So I’m thinking I fancy a Warwick

[Meatbag]

My collection is growing and I like the odd and unloved stuff, but for some reason I’m really taken with the idea of a Warwick. 
There are a few Corvettes in my price range (6-700 quid) but I see some are made in Korea/China where some of the older ones seem to be German made. Some have single coils, others have HB’s: some passive some seem active.

 

ive got my eye on one in particular that is made of Walnut, has HB’s  and appears active as there’s two micro switches close to the pots. The seller says it’s 2001 and the plastic control cover appears to say Made in Germany.

 What’s the collective advice on Warwick’s please?

My current lineup includes an ‘84 4003, Status Graphite Smartbass, Vigier Passion 4, MusicMan Stingray 4.

cheers muchly

[funkypenguin]

If you want to dip into the world of Warwick, I would recommend going for a bass made in Germany in the late 90's or earlier with a wenge neck and preferably with electronics and pickups other than MEC (EMG, Bartolini and Seymour Duncan are the other makes often used). Thats a specific set of criteria I know, but the basses that fit within them are better instruments than a lot of the basses made post 2000, unless you were to go for a top of the line custom shop model. 

The wenge neck is what sets a lot of the great Warwick basses apart, the basses with ovangkol and maple necks don't sound the same to my ears, they miss that lovely Warwick growl. The MEC electronics are the weakest part of Warwick basses across the board, to me their top end is too thin and brittle sounding. My own Warwick has Duncan's (standard) and an East U-Retro preamp (retrofit). The change of preamp transformed the bass, it was literally like night and day compared to the old MEC 2 band unit.

Hope that helps somewhat!

Ben

[LeftyJ]

11 hours ago, Meatbag said:

ive got my eye on one in particular that is made of Walnut, has HB’s  and appears active as there’s two micro switches close to the pots. The seller says it’s 2001 and the plastic control cover appears to say Made in Germany.

From what you're describing, that sounds like a Corvette $$ (two MusicMan-style humbuckers, each with their own microswitch for coil splitting and series/parallel options). What you're describing as walnut could likely be bubinga, as the standard Corvette $$, like the Corvette Standard, comes / came either with an ash or bubinga body. It doesn't sound like any other Warwick, but has a large following because it has a huge range of great and usable tones, largely because of its unique pickup placement with the two humbuckers close together around the MM sweet spot.

[OliverBlackman]

Warwick’s are brilliant fun and have bags of character. Some had their issues such as a rubbish jack socket that wears quickly and trusrods that would snap, but all repairable. 

Late 80’s/ early 90s have the best reputation but I really enjoyed owning the mid 2000 ones I had. 

For 5 string models they have very narrow string spacing which isn’t to everyone’s taste. 

[LeftyJ]

44 minutes ago, OliverBlackman said:

For 5 string models they have very narrow string spacing which isn’t to everyone’s taste. 

...or crazy wide 

Broad Neck option on some models gives you 20 mm on a 5-string. 

I own a 2003 Streamer LX5 with 16.5 mm spacing which is fairly narrow (similar to a Stingray 5) and with a very substantial ovangkol neck, and it's a great playing and sounding bass though I do agree with @funkypenguin that the MEC J-style pickups and 2-band MEC preamp are a bit harsh and bright. I've been thinking of replacing the pickups and/or preamp but haven't really looked into my options yet. With my guitars, I've always been happily modding various specs but with my basses I've never had that urge before.

[CookPassBabtridge]

Warwicks are awesome. Some great advice so far though I have a couple of other perspectives that may be of use!

While given the choice, yes you should go with a Wenge neck, don’t write off Ovangkol entirely. I have a Thumb - BO in Ovangkol, with a ‘baseball bat’ neck (the unholy trinity of Warwicks some people might say). But it’s awesome - plenty of growl and so comfortable to play. 

The MEC electronics get a lot of stick but I think they’re actually pretty good. When you think of the typical modern Warwick tone they have a lot to do with it. So while models with SDs, EMGs, Barts etc. may arguably be better, don’t avoid a decent Warwick with MECs without having played it. 

Trying to navigate the different model revisions for Warwick is a nightmare as they made changes here there and everywhere over the years. But I would certainly recommend going German-made used - plenty of bargains out there so you’ll defo find something nice for your budget.

[Doddy]

I wouldn't be too worried about the Wenge/Ovangkol neck difference. I think that the fingerboard has a bigger effect on the sound than the actual neck, so you'll still get that Warwick growl as long as it's got a Wenge fingerboard. 

Unless you want to get something new and specific, you need to look at the secondhand market for Warwicks. They don't always hold their value, so you can find a bargain if you look. I picked up my late 90s, German, Streamer LX for super cheap a few years ago.

