Streamer Stage 2 (questions)

[Fionn]

This is a question to Warwick Streamer Stage 2 players, or those that know that bass well.

Do any of you know in which year the switchable active/passive preamp started to be used in the Stage 2? And how much of an approximation to the general "Jazz Bass" tone do you feel can be realistically acheived when the bass is played in passive mode?

I would go into a shop and play one, except I live in the most remote corner of the earth.

[throwoff]

I can't help with when the push/pull was added but it is worth bearing in mind the pull pot will only switch off the preamp, the pickups themselves are also active in a Stage II and as such tend to be of higher output than passive J pups (especially anything voiced specifically to be vintage)

It will come close to a Jazz but more akin to a modern Jazz deluxe or an 'Uber-Jazz' like a sadowsky or Lakland than a trad Fender Jazz bass.

[Kev]

Very true, the bass will never work without a battery The tone with the preamp bypassed is basically the same as the preamp active and flat i have found. Can only again mirror his ^^^ comments, it can certainly get a lovely jazz tone but very much a modern one. you wont get a vintage Fender jazz sound out of a Warwick as its just not in its nature.

[roonjuice]

Not me playing btw, but should help answer your Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D81s_lYOm_I

Edited March 24, 2014 by icastle
Link fixed.

[machinehead]

The stage 2 is in my opinion, the best all-round Warwick. That is very subjective of course.

[indent=1]I find it hard to express sound in words but to me, the stage 2 sounds far more defined than a Fender jazz. The sound is "dry" and not as warm as a jazz. It's a tighter sound all round. Also perhaps a tiny bit thinner.[/indent]

[indent=1]I don't feel qualified to give reliable advice on this but I think the stage 2 can't sound as warm as a Fender jazz.[/indent]

[indent=1]Either way, I love the sound of a Warwick stage 2. Plus, the feel and action are, in my opinion, the best there is. Way better than any Fender I have played, and I'm a Fender player too.[/indent]

[indent=1]Frank.[/indent]

[LukeFRC]

you know that the pickups are in different places?

[roonjuice]

i own both streamer and jazzes. chalk and cheese. a good streamer rings and sings, a good jazz growls and barks......

[machinehead]

[quote name='roonjuice' timestamp='1373062834' post='2133473']
i own both streamer and jazzes. chalk and cheese. a good streamer rings and sings, a good jazz growls and barks......
[/quote]

Much better than my contribution.

Frank.

[warwickhunt]

There are no 'exact' dates for anything relating to early Warwicks (most models evolved and it isn't uncommon to get variations and anomalies over the space of a year or two); I can say that I have an 87 SSII at present sans push/pull and likewise I have owned an 88 and a 90 and neither had push/pull yet an 88 SSI has the push/pull. As has been said the pups are active and need juice from the battery so it is NOT a passive bass when the active circuit is bypassed.

As for getting it to sound like a Jazz... it doesn't and can't!

Aside from the active/passive and type of pup, they are positioned different, the neck is thru-body not bolted, the body/neck/fingerboard woods are not akin to ANY Jazz bass variant... in fact other than having a pair of pups that get called 'Jazz pups', it is not anything remotely like a Jazz.

[Fionn]

[b]Och well ... That rules that out then [/b]