Jay J. Posted May 7, 2002 Share Posted May 7, 2002 I've recently noticed that these two companies are pretty similar, and their basses do share somewhat of a resembelance. I think that spector makes some nicer stuff, but I don't have much expiearence with eather brands. looking for opinions on this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leftybassman Posted May 7, 2002 Share Posted May 7, 2002 I cant say much about the spector but the warwick is a great playing bass, I use a fretless corvett and like it alot, its heavy but sounds great,I had the stock MEC changed to basslines but that was the sound I was looking for,as far as fretted I use a stingray 5, lefthanded stuff is hard to get ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rumpelstiltskin. Posted May 7, 2002 Share Posted May 7, 2002 i'm a little cloudy on the story, but i think spector was starting to fold, and they licensed their designs to the people who started warwick. at the time it was a good deal for both -- instant recognizability for warwick, and some cash on the way out for spector. spector then made a comeback. now they snipe a little at warwick in their advertisements. i think they use very different woods for their instruments, and i know they use different pickpus (MEC for warwick and EMG for spector). robb. because i like people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickerman Posted May 7, 2002 Share Posted May 7, 2002 To me, that's like asking Fender or Gibson. Both do amazing work. Spector, makes great sounding, versatile basses that look a little strange to me. Warwick makes very unique sounding, some of the best sounding in my opinion, very versatile basses with the best neck I've played with many different body styles. For $500 you can get a great Spector that outpreforms just about every other bass in the price range. Then again, once you're in the $900-$3000 range, both make some of the best basses you can buy in that range. It all comes down to personal prefrence. Personally, I prefer Warwick for a few reasons. One, I love the look and feel of the Corvette. That's really not a big deal though, how it looks I mean. The really big deal to me is that I LOVE the Warwick neck and signature Warwick growling lows. The neck in thick and smooth, like a baseball bat. It really gives you something to grip onto. The tone is like no other. You can cut through a mix without having to turn up your high-mids and sound like Steve Harris. You can retain the solid, pure bass low end I love so much. Then, the preamp. Not the greatest in the world but good. It's only two band but I can deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chardin Posted May 8, 2002 Share Posted May 8, 2002 I have a Europe series Spector that has a great sound and a great feel. I was curious about this topic so I asked PJ Rubal of Spector basses. PJ is the national product manager for Spector and a great guy. I asked him if the Warwick design was a rip off of the Spector. Here is his reply: Hello Chris -- Good to hear from you! Glad you are enjoying your Europe Series bass! I have written several "History of Spector" articles over the years to help get the facts straight. Here's an overview- Stuart Spector and Ned Steinberger worked in the same Woodworker's Coop in Brooklyn NY in the mid 1970's. Stuart was building guitars and basses (flat bodied SB-1 basses and G-1 guitars) and Ned was designing furniture. Ned offered to design a new bass for Spector, so... Ned Steinberger designed the original world famous NS curved body design for Spector in March 1977. I own the prototype bass. This was Ned's first musical instrument design; it's become a classic! Ned went on to design his famous graphite guitars and basses with his Steinberger Sound Corporation, and continues making outstanding instruments with his NS Design company. Warwick debuted their Streamer bass in 1984 and it was a direct rip-off. After that, Warwick did sign an agreement with Spector and paid royalties to Spector in the mid 1980's. When Kramer purchased the Spector company, Warwick stopped paying the royalties and Kramer did not pursue them. Kramer went bankrupt in 1990. Our current company, Stuart Spector Designs Ltd (since 1991), owns all of the Spector trademarks once again and we are considering legal action. Thanks for asking, I feel it's important for bass players to know the truth. Feel free to give my direct email address to anyone that has additional questions. I hope this info helps, let me know if you have any additional questions. This reply is sent from my direct email address. If you want to see the prototype NS bass (and all of my other personal Spectors) you can view them at http://www.spectorworld.com/pjrubal.htm. Use the NUMBERS at the bottom of my first page to view all seven of my pages. PJ Rubal National Product Manager / Artist Relations Stuart Spector Design Ltd 703.279.8075 703.279.8076 fax custserv@spectorbass.com Chris Hardin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickerman Posted May 8, 2002 Share Posted May 8, 2002 Warwick has many designs other than the Streamer and... WHAT THE HELL? I don't get this. Guitar designs are ripped by every company on the planet! Everyone has a strat copy, Les Paul copy or a Precision or