I put a Bartolini preamp in mine after the MEC broke, and it sounds awesome. It's more aggressive sounding than some of my other basses and really cuts through the mix.

 

[Thunderbird]

Most importantly make sure that the truss rod works and is not mullered as some warwick basses do have truss rod issues

[TheGreek]

If you're thinking about getting a Warwick - buy a Spector!!

[LeftyJ]

There's more to Warwick than just the Streamer - and the Streamer has evolved away from the design it once copied in many ways too 

[Monkey Steve]

I'm a big fan of Warwick basses

@LeftyJ is right - sounds like a $$ (double buck), but I'm not aware of any walnut ones, although they did do an awful transparent black finish which came out a muddy brown, and they do have a history of limited runs and custom orders - the tobacco finish on an ash body looks very walnut-y.  You might want to do a bit of googling to make sure that it's genuine if the type of wood is important to you - Warwick should be able to confirm it from the serial number

They had $$ options for both Streamer and Corvette, but of the standard range, the Corvette's included a Neck Thru (NT) option, which had a really slim, fast neck.  Just gorgeous to play, and easily the best of the lot.  There are variations here - broadnecks are obviously wider, and there have been a number of different options for shape and depth over the years.  Some of the older models can be quite chunky so I'd suggest always trying before you buy for a second hand one if possible (possibly not at the moment).  If you prefer a chunkier neck and don't venture above the 15th fret then a bolt on may be fine for you, but in general the NTs are always slimmer.  Back in 2001 you could basically order whatever neck profile and hardware you wanted and Warwick would put it on the bass without charging the earth and calling it a custom order, so there are a lot of possibilities

For the electrics, the MEC (Warwick own brand) pickups will be passive, but with active eq.  I really like the sound and flexibility of the $$'s (and had them put on to my custom Stage I Streamer) but they are a bit under-powered, and if I'm using other basses then the Warwick will need an external boost to get the levels up, even against a passive bass.  

It's worth checking which eq set up is on there - I've had a straight forward one pot for each of the three band eq, a two pots which claims to be a three band eq by insisting that you adjust the bass and treble levels against a flat mid level, and a three band with two controls, one being a stacked bass and treble plus a separate mid.  In fairness they've all worked just as well, but I know which I prefer.  As I recall the Corvette $$s had the two knobs pretending to be three bands version, but that may just have been the one I had

The German made second hand ones are, IMHO, massively undervalued.  I've played some of the non-German ones that mates have and they are fine - there's a bit of snob value, and personally I'd always go for a German one, but I know of one bass player in a name band (small name - medium sized fish in a small genre pond)  who plays a non-German one, bought for him by a band member who was in another band with me and loved the sound of my actually German Corvette.  You'd never know his isn't a German one.

If I recall correctly, in 2001 only German ones were called Warwick, with the other being marketed under the RockBass brand and with the RB logo on the headstock.  They still notionally use the brand for the non-German models (and there's a long history of where they have been manufactured outside of Germany) but have changed the logo on the head to say Warwick.  If it is from 2001 then I'm pretty sure that if the headstock says Warwick then it will be German made

 

[Guest]

4 hours ago, TheGreek said:

If you're thinking about getting a Warwick - buy a Spector!!

I’d have to disagree. I’ve played a number of Spectors (including owning a Euro LX and a US model) and don’t rate them I’m afraid. However, a good German Warwick up to the mid ‘90s is likely to be relatively cheap, be really solidly built and if a 5- or a 6-, have pretty much the best 34” B string money can buy. I’ve had an all-maple Streamer Stage 1 and a Corvette with ash body and ovangkol neck (and many others) and they sound remarkably consistent. The MEC electronics are rather modern so don’t expect to get a P bass tone out of them. The $$ configuration with the coil taps is quite versatile but personally not to my taste - I prefer the Streamer or Corvette with regular soapbars. The Thumb sounds wicked but has a very long neck and short top horn so can feel odd to play, but as it is all hardwood it has a very distinct tone that you may or may not like. The Infinity looks cool but to my ears sounds rather prosaic.

Don’t whatever you do buy a new one as you’ll only get the inferior teambuilt series (no brass frets which IMHO significantly contribute the the Warwick tone) at more than s/h German Warwick prices, or the ridiculously over-priced custom shop models.

[Skybone]

You could always get that Star Bass that's in the For Sale section...

