Warwick v Spector

[rodacademy]

Folks i'm sure this will have been discussed many times but wanted some opinions on this. I have always been a Warwick fan and still have my 91 stage 11. As time has gone on, I dont feel the Warwicks are just as good as they were 20 odd years ago! Moved onto a Bongo last year which I love but wanted somthing a bit lighter and just got a spectorcore and I know its cheaper but Im astounded at the quality!
So are the higher end Spectors as good as I expect! They look the biz and I get the feeling that Spector is on the up or have they always been?
Cheers folks!

[Sean]

I've had three Spectors, two Euros and one USA and they were all top notch instruments. I love the NS-2, it's an incredible instrument, build quality is superb and they sound great with EMGs. I put East preamps in all mine and that made them very versatile.

[rodacademy]

Sean what difference did the east preamps make?

[winterfire666]

I think that newer.warwicks arent a patch on the older models and i personally think they are not worth.the asking price, especially considering what else is on the market in the same price range. I have always prefered spectors over warwicks and i reckon the gap between them is far greater than it used to be. In short spectors are great value great playing instruments and generally very consistent in quality. The same cannot be said about.warwicks (with some exceptions of course)

[RhysP]

Never played a Warwick I liked, Never played a Spector I did't like.

[Kev]

[quote name='winterfire666' timestamp='1396699943' post='2416543']
I think that newer.warwicks arent a patch on the older models and i personally think they are not worth.the asking price, especially considering what else is on the market in the same price range.
[/quote]

The newer post-09 Warwicks with the slim necks, and the post 2013 with the Wenge necks, are superb instruments. The rrp is crazy, but they don't sell for that on the street. My '10 Dolphin is a much better instrument than the 5 or so 80's/90's vintage Warwicks I have owned, in my opinion of course

Tried a few Spectors, found the tone to be very sterile and all in the pickups/electronics rather than the woods, I have never invested

[Dingus]

Regardless of the vintage of whatever Warwick basses you want to compare, the similarities between any Warwick basses and the classic Spector designs are superficial, at best. Just because some Warwicks look like Spectors, it doesn't necessarily follow that one brand will substitute for the other.

Yes , the Streamer body shape that Warwick established themselves as a company on the back of is a direct rip- off from the NS design that belongs to Spector , but the different woods and manufacturing techniques used on Warwicks means they have always sounded very different to Spector basses. I personally think they both sound great in their own right ( despite never having owned either brand ) but you may prefer one over another according to your individual taste. To my ears, the classic Spector NS2 has an impressive low -end heft coupled with an inherent crispness and edge to its' sound that is very appealing . Warwick basses sound a bit richer and more" woody ", but usually still with plenty of attack and extended high frequencies .

Edited April 6, 2014 by Dingus

[warwickhunt]

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1396708696' post='2416644']
Never played a Warwick I liked, Never played a Spector I did't like.
[/quote]

Having owned multiples of both manufacturers, I feel the exact opposite... we can't both be right! Oh I forgot of course we can as it is only 'opinion'!

[RhysP]

[quote name='warwickhunt' timestamp='1396725111' post='2416847']
Having owned multiples of both manufacturers, I feel the exact opposite... we can't both be right! Oh I forgot of course we can as it is only 'opinion'!
[/quote]

I'm more than happy for you to be right - I don't really care to be honest, they're only poxy bits of wood at the end of the day.

[Sean]

[quote name='rodacademy' timestamp='1396692455' post='2416435']
Sean what difference did the east preamps make?
[/quote]

It's a world of difference. I never liked the tone pump or the US Spector preamp so I switched them out. The East preamps are just about the best upgrade you could do to it. It gives you much more control and versatility and you candida lout the harshness if you want. I played my Spectors in function bands that spanned everything from slapping disco, plectrum rock, thumping Motown and everything else. Perfect for metal too before anyone asks.

I regret selling the Euro 4 I had.

[ezbass]

[quote name='Sean' timestamp='1396726585' post='2416880']
you candida lout the harshness if you want.
[/quote]Hee Hee, the joys of auto correct ; I suspect this should've read "dial out the harshness". Sorry, it made me laugh, pleae carry on the discussion re Spector vs Warwick. For the record I've never owned either so have no useful input (nothing new there then)

[molan]

Spector every time for me. I really like US Spectors but Warwicks generally leave me cold.

The NS5XL was one of my favourites when I was still playing 5's.

[Sean]

[quote name='ezbass' timestamp='1396731841' post='2416942']
Hee Hee, the joys of auto correct ; I suspect this should've read "dial out the harshness". Sorry, it made me laugh, pleae carry on the discussion re Spector vs Warwick. For the record I've never owned either so have no useful input (nothing new there then)
[/quote]
Hilarious. http://youtu.be/TJamLyRMS-A

[thisnameistaken]

I find Spectors sound very scooped where Warwicks are full of mids. It seems the rockers prefer Spectors which would bear that out.

