Tell me about Warwick

[Dan Dare]

I borrowed a Warwick this weekend. As a long-time (since the 1980s) Fender user, was mightily impressed, mainly by the tone - very solid, full but not overblown with a real punch in the chest quality - and the neck wasn't shabby, either. Did old school and modern sounds and easy to play. Had two J type pickups (active or passive - I mainly kept it passive). It was German-made and not cheap, apparently. Are the far eastern made ones worth a look? Don't fancy spending big money, but would like that sound at my fingertips. Suggestions and recommendations welcome. Thanks all.

[lemmywinks]

Get a used German Corvette, super basses. 

[Mastodon2]

It's really German or nothing for me, when it comes to Warwick. I wouldn't bother with the Asian stuff.

I'm not sure which model you borrowed - two J pickups could mean it was any one of a large number of basses. For me, the Thumb is the epitome of the Warwick sound, especially the five string models with the double Jazz bars slanted and stacked right against the bridge. They are the pinnacle of growl. 

 

[CamdenRob]

They are like normal basses only lumpier 😐

[Lfalex v1.1]

I've never not liked most Warwicks I've played.

I've only owned German-made ones, and only sold the Streamer LX6 because I had to. My Fortress MM5 is a formidable Stingray alternative, and the Infinity SN4 is superb.

Pros;

Build quality, reliability, availability of parts and spares.

Woody, growly sound, more so from the natural finished ones.

TheWenge necks are lovely once played-in

Plenty of choice at reasonable prices on the second-hand market.

Cons;

The Just-a-nut 2 is very fragile. It's been superceded by the 3. Nothing wrong with the JAN 1.

The "barrel" Jack sockets aren't the best design ever, but can be replaced.

They can be HEAVY! *other heavy basses are available.

Some designs are a bit... Idiosyncratic. Thumbs jump off of my lap if I'm seated!

Natural wood (unfinished) needs waxing and supposedly might dry out and crack. I've never seen it, though!

Some confusion in the range since production has moved to Asian locations. You can easily tell if it's German-made from the woods, quality and finish.

Some MEC pickups are funny shapes and can't easily be replaced by other manufacturers' units.

The MEC EQs are functional enough, but not brilliant. 

The headstock design is blobby!

 

My favorites? Dolphins, any of the Infinitys, neck-thru Streamers and Thumbs. The Jazzman pick-up configuration and J/TJ layout. That MEC twin jazz pickup!!

 

[warwickhunt]

German made Streamer with JJ pups would indicate (initially) that you've played a Streamer Stage II (if it was a 4 string NT), which is top of the range stuff and I'm not surprised you were impressed.    

'Personally' I'd stick with German made basses;  80's or 90's basses had slimmer necks than more recent models but chunky might be your thing.  The Streamer LX range of BO basses can be had very cheap for what they are.

As noted above nut MkII was pants but easily changed, jack sockets on most used basses will have been upgraded with Switchcraft or similar quality jack socket by now... if not change it (£5 - 15 minute DIY job)!  I personally like the natural finishes because they can touched up and sanded/cleaned easier than paint finishes.  I may also be in the minority that I find the MEC EQ great (2 band) and not dissimilar in the transparency of say EMG.

If you're visiting near Newcastle, I've got a few basses of different config you can have a try of before making your decision and buying.  

[binky_bass]

I've had a number of Warwicks over the years, some bought to sell, some bought to keep (including @lfalex v1.1's LX6 which only got sold to fund my incoming ACG build). The two I'm left with won't be leaving me any time soon. One is a Streamer Stage I 6 string, the other is a Thumb single cut 6, both are outstanding basses and have huge sounds. The Rockbass and Asian made Warwicks that have passed through my hand are perfectly serviceable basses, but nothing special. If you're after that 'something special' vibe, then you'll need to go full German. A 4 string BO Thumb could be bought for £650 - £750 on the right day and you wouldn't loose money re-selling it if you decide it's not for you.

[Dan Dare]

7 hours ago, warwickhunt said:

German made Streamer with JJ pups would indicate (initially) that you've played a Streamer Stage II (if it was a 4 string NT), which is top of the range stuff and I'm not surprised you were impressed.    

If you're visiting near Newcastle, I've got a few basses of different config you can have a try of before making your decision and buying.  

