Warwick Rockbass Corvette or Vintage EST96 ActiveSeries?

[PerfectionBG]

I need a new bass!

I play many genres but my main focus is the awesome sound of Funk and Slap. So where should I spend my money?
Do I spend £100-200 on an Active Stingray copy or a Warwick Rockbass?

I have heard both are exceptional machines - but my preference lies with the Vintage EST96 as it looks awesome and sounds ok, the action is nice but the preamp sucks. The Warwick also has a nice action and a nice fingerboard to sit with, but I have no idea about the sounds for slap each bass has!

This isn't a 'Have you got either of these to sell me?' thread, but rather a 'HELLPPPP' thread.

[throwoff]

I have a RockBass corvette premium (basically the Active Corvette Basic with a AAA flame top)

Great slap sounds of it, never tried a vintage so cannot help you there.

I would put my money on whatever feels right if you can find a place to try both.

[Marvin]

The only thing I could add is that I tried a Vintage copy of a Warwick (ironically for this thread) and everything was fine apart from the weight, it weighed a ton. It put me off.

[Marvin]

However, Vintage do seem to be one of the only brands where prices are going down which always an incentive.

[xilddx]

Warwicks are generally slap friendly. I bought a Rockbass Streamer off Thomann recently and the quality is stunning for the money. Great tones and a great neck. It needed a set up but I do all that myself. I have two German Warwicks and the Rockbass is certainly massive VFM.

[essexbasscat]

Go for a 2nd hand Classic Vibe jazz bass instead. Very likely to be better than either the warwick Rockbass or the Vintage

T

[throwoff]

6 posts to Squier!!

Someone suggest a badass quick!

[xilddx]

[quote name='essexbasscat' post='915894' date='Aug 5 2010, 01:07 PM']Go for a 2nd hand Classic Vibe jazz bass instead. Very likely to be better than either the warwick Rockbass or the Vintage

T[/quote]
Oooh! Contentious! Do explain!

[PerfectionBG]

So, what so far?

2 Votes for the Warwick and 2 for the Classic Vibe Jazz.
0 for the EST96.

[b]Vintage EST96[/b]
Body: Eastern Poplar
Neck: Maple Bolt On
Fingerboard: Maple
Scale: 34"/864mm
Frets: 21
Neck Inlays: Black Dot
Tuners: Wilkinson® WJBL175
Bridge: Adjustable
Pickups: Wilkinson® Double Coil x 1 ( WSM4
Hardware: Chrome
Controls: 3 Band EQ (Bass, Mid, Treble) 1 x Volume

[b]Jazz Classic Vibe (Squire)[/b]
Body: Basswood
Neck: Maple, Modern “C” Shape, (Gloss Polyester Finish)
Fingerboard: Rosewood, 9.5” Radius (241 mm)
No. of Frets: 20 Vintage Style Frets
Pickups: 2 Custom Jazz Bass Single-Coil Pickups with AlNiCo 5 Magnets (Mid & Bridge)
Controls: Volume 1. (Neck Pickup), Volume 2. (Bridge Pickup), Master Tone
Bridge: 4-Saddle HiMass Bridge with Brass Saddles
Machine Heads: Open Gear Tuning Machines
Hardware: Chrome
Pickguard: 3-Ply Tortoise Shell

[b]Warwick Rockbass Corvette[/b]
Bolt-on
Alder body
Maple neck with Rosewood fingerboard
Scale length: 34" (long scale)
24 frets
Fingerboard radius: 4-string = 400 mm (16"), 5-string = 500 mm (20")
Active MEC J/J pickups
Active 2-way electronics
Nirvana Black Stain high polish finish
Warwick machine heads
Warwick one-piece bridge
Warwick security locks
Chrome hardware
Just-A-Nut III


This is a close sort of comparison thing. So which is best for slap?
Maple Fingerboard, Active circuitry?

HELP

[throwoff]

I am going to throw a really contentious spanner out there, I think Fender slap tone is awful.

Don't get me wrong I dig Fender's and love my P to bits (and miss my J as well!) but not for slap.

For slap the Raykenfaker (hey new stupid word!) and the RockBass will be 100% better!

I would put the investment into the RockBass just for the Active electronics!

Edited August 5, 2010 by throwoff

[GarethFlatlands]

[quote name='PerfectionBG' post='915820' date='Aug 5 2010, 12:22 PM']This isn't a 'Have you got either of these to sell me?' thread, but rather a 'HELLPPPP' thread.[/quote]

But I do have one to sell!

If you're based in/near Sheffield you're more than welcome to try my Rockbass Corvette (active) out if it helps. I don't slap so I can't be much assistance.

Edited August 5, 2010 by GarethFlatlands

[clauster]

Are used CV Jazzes already hitting the market at £100-£200? If so, grab one!

As slddx has already said, the Rockbass range offers fantastic value for money. The new ones look particularly nice with teh W logo and the 2-piece bridge.

[essexbasscat]

[quote name='silddx' post='916023' date='Aug 5 2010, 02:30 PM']Oooh! Contentious! Do explain! [/quote]

Yessir, happy to

THe CV Jazz has been widely acknowledged as punching well above it's weight for many factors including build quality, playability etc and compares well to the American Jazz (see OutToPlayJazz comparison review).