[Chris2112]

7 hours ago, CookPassBabtridge said:

While given the choice, yes you should go with a Wenge neck, don’t write off Ovangkol entirely. I have a Thumb - BO in Ovangkol, with a ‘baseball bat’ neck (the unholy trinity of Warwicks some people might say). But it’s awesome - plenty of growl and so comfortable to play. 

I prefer the wenge neck but really, the difference between the two necks on any given bass where the other specs are the same will be minimal and probably only noticeable to Warwick buffs - ie other bassists. Even then, in a blind playback test I doubt many could reliably tell the difference. 

[Lfalex v1.1]

Dare I suggest that, given the other basses in your collection,  you might be a bit disappointed in a Warwick? Unless.. It's a real corker like an Infinty, Dolphin, or an upmarket Thumb or Streamer..

The more prosaic models might just be a bit bland by comparison. 

On a positive note, apart from the previously mentioned issues, they're quite tough basses,  and easy to work on/get spares for.

Positive points to look for (IMO);

Wenge Neck

Brass Just-a-nut (1 or 3)

German-made

Some of the more bizarre pick-up configurations can harbour some nice tones.  

 

[Roger2611]

I had the misfortune of owning a Rockbass Corvette $$ for all of three weeks, I was pre-warned that the control pots were not the correct value for the pickups so out of the box they sounded pretty ropy, boy they were not wrong, despite fully rewiring it it still sounded awful, I can honestly say it was the most disappointing bass I have ever owned. I later owned a LTD edition German Corvette $$ and although it was massively better than the Rockbass I still found it underwhelming! I sold it on, it was sold on again soon after and indeed appeared for sale again on Ebay recently!

As @Lfalex v1.1 said if you have decent basses already in your collection I also think you will be disappointed with it and like @TheGreek I scratched my Warwick itch by buying a Spector!

Edited December 23, 2020 by Roger2611
Pixies made me do it!

[Lfalex v1.1]

I still have 2 Warwicks, a 1998 Fortress MasterMan V, which is weird but good; Maple body. Bolt on Wenge Neck. Twin Jazz pickup and 2x2 band EQ.

I also have an '02 Infinity SN IV; Zebrano Body, glued-in Ovangkol neck,  Twin Jazz at the bridge, single Jazz at the neck. 2  band EQ.

They're very different. The Fortress would be relatively normal but for the MM pickup placement and crazy EQ. The Infinity can be properly aggressive. Mountains of growl,  but it can be tamed. Neither are still in production. The Fortress was about £500 second hand a decade ago. 

The Infinity was a bit of a bargain. Picked it up new for about ⅔ retail. Tried it in the shop and was sold on it. 

I don't know what you can get for £6-700 these days,  though. 

[Skybone]

The Fortress is pretty cool.

The Infinity is very cool.

[CookPassBabtridge]

Sooo @Meatbag wotcha gonna do? Would be cool to know as you’ve been given some great advice here. 

[Misdee]

On 22/12/2020 at 21:35, funkypenguin said:

If you want to dip into the world of Warwick, I would recommend going for a bass made in Germany in the late 90's or earlier with a wenge neck and preferably with electronics and pickups other than MEC (EMG, Bartolini and Seymour Duncan are the other makes often used). Thats a specific set of criteria I know, but the basses that fit within them are better instruments than a lot of the basses made post 2000, unless you were to go for a top of the line custom shop model. 

The wenge neck is what sets a lot of the great Warwick basses apart, the basses with ovangkol and maple necks don't sound the same to my ears, they miss that lovely Warwick growl. The MEC electronics are the weakest part of Warwick basses across the board, to me their top end is too thin and brittle sounding. My own Warwick has Duncan's (standard) and an East U-Retro preamp (retrofit). The change of preamp transformed the bass, it was literally like night and day compared to the old MEC 2 band unit.

Hope that helps somewhat!

Ben

I  would echo everything Ben has said. 

 In my estimation the wenge neck/ fingerboard  is a big part of what sets Warwick basses apart. They seem to add some natural compression to the sound. 

I can't really comment on the MEC  preamp vs the John  East , but I can tell you that some of  the Mec pickup designs  ie the ones modern-style ones with enclosed pole pieces are  way too microphonic for my taste. 

I don't like the way the Corvette hangs on a strap in terms of balance and where the neck hangs, but you may feel differently. The Thumb is similarly awkward-feeling to me, but some folks don't mind them. Thumb Basses certainly sound good, that's for sure.  Also be aware that a lot of Warwick basses can be pretty weighty. 

I remember when Warwick basses first came to the UK  and how the Bass Centre were instrumental in giving them a high profile in the industry by introducing the pro players in London to their undeniable charms. But as Ben says  the older pre-2000 basses were different . And they were all German-made. Nowadays a new German Custom Shop bass is crazy money. Too much money for what it is.   You can buy a used vintage Warwick for very reasonable money and there is plenty of them out there .