Personally I've never played a nicer bass than my '91 Thumb and 10 years in I doubt I'll ever sell it, but I can imagine that players used to American basses would find it a bit weird.

That said, everybody who has played it from luthiers working on it to visitors to my home buying other gear, have all asked if I wanted to sell it after playing it. :-)

[Count Bassy]

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1396726287' post='2416875']
they're only poxy bits of wood at the end of the day.
[/quote]

One for the Basschat quotes thread I think.

[Kev]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1396710250' post='2416666']
Regardless of the vintage of whatever Warwick basses you want to compare, the similarities between any Warwick basses and the classic Spector designs are superficial, at best. Just because some Warwicks look like Spectors, it doesn't necessarily follow that one brand will substitute for the other.

Yes , the Streamer body shape that Warwick established themselves as a company on the back of is a direct rip- off from the NS design that belongs to Spector , but the different woods and manufacturing techniques used on Warwicks means they have always sounded very different to Spector basses. I personally think they both sound great in their own right ( despite never having owned either brand ) but you may prefer one over another according to your individual taste. To my ears, the classic Spector NS2 has an inherent low end heft coupled with an inherent crispness and edge to its' sound that is very appealing . Warwick basses sound a bit richer and more" woody ", but usually still with plenty of attack and extended high frequencies .
[/quote]

This about sums up the thread that is to come

[Danj]

Maybe its because I didn't play a really high end one, but I played a selection of Spector basses at the LBGS and didn't get on with any of them.

By contrast, the Warwick SC BN5 I played had me wanting to take it home - accepted it was marked up at twice the price of any of the spectors I played.

Wait... is this another one of those 'people like different things shock horror' threads?



That said, I always find it interesting to hear what people think is tonally different.

[ezbass]

[quote name='Sean' timestamp='1396733896' post='2416958']

Hilarious. http://youtu.be/TJamLyRMS-A
[/quote]Brilliant!

To be clear (just in case I did cause any offence) the auto correct to 'candida lout' was what made me laugh (talking about tone and suddenly a chav with a yeast infection pops up, will always raise a chortle from me) not your typing; a quick look at my post reveals a case of fat thumbs/unable to type (where was bloody autocorrect there?!). Great video though.

EDIT: Sorry to hijack thread, maybe a PM was more appropriate in this instance. As you were...

Edited April 6, 2014 by ezbass

[ubit]

I just bought a Euro 4LX and used it last night for the first time at a gig and I was blown away by the sound and playability of the neck. What a great instrument. I'm used to fenders but definitely will be using the Spector for our rockier songs. I can't offer any views on Warwicks as I've never played one

[Dingus]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1396710250' post='2416666']
Regardless of the vintage of whatever Warwick basses you want to compare, the similarities between any Warwick basses and the classic Spector designs are superficial, at best. Just because some Warwicks look like Spectors, it doesn't necessarily follow that one brand will substitute for the other.

Yes , the Streamer body shape that Warwick established themselves as a company on the back of is a direct rip- off from the NS design that belongs to Spector , but the different woods and manufacturing techniques used on Warwicks means they have always sounded very different to Spector basses. I personally think they both sound great in their own right ( despite never having owned either brand ) but you may prefer one over another according to your individual taste. To my ears, the classic Spector NS2 has an inherent low end heft coupled with an inherent crispness and edge to its' sound that is very appealing . Warwick basses sound a bit richer and more" woody ", but usually still with plenty of attack and extended high frequencies .
[/quote]

Can I just make it clear, although I have never actually owned a Spector or a Warwick, I have played[i] plenty[/i] of both and so am quite familiar with the signature sound of both makes , but when I refer to Spector I mean the full-spec USA NS models . Those are the only ones I have ever played. In fact, buying one of those has been a bit of a long-term project for me, but I have never found the right one in the right colour at the right weight yet. As for the rest of their range, I have no idea what it is like. Similarly, when I refer to Warwick , I only mean the German-made ones like the Streamer, Thumb, Dolphin ect. I have never dabbled in the budget ones.

For what it's worth, I think the great strength of Warwick and Spector basses is that they both make instruments that don't sound as anemic as a lot of other boutique basses tend to, and their respective basses both have a much more hefty sound that has got the right kind of presence in a mix to sit well with loud guitars and drums and plenty of "grunt" all-round , hence the popularity of both brands with rock players.