THe Rockbass, while a nice bass in it's own right, has not drawn the same kind of comparisons to it's German cousins that the CV has drawn to it's American ones.

In it's favour, the Streamer Rockbass can come with active circuits, which may lend itself better to slap style work. However, having played both the Rockbass and the CV Jazz, the CV is very clearly the winner

However, for the OP, I would play all three if I had the chance and decide on that basis

T

[PerfectionBG]

I'm very thankful of this thread guys! And from it I've established so far:

[b]Vintage EST96[/b] is a Stingray [b][u]COPY[/u][/b] and nothing more. It's just good because it's almost slightly, a bit, kinda looks like, apart from most things a Musicman Stingray.

[b]Warwick Rockbass[/b] has the potential to be a good bass for the money, with a good active circuitry and hopefully - somebody please clarify - a half decent preamp? It's also got some sweet quality and a nice design - if not as nice as a ray. But it's part of Warwicks 'You-cant-afford-a-real-one-so-will-this-do Modern Bass' range, so it's another imitation to its own extent. A professional copy, like the Fender...

[b]Classic Vibe Jazz Bass[/b] is a Fender made piece of art. But it's Fender's 'You-cant-afford-a-real-one-so-will-this-do Jazz Bass' range. It has all of the quality to be a real Fender but it's still a copy, like the Vintage am I right? A high quality copy, with a Fender stamp of approval.

I <3 how the MMStingray sounds and looks, that drew me to a Vintage EST96 (or OLP, but most weigh a tonne.) but head before heart and all that, Warwick has the upperhand, the Classic vibe is a stab in the dark but a very near miss.

I think I'm gonna go for the Rockbass (by Warwick) Corvette 4 String Basic, with Active circuitry.

Is this the best Idea or should I stop there. I have never played any of these and there is nowhere nearby I can get the chance. I'm still more than open to changes. Fire away.

[throwoff]

You wont go wrong with the RockBass

Preamp is fantastic in MHO, MEC unit same as the pickups.

It's a great bass.

Edited August 6, 2010 by throwoff

[mcnach]

Nobody is going to say... OLP MM2?









I've owned 3. One of them wasn't very nice. The other two are fantastic and I still have them.
I own a 2002 MusicMan Stingray (2EQ), a Warwick Corvette $$, and several others, an Ibanez SR400, Jazz bass...
My main bass is one of the OLPs.
One of the bands I play in is a Red Hot Chili Peppers tribute band... I guarantee you this thing can slap! But it also does a lot more. It's my favourite bass, the first one I'll pick and the one I gig mostly. Yes, the MusicMan has better hardware, and is built better, nicer finish, it oozes quality... but the OLP is not something to be ashamed of. I get compliments about it regularly. It is a great bass. Full stop.

I bought one for £130 and the other just recently for £100.
I put a Seymour Duncan SMB-4A pickup (around £50) on each.
My main one also has a Seymour Duncan STC-3M3 3-band preamp. About £75, I think.
For less than £250 you can have a bass that will be a real beast.

The original pickup is a bit uninspiring. The SD pickup will transform the bass. But to get into the Stingray ballpark of tone, you need a preamp.
The SD preamp is great.
But if you really need to save money, there are options:

1) BUy just the nice preamp and keep the original pickup until you can afford to replace that. With the preamp alone you can get great sounds.

2) Get the nice pickup and a cheap preamp. There's a 3-band preamp already mounted on a control plate with knobs etc, and a passive/active switch for around £35 on eBay, new, from a seller in the US. I got one for a Stagg 5-string Stingray copy, and it's not bad. Certainly not worse than the preamp on the Vintage.
Or, if you can solder, go to the Talkbass forum, where there was a long thread about Stingray preamp clones... and someone was making boards for the original preamp for next to nothing (the cost of a beer, literally). Just buy the components (very cheap) and spend an afternoon soldering. Great preamp.

I owned a couple of Vintage basses and several guitars. they can be really nice. My Jazz bass was very good, I wish I hadn't sold it. I tried the Vintage you are talking about. It's ok. But the OLP is superior, and it looks better
The preamp is just ok, the pickup I'd replace too, and you'd still have a bass that is nice, but just that.
Get a nice OLP, and you have a beast, for not much more (after you do all the upgrades) than you were asking initially.

Just my opinion.

[lemmywinks]

Corvette, easy. Slaps like a beast.

Gigged the Vintage and quite liked it but the Rockbass 'Vette feels and sounds like a better, much more expensive bass.

Alternatively just save a bit more and buy a German one. Just sold mine and already regretting it a bit

[fragglefart]

I have a passive old-style Rockbass Corvette (with the single piece chunky bridge) and I love it, not played the Vintage though for this comparison.

Have played some CVs, on the other hand, and found them to be not quite my bag (would rather save extra for a US Fender).

But in terms of VFM and quality, Rockbass are great. Although their prices have gone up recently. But yeah, really nice to play.