 

Edited December 25, 2020 by Misdee

[tauzero]

On 23/12/2020 at 12:00, TheGreek said:

If you're thinking about getting a Warwick - buy a Spector!!

I have four Warwicks. I have tried a number of Spectors. I have no Spectors. Disliked the necks, they weren't as nice as the (late 80s) Warwick necks.

[dmccombe7]

On 23/12/2020 at 12:00, TheGreek said:

If you're thinking about getting a Warwick - buy a Spector!!

I've tried a couple of Spectors and to be honest they weren't a patch on my 89 Thumb NT or the Streamer i had a loan of in 1990 for 6mths.

The Spectors i've tried were 2nd hand approx £1500 so not the cheap versions. Didn't like the feel of the necks on them. Think it may have been down to the depth of the neck rather than the width.

Dave 

[dmccombe7]

On 23/12/2020 at 16:49, Skybone said:

You could always get that Star Bass that's in the For Sale section...

I really like that bass. Would be ideal for my 70's Glam Rock covers band. 🎅

[funkypenguin]

2 hours ago, Misdee said:

I  would echo everything Ben has said. 

 In my estimation the wenge neck/ fingerboard  is a big part of what sets Warwick basses apart. They seem to add some natural compression to the sound. 

I can't really comment on the MEC  preamp vs the John  East , but I can tell you that some of  the Mec pickup designs  ie the ones modern-style ones with enclosed pole pieces are  way too microphonic for my taste. 

I don't like the way the Corvette hangs on a strap in terms of balance and where the neck hangs, but you may feel differently. The Thumb is similarly awkward-feeling to me, but some folks don't mind them. Thumb Basses certainly sound good, that's for sure.  Also be aware that a lot of Warwick basses can be pretty weighty. 

I remember when Warwick basses first came to the UK  and how the Bass Centre were instrumental in giving them a high profile in the industry by introducing the pro players in London to their undeniable charms. But as Ben says  the older pre-2000 basses were different . And they were all German-made. Nowadays a new German Custom Shop bass is crazy money. Too much money for what it is.   You can buy a used vintage Warwick for very reasonable money and there is plenty of them out there .

 

You're dead on with the body shapes all hanging differently, the streamer has always hung nicely on a strap for me, but the 6 string thumb I tried was too far over on my body when on the strap which made first position awkward. I've never been a particular far of the corvette aesthetically but thats just me. I still can't get to grips with what is made where with the Warwick range at the moment, things were much clearer years ago when you either had a German Warwick or you had a Rockbass.

If you want to hear how my Warwick sounds with the East preamp, I'll post a recent recording I did below (using my Hellborg rig). I grant that its not 100% representative of low end playing but since its completely unaccompanied its as clear a sound sample as you're likely to hear short of actually playing my bass.

As for the Warwick vs. Spector debate.....I've never played a Spector 6 that I really liked, the spacing is too wide for my tastes and 35" scale is too long. Also the electronics in anything other than a top spec NS with the HAZ preamp seem a little lifeless and 'plastic' to my ears (the older locking bridges also have a habit of falling to pieces the moment you try and adjust them....). Warwick for me every time, though as always YMMV with that

. 

 

[dmccombe7]

55 minutes ago, funkypenguin said:

You're dead on with the body shapes all hanging differently, the streamer has always hung nicely on a strap for me, but the 6 string thumb I tried was too far over on my body when on the strap which made first position awkward. I've never been a particular far of the corvette aesthetically but thats just me. I still can't get to grips with what is made where with the Warwick range at the moment, things were much clearer years ago when you either had a German Warwick or you had a Rockbass.

If you want to hear how my Warwick sounds with the East preamp, I'll post a recent recording I did below (using my Hellborg rig). I grant that its not 100% representative of low end playing but since its completely unaccompanied its as clear a sound sample as you're likely to hear short of actually playing my bass.

As for the Warwick vs. Spector debate.....I've never played a Spector 6 that I really liked, the spacing is too wide for my tastes and 35" scale is too long. Also the electronics in anything other than a top spec NS with the HAZ preamp seem a little lifeless and 'plastic' to my ears (the older locking bridges also have a habit of falling to pieces the moment you try and adjust them....). Warwick for me every time, though as always YMMV with that

. 

 

Very nice playing indeed.

Not sure where its coming from but the low end is causing a lot of vibration or distortion thru my headphones. Is it something vibrating in the room or overload at your end. I've listened to other bass tracks that are ok.

Dave