Jazz bass copy. It's just how things work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KikkyMonk Posted May 8, 2002 Share Posted May 8, 2002 Ahhhh the great debate Apples vs. Oranges Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BNC Posted May 8, 2002 Share Posted May 8, 2002 Get the one that feels and sounds the best to YOU! If it were me, I would get the Corvette. Heck, I plan to get one as soon as I get the dough. I love the Corvette for its neck, balance, and tone (and a whole mess of smaller things too). I played a few Spectors and was not impressed. There is nothing wrong with them, they just don't suit me. Don't you hate when there are so many good choices BNC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davebrownbass Posted May 8, 2002 Share Posted May 8, 2002 When I was studying with the great Chuck Rainey in the early '90s, he started endorsing Warwick, (at the same time as Ken Smith, who built a signature model) and really got me hooked...this was before I'd heard of Spector. Of course, Chuck had long retired his vintage Fender and played Spectors all around the area. He told me the Warwick was good, but he liked his original Spector more. You can find Spectors and Warwicks that are almost identical in design, but each bass will have its own voice. Spectors highest end basses are very expensive, but still have a handmade feel about them...Warwick highest end basses are becoming more and more "assembly line" feeling. But Warwick has introduced a whole line of designs, and I hear so much good about the FNA Jazzman, I'm gonna have to try one... Isn't that bass the marriage of the Fender>Musicman> design and the Steingberger>Spector> design, with some influence by Framus (the father of the Warwick cheiftan was the founder of Framus) What kinda great heritage is THAT! "Let's raise the level of this conversation" -- Jeremy Cohen, in the Picasso Thread. Still spendin' that political capital far faster than I can earn it...stretched way out on a limb here and looking for a better interest rate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
music-man Posted May 8, 2002 Share Posted May 8, 2002 Originally posted by Wickerman: Guitar designs are ripped by every company on the planet! Everyone has a strat copy, Les Paul copy or a Precision or Jazz bass copy. It's just how things work.I like knowing these things, although I wouldn't necessarily take this guy's story as truth. A company's business practices are a factor in my thinking about whether or not to buy their products. Not the only factor, and ultimately not the most important factor, but you can't just shut your ears to it. I don't buy Starbucks (too easy - I think their joe suxx), try not to shop at the big Conglomarkets, avoid SamAss (okay a cable now and then), and I try to buy stuff at smaller, locally-owned shops when possible ... but often it's too expensive, occasionally not as good quality, etc. With music gear it gets tougher to separate them out, in part because the luthier community is pretty cliqued-out, business cycles have brought about a lot of mergers/acq, and the market is actually pretty small once you get beyond the semi-pro level ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Capasso Posted May 8, 2002 Share Posted May 8, 2002 I'm a combination history freak and gearhead, so these stories entertain the hell out of me... I noticed in the last year that Ibanez has basses that look like Warwicks (shape, wood color, etc.). That's a company whose designs are hard to keep up with... I haven't liked most of the Warwicks I've tried. And I haven't had a chance to play Euro or American Spectors, though they look nice. Tom www.stoneflyrocks.com Acoustic Color Be practical as well as generous in your ideals. Keep your eyes on the stars and keep your feet on the ground. - Theodore Roosevelt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassmangreg Posted May 8, 2002 Share Posted May 8, 2002 I would rather have a Spector over a Warwick only because they (Spector) were the first to make that fabulous bass design. Two cheers for Ned and Stuart! "may the bass be with you" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koosh Posted May 9, 2002 Share Posted May 9, 2002 Three Words. Fender Precision Bass. How many copies have you seen of that beauty? Why re-invent the wheel? If something works, use it...we all benifit. Just for the record...Warwick all the way. Brass frets and dense woods...yeah mang. Don't get me wrong spectors rule. But no beer and no Warwicks make koosh something something. Go crazy? Don't mind if I do... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickerman Posted May 9, 2002 Share Posted May 9, 2002 Originally posted by koosh: Three Words. Fender Precision Bass. How many copies have you seen of that beauty? Why re-invent the wheel? If something works, use it...we all benifit. Just for the record...Warwick all the way. Brass frets and dense woods...yeah mang. Don't get me wrong spectors rule. But no beer and no Warwicks make koosh something something. Go crazy? Don't mind if I do...Maybe you shouldn't have that next beer buddy. [slurs speach]I loves yous man! :thud: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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