NickSpector Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 I thought the Streamer STage 1 & 2 and the Thumb neck throughs were the daddys? They certainly sting the wallet accordingly..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwickhunt Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 [quote name='NickSpector' post='196608' date='May 11 2008, 06:09 PM']I thought the Streamer STage 1 & 2 and the Thumb neck throughs were the daddys? They certainly sting the wallet accordingly.....[/quote] TBH of the 'off-the-shelf' models the Dolphin and Infinity (excepting the Stryker & Buzzard which are hardly 'off the shelf' models) are the most expensive I believe. You are right though that the Thumb & Stage II follow these up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshorepunk Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 (edited) I think I may own one of the so called "Daddies" a 5 string Dolphin! Stage 1's are nice, you just gotta try a few, some are better than others, a lot swear by the early ones, they are indeed a good vintage, but there are some gems amongst the later models with most being very good basses. Even with the bolt on of the species, you got to try a few, there is some variation around with the necks and it can make a big difference. I've owned a lot of Warwicks and enjoyed them all, I'm just going thru a J / MM phase now so they ain't floating my boat at the moment! T Edited May 11, 2008 by sshorepunk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geilerbass Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 [quote name='Viajero' post='196209' date='May 10 2008, 08:13 PM']What sparked this off, by the way, is playing a thru-neck fretless Thumb 5 from the mid-90s. Blew me away, but I couldn't afford the price tag. I saw some prices on new gear, and wondered what I might be missing out on in the cheaper models.[/quote] Be aware that the newer top-end Warwicks, while amazing instruments, lack the awe value that late 90's and older models had. You may try some of the new ones and think they're even better, but I know for a lot of people the newer basses don't quite match the older models and this is significant when you're spending up to and above £2k. If you try some newer ones and find a particular model that you like, but aren't quite as blown away as you were by the Thumb you tried, it would be well worth trying to track down an older model second hand, as I think you'd get better value and be more satisfied with your purchase. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geilerbass Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 [quote name='warwickhunt' post='196619' date='May 11 2008, 06:24 PM']TBH of the 'off-the-shelf' models the Dolphin and Infinity (excepting the Stryker & Buzzard which are hardly 'off the shelf' models) are the most expensive I believe. You are right though that the Thumb & Stage II follow these up.[/quote] I think the NT Vampyre is up with the Dolphin and Infinity in terms of price - or am I getting confused here... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwickhunt Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 [quote name='geilerbass' post='196641' date='May 11 2008, 07:25 PM']I think the NT Vampyre is up with the Dolphin and Infinity in terms of price - or am I getting confused here... [/quote] No, you are correct. I'm not 'that' familiar with the more unusual members of the Warwick stable and just plain forgot that one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metalmickey Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 +1 for the 90s models - some of those were astounding. I've played Thumbs, Fortresses and Corvettes from that period (never got my hands on a Streamer though) and all were brilliant examples. Other than that, a lot of the top end models use really exotic woods and are usually neck thru hence the nasty price tag. If you are after one, and as with any other bass/g*****, try before you buy (and do a bit of hunting for an older model). It might be worth noting that when testing a few basses a couple of years back, I was scouting the 5ers in the $$ range (Corvettes), and although they were at the 'cheaper' end of the spectrum, they impressed me way more than any of the top end models, especially in the 'bang for buck' department. No pun intended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 my tip is develop likings for colours that no one else seems to like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lfalex v1.1 Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 [quote name='Rainbass' post='196239' date='May 10 2008, 09:51 PM']I never thought of my beloved Fortress as an evolutionary dead end! It's a 92 model, I got it second hand a few years ago. I wondered where it sat in the Warwick view of the world when it was released, so I emailed Warwick, and they told me! (low-mid bracket apparentely). I've since upgraded the electronics and pups to current 3 band model (like the Streamer Stage 2), through a Warwick dealer. While I was there I tried a number of newer models, but to me they didn't feel as special as my old'un[/quote] When I described them as evolutionary dead-ends, I was looking at it from Warwick's point of view, which would likely be an entirely commercially-oriented standpoint. To wit; (irrespective of how good it is) Does it cost a lot to make? It's quite a complex shape... Can we sell it for lots of money? Not huge amounts. Does it duplicate features found elsewhere in our range? Yes, particularly the Streamer LX. I personally liked the Fortress. Particularly the Flashback and Masterman variants. They were even less popular and went first!! Strangely, Warwick still persist with models like the Stryker... Does ANYONE like these? I can see the appeal of the Vampyre to the Metal crowd, and the appeal of the Buzzard to the Metal crowd/BC Rich fans/Entwistle fans/ fans of the dual "P" layout. On a different note, it'd be nice if they'd expand the CustomShop options further, so ALL body shapes (past & present) were available in any wood choice- Choose your body shape / number of strings Choose your wood Choose construction method Choose your neck wood Choose your fretboard Choose your Pick-ups Choose your EQ etcetera... Without incurring the massive costs associated with CS services. Much of the work is done with CNC routers. I appreciate that Zebrano, Ebony, Bubinga, Ziricote and figured/spalted woods are going to cost more in any given shape, but they really do overcharge you for the privilege. If you configure a standard model using the C/S bass construcion tool, it costs way more than buying the exact same model "off the shelf"! