, as mentioned above, associated with bad nu-metal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truckstop Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 Really? Korn's Fieldy uses Ibanez (the K5), Limp Bizkit's Sam Rivers used Ibanez for their first 3 albums (then started using Warwick for the CSATHFW tour) and Chi Cheng uses Fenders (are Deftones nu-metal?). Linkin Park (Ibanez), Dry Kill Logic (Washburn), Fear Factory (?) and Ill Nino (Cort (IIRC correctly from an old Kerrang! interview)) didnt use Warwick either. Paul Gray used Warwick, but I'd hardly call Slipknot nu-metal. They were just unlucky enough to come out and get big with all the other Nu-Metal dross. When I was growing up in the middle of the nu-metal era, everyone wanted an Ibanez because everyone used them! I'd never even heard of Warwick until I played with Enter Shikari way back in 2002! The fact is, is that Warwick priced themselves out of the market when people cottoned on to the fact that they're great instruments. Truckstop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linus27 Posted June 14, 2011 Author Share Posted June 14, 2011 Linkin Park/Dave Farrell uses Stingrays. Usually 4 string but 5 also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truckstop Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 Ah yes, sorry, my mistake! Truckstop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 [quote name='Machines' post='1268256' date='Jun 14 2011, 09:20 AM']... they're more concerned with <insert this years signature model> than their core product.[/quote] And these are hardly reasonably priced. Last time I looked for the cost of any but the most basic of the Made In Germany models you get get something custom made by a good UK luthier, and the average signature model was more expensive than pretty much any custom build with the possible exception of a Carl Thompson or Fodera... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linus27 Posted June 14, 2011 Author Share Posted June 14, 2011 I still want a Streamer LX 4 fretless though but I might have to go second hand which is going to be like finding a needle in a haystack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 Hmm, not sure why I associate nu-metal with Warwick, but anything slightly metal/small bodied tends to be what I think of when it comes to nu-metal. The only good band from that lot is The Deftones, and they got tarred with the brush of nu-metal when they are in fact just a great melodic metal/rock band who continue to do their own thing. I couldnt/cant stand nu-metal...still makes me cringe now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linus27 Posted June 14, 2011 Author Share Posted June 14, 2011 [quote name='Musicman20' post='1268513' date='Jun 14 2011, 12:25 PM']Hmm, not sure why I associate nu-metal with Warwick, but anything slightly metal/small bodied tends to be what I think of when it comes to nu-metal. The only good band from that lot is The Deftones, and they got tarred with the brush of nu-metal when they are in fact just a great melodic metal/rock band who continue to do their own thing. I couldnt/cant stand nu-metal...still makes me cringe now.[/quote] I have no idea what nu metal is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bremen Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 [quote name='Machines' post='1268256' date='Jun 14 2011, 09:20 AM']The Corvette $$ 5 I had was awesome, just the neck I couldn't live with. Warwick seem to be more concerned about their brand than credibility with musicians. The older stuff is marvellous and has a great vibe to it (I still want an old Thumb NT5) but to me, they're more concerned with <insert this years signature model> than their core product.[/quote] My sister has an old NT5 that she might be selling...PM me if you're interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 (edited) Yep, can concur with most of the above: I love my old Fortress (mainly for the neck - that wenge is fantastic), but also for the ergonomics - it sits just right. Shame about the looks. I've got a pair of Wizards to go in which should sort the sound out for what I'm after, that's it done. But the new stuff...in an idle and possibly GAS-instigating moment, I was browsing the Warwick site over the weekend, but I couldn't find anything I'd like to buy that didn't cost the earth. £5k+ for a factory-built, already-in-stock bass is just bananas. Even the bog-standard German stuff is comfortably into four figures new nowadays. I just can't see who would buy one new. No Warwick GAS for me, which is unusual given how much I like the two I've got (also got a fretless Corvette). Edited June 14, 2011 by Muzz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonno1981 Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 [quote name='sime17' post='1267888' date='Jun 13 2011, 09:01 PM']I had a chat about a month ago with a (ex Warwick) dealer - who will again remain nameless (lovely guy tho - actually bought his old dj5 off him as a private sale and still have it...anyway, i digress)... We started off talking about Lakland in the UK and how the exchange rate was killing it for the former importer but he went on to say that Warwick was another one that was once ubiquitous but is now hard to find new and basically for the reason Mart explained. He expanded further on this - one of the 'conditions' is that prospective dealers of Warwick basses are expected to [i]stock[/i] and push their Hellborg amps as well. Now I'm sure they're wonderful devices but they are incredibly expensive (imho) and aesthetically a bit 'individual' so dealers must be a tad cautious about that. Plus it seems they are pretty 'old school heavy' - at a time when a lot of us are discovering that with the new generation neo magnets and switching power amps, hernias no longer come as standard... I can therefore understand why dealers aren't keen. I've never owned (or wanted) a Warwick but to me they are a bit 'interchangeable' with Spectors, pointy Sandbergs, natural-finish Yammies and the like - so maybe dealers are also finding it easy to offer other brands that fit the bill. But then, wtf do I know? I'm one of those phillistines that only likes basses that look like Leo designed them [/quote] That would be me! The shop went under sadly but we had made the decision to stop stocking Warwick's some time in the past. Whenever we would get inquiries from customers I would get to the meat of the conversation (price) and people were shocked with the prices we were quoting (and they were competitive!!!!). Put simply they priced themselves out of the market to customers. Every 6 months for 2 year period the cost price to dealers went up by 10-15% a time. As a dealer the commitment of goods you have to take on to be a Warwick Centre was prohibitive and unaffordable for us. To offer any German made Warwick's at all you had to have at least 12 in stock and a Hellborg system. Warwick offer no kind of credit account so you have to have the cash up front to pay for £20-30K of goods. The product is fantastic, the quality better than ever but at the prices they are now there isn't enough of a customer base to support sales at the prices they have set. £2.5k plus for neck through 5 string?? Double buck's with no options for over £1100?? That's why there isn't a UK dealer base anymore. Sad really coz the basses are great but at a time when the second hand value is so poor it's very hard to justify buying a new instrument. It was especially frustrating for us as we had always done well with the brand with many customers ordering custom shop instruments but we simply couldn't afford to keep stocking them. Oh and Sime I mentioned I had a white scratchplate for the DJ5 knocking around somewhere - I've found it. PM me if you want it and I'll drop it in the post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sime17 Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 [quote name='ThomBassmonkey' date='Jun 14 2011, 03:09 AM' post='1268148'] (I'm not sure if it's got to be the hellbord specifically, but definitely amps are involved). My 'source' named the Hellborg stuff specifically- just before he went back to his daily business of polishing shoes/pimping/selling class 'a's or whatever it is sources do these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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