Edited April 6, 2014 by Dingus

[ubit]

Believe me, I would love to have bought an NS2' but I can't justify spending 5 grand on a bass, so the euro will have to do for now

[Mark Dyer]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1396787924' post='2417275']
...I have played[i] plenty[/i] of both and so am quite familiar with the signature sound of both makes , but when I refer to Spector I mean the full-spec USA NS models …
[/quote]

I'm expecting my Spector (Euro model) any day soon, and as you would expect I did quite a bit of playing and comparing before committing to it. I spent two sessions at Bass Direct, playing both Euro and US models through various amp/cab setups, and although we all admitted the US build had a slight edge in sound quality and build, we all agreed (Mark at BD, my bass tech* and myself) that it didn't justify the nearly £2000 in price difference. Ok, I know there are exchange rates, import duties involved in US instruments but what I'm trying to say is, don't think if you buy a Euro made Spector that it is sub standard to a US build, because it is not.

Very excited about it arriving.

*Ok, I don't really have a bass tech, it was my mate Dave, but he did once put one of my basses away after a gig so I think that counts.

[Dingus]

[quote name='ubit' timestamp='1396791625' post='2417341']
Believe me, I would love to have bought an NS2' but I can't justify spending 5 grand on a bass, so the euro will have to do for now
[/quote]
[quote name='Mark Dyer' timestamp='1396801012' post='2417462']
I'm expecting my Spector (Euro model) any day soon, and as you would expect I did quite a bit of playing and comparing before committing to it. I spent two sessions at Bass Direct, playing both Euro and US models through various amp/cab setups, and although we all admitted the US build had a slight edge in sound quality and build, we all agreed (Mark at BD, my bass tech* and myself) that it didn't justify the nearly £2000 in price difference. Ok, I know there are exchange rates, import duties involved in US instruments but what I'm trying to say is, don't think if you buy a Euro made Spector that it is sub standard to a US build, because it is not.

Very excited about it arriving.

*Ok, I don't really have a bass tech, it was my mate Dave, but he did once put one of my basses away after a gig so I think that counts.
[/quote]

Please don't get the impression that I am being snooty at all about the Euro basses, or indeed the ones made in the Far East, I'm sure they are great . I just wanted to point out that my observations about the sound of Spector basses are derived entirely from the USA models because those are the only ones I have ever encountered . I would love to try a Euro model and compare, and I am sure the law of diminishing returns may well apply to material differences between the Euro and USA models .

I'm showing my age here, but bear in mind that when I started hankering for a Spector, they were all made in Brooklyn, NY anyway ,so the other models available nowadays didn't really feature in anyone's thinking. I have wanted one of those basses for a very long time, but have never quite taken the plunge yet, largely because up to now they always seemed that little bit too expensive to be a sensible choice when you look at what else you could buy for the money or suffered some other impediment like being too heavy or not in my choice of colour , but if I live long enough I'm sure I will get one someday, eventually .

Talking of money, the elephant in the room regarding Warwick basses is their current U.K prices. They are making some lovely stuff, but flippin' 'eck do they seriously expect people to pay that much for them ?!!

From what I have seen, they are essentially factory-made production guitars, albeit of a very high quality. I suppose Warwick can charge what they like, but when was the last time you heard of someone ordering a new German-made Warwick bass ? Most folks on Basschat would think recommend someone seek psychiatric treatment if they were to fork out for a new Warwick at their current U.K street prices. In real terms, for the kind of quality they are and the work that has typically gone into them , their basses are worth a bit more than EBMM and regular USA Fenders, but not[i] that[/i] much more! I think it is no an exaggeration to say that their basses are about 40% overpriced.

Edited April 6, 2014 by Dingus

[molan]

I was told the other day (by someone connected with Warwick so I've just assumed it's true) that there are no UK dealers selling German made Warwicks any more

I've seen a full 2014 price list and I was genuinely surprised at just how high everything was. I always knew the Signature models had gone a bit crazy but thought they were effectively all custom builds so I could understand it.

It's stuff like Streamers and Thumbs that amazed me

[Musicman20]

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1396817371' post='2417711']
I was told the other day (by someone connected with Warwick so I've just assumed it's true) that there are no UK dealers selling German made Warwicks any more

I've seen a full 2014 price list and I was genuinely surprised at just how high everything was. I always knew the Signature models had gone a bit crazy but thought they were effectively all custom builds so I could understand it.

It's stuff like Streamers and Thumbs that amazed me
[/quote]

If Warwicks were still around £1500-2000 for the bolt on German 5 string models (eg Streamer $$) I would have probably bought one. I may have even tried a Thumb.

Now? No chance. It is a massive shame about how they've priced it all.

To me, they appear to be as expensive or MORE than a NYC Sadowsky. The changes they have made, eg invisible fret technology, and sustainable woods/low carbon footprint all seem great, but why does the customer then pay an extra £2k on the old prices for the same bass?