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josh3184 Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 [quote name='Lfalex v1.1' post='196912' date='May 12 2008, 09:02 AM']On a different note, it'd be nice if they'd expand the CustomShop options further, so ALL body shapes (past & present) were available in any wood choice- Choose your body shape / number of strings Choose your wood Choose construction method Choose your neck wood Choose your fretboard Choose your Pick-ups Choose your EQ etcetera... Without incurring the massive costs associated with CS services. Much of the work is done with CNC routers. I appreciate that Zebrano, Ebony, Bubinga, Ziricote and figured/spalted woods are going to cost more in any given shape, but they really do overcharge you for the privilege. If you configure a standard model using the C/S bass construcion tool, it costs way more than buying the exact same model "off the shelf"![/quote] I seemed to remember that it wasnt too costly to do this: plus you get the custom shop case candy which has loads of stuff in over the standard kit. I last looked at this a while back so I'm probably misinformed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc B Posted May 15, 2008 Share Posted May 15, 2008 I think I'd have to agree with the view that the best Warwick is the one that suits you best. I've loved the look and sounds of Warwicks from before I played bass, mainly after seeing Norwood Fisher of Fishbone play a Thumb 5 NT at the second gig I ever went to. To me the Thumb 5 NT is the 'ultimate Warwick' but although I've played a few different Warwicks (Streamers, Fortress, Corvette, FNA, Corvette/Streamer Jazzman) the one that really blew me away was the Streamer Standard (German Built with the W on the headstock). The 'bang for buck' was astounding so I got one new for about £400 back in 2000. I haven't played another Warwick that has made me want to spend more cash since. The only thing that niggles me slightly is the lack of the 2 piece bridge as they look very cool but the oldest Warwicks had Schaller 3D one pieces bridges, so perhaps it's more authentic! If money was no object then I'd have a Thumb NT5 no questions asked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viajero Posted May 15, 2008 Author Share Posted May 15, 2008 Yeah, that's exactly it. I want this Thumb NT5, but I can't have it. Tantalisingly out of reach. So, I'm going up to Newcastle in a fortnight to hit any and all Warwicks I can find. I look forward to being coverted to a make I'd not got on with in the past. Unless, of course, anyone has about 500 quid they can donate to a worthy cause...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc B Posted May 15, 2008 Share Posted May 15, 2008 [quote name='Viajero' post='199392' date='May 15 2008, 11:01 AM']Yeah, that's exactly it. I want this Thumb NT5, but I can't have it. Tantalisingly out of reach. So, I'm going up to Newcastle in a fortnight to hit any and all Warwicks I can find. I look forward to being coverted to a make I'd not got on with in the past. Unless, of course, anyone has about 500 quid they can donate to a worthy cause...?[/quote] BTW - have you seen a Streamer Stage II (I think) with the yin-yang inlays? Those are veeeerrrryyy nice too. You could always try and track down one of Vester's Thumb copies from the early 1990s! The transparent blue/green ones with gold hardware looked fantastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viajero Posted May 15, 2008 Author Share Posted May 15, 2008 Nice tip - to the internet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc B Posted May 15, 2008 Share Posted May 15, 2008 [quote name='Viajero' post='199400' date='May 15 2008, 11:05 AM']Nice tip - to the internet![/quote] Found one! [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/90s-VESTER-BASS_W0QQitemZ7314070544QQihZ008QQcategoryZ4713QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em118Q2el1247"]HERE[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viajero Posted May 15, 2008 Author Share Posted May 15, 2008 You're right, they are remarkably similar. Helluva lot cheaper, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc B Posted May 15, 2008 Share Posted May 15, 2008 (edited) I've had a Vester P-Bass and Telecaster guitar copies and they were among the best Korean built guitars around at that time IMO. I played one of the Vester Thumb copies in Sound Control Edinburgh years ago and really liked it. In fact it was the same colour as the one on eBay. Edited May 15, 2008 by Doc B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gamble Posted May 19, 2008 Share Posted May 19, 2008 I went well over my budget to get my Thumb 5, I did all the shopping around but my mind was pretty much made up before I started. That's not to say that you shouldn't do all the shopping around though, I now want to find something that isn't a Warwick to get excited about so if you do come across something tasty LET US KNOW!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viajero Posted May 19, 2008 Author Share Posted May 19, 2008 Will do. I'm going to cast a wide net with an upper limit of 1000 pounds and see what happens. I'm in no hurry, but The Quest For the Brilliant One Thousand Pound Or Less Fretless Five-String begins here. Might have to work on that title... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.