It was a 4 string. It had that long, shaped upper bout that sits against your, er, rounded bit. I appreciate your kind offer. Sadly, I'm in The Smoke (aka London), so not really a practical proposition. 

Thanks everyone for advice. Full German is obviously the way to go. I've started looking out on eBay, etc. They do seem to hold their value, so if I don't get on with it, I should be able to recoup. There's a very pretty one on the Market Place at present, which is tempting. Are there any snags/things that fail that I should be aware of, apart from sockets and the nut - I can use a soldering iron and screwdriver (I understand the nut is a bolt on, so not a problem)?

[warwickhunt]

Could be Thumb or Corvette you tried (don't know why I thought you'd originally said 'Streamer'... you clearly didn't  ).  

[machinehead]

Don't dismiss the Korean Streamer LX4.

I've owned a German LX4 and a German Streamer Stage 2 (a superb bass) but I now have a 2012 Korean Streamer LX4.  It's really got that Warwick growl.  I like this one as much as the German built ones I've had, and, in my opinion, the quality is just as good.

It's rekindled my love of Warwick after years back in the Fender camp.

Frank.

[Monkey Steve]

On 16/12/2019 at 19:29, Dan Dare said:

It was a 4 string. It had that long, shaped upper bout that sits against your, er, rounded bit. I appreciate your kind offer. Sadly, I'm in The Smoke (aka London), so not really a practical proposition. 

Thanks everyone for advice. Full German is obviously the way to go. I've started looking out on eBay, etc. They do seem to hold their value, so if I don't get on with it, I should be able to recoup. There's a very pretty one on the Market Place at present, which is tempting. Are there any snags/things that fail that I should be aware of, apart from sockets and the nut - I can use a soldering iron and screwdriver (I understand the nut is a bolt on, so not a problem)?

So a Corvette then?

I've had a few over the years - currently have a Custom Shop 5 string Streamer Stage 1 with $$ pickups.  Always loved the growl. 

Had one where the Just-A-Nut 2 (plastic) failed and replaced it with a Just-A-Nut 3 (brass) - easy, and if you get one with the plastic nut, I'd suggest it as an immediate upgrade, although pay attention to the neck width.  And one had a jack socket failure, more of an issue because the barrel sockets are a bit of a pain, but not too tricky for someone who knows their way round a soldering iron (and has a little patience)

There are neck-thru models (NTs) and bolt ons, and the NTs tend to be much slimmer, although the chunkiness of the bolt ons have varied over the years (I've only had two NTs and they were identically slim, but both from the last couple of decades).  As mentioned above, there is also a choice of standard and wide necks and you may want to keep an eye out for that, so make sure you try before you buy

After some years of being hard to find in shops, the lower end German ones have been making a reappearance over the last few years, but the Rockbass (far Eastern) models have been on the shelves for ages.  If you're in town, a trip out to Andertons in Guildford wouldn't be too far and they have loads or Rockbass and GPS & Teambuilt models in stock (not aware that they stock Custom Shop or Masterbuilt, but I may be wrong)

However, the second hand prices for older German made (pre Custom Shop/Masterbuilt) basses is amazingly cheap compared to current new prices, so if time is on your side I'd suggest keeping an eye out for those

[NickA]

They're amazing value because for some reason ( fashion? overproduction? ) they don't hold their value from new. You can get a late 1990s  German built Warwick for £1500 that has the build quality of something costing twice or more that new.  My 2001 dolphin pro 1 was £1600 Inc shipping, but would be £5k new I think.

The ( waxed, wenge or ovangkol) necks are lovely. Superb fret work.  MEC pickups a bit thin sounding to me, need some bass and treble boost, but that's easily dialed in.  Lovely clear sound.

I note that the German " team built " basses are not a bad price now either. ( £1500 for a streamer LX4 at bass direct just now). So no need to buy an Asian made "rock bass" really.

The sound is, "distinctive" however and,  in an age when band leaders often want the dull thump of a precision, not to everyone's taste.

[VTypeV4]

I've had my Streamer LX5 (5 string, bolt neck with twin jazz pickups) for nearly 20 years - still love it to this very day. They're distinctive with plenty of note definition so are particularly good at keeping you something like present in the mix both live and in the studio.. Love 'em..