General help with warwicks (slightly technical)

[Afro_Man]

Hey i live in the uk and im having real difficulty finding Warwicks in my price range (its about $700-900 or in english about £400-600) i have checked musicians friend and they only have the standard corvette, whereas sound control (in manchester) have the streamer for £450 and £499, so on to my questions:

 

1)Does anybody know any good internet sites for finding these objects of desire? (I have checked out musicians friend and music 123, and im not a big fan of ebay)

 

2)Can anyone tell me any reports of the warwicks that they own, i know some people have streamers because i did some research, and what bad/ good points they have (i will try them out in shops but they're really difficult to find over here)

 

3) i checked the difference between the two streamers, both are passive both are standard, both have soap bar pickups, so any help towards why they might be differently priced would be very very much appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance Nic.

[Mr. McGee]

I'll try to answer your questions with my experience.

 

1.) Although you are not a big fan of ebay it would still be your best shot. I bought my corvette proline from a music shop though. I talked him down a bit by flashing some cash and telling him if he could meet my price I would buy it on the spot. Music shops are like any small business, they are willing to negotiate.

 

2.) I love my corvette proline. It has the active/passive switch so I get an amazing range of tones. It also has enough midrange to punch through the rest of the band so I am not buried in the mix. The wenge neck took a little getting used to but overall I am completely satisfied with it.

 

3.) The only reason I could think one would be priced higher than the other would be the finish of the wood and the material of the body. Another trick I have found is that some music shops like to list things as "shop worn" which means they are dusty, a little dinged up, etc etc. That is where the deals lie if you are willing to accept an perceived imperfect instrument (after 2 gigs it will be scratched up anyway).

 

I hope this helps.

[Afro_Man]

Thanks for the great advice, im going to look round all the music shops in manchester tomorrow, the problem is that the small shops who i frequently visit and so they know me there don't actually stock warwicks, the ones that do stock warwicks are big chains, and are more unlikely to do me a deal, although a quick flick of the hair and a flutter of the eye lashes should do the trick .

Nic

[NickT]

First off, personally, I would never buy an instrument without playing it first. I don't mean playing that model, I mean that exact one. Wood is a natural material and some bits of wood will sound better than others. For that reason, I would never buy an instrument off a web site.

 

I can't help you on the pricing of the Streamers, ask the shop. I can however give you my thoughts on Warwick basses. I'm in the market for a punchy 5 string, so Warwicks are on the list of things to try. I've been demoing Streamer LXs and Corvette Jazzmans. These are a little pricier than you're looking at, but since my comments are more about balance and playability than tone, they might be of some use.

 

My first obeservation is that the balance on the Corvettes is really bad. It's a combination of the long neck and the tiny body. The Thumb has the same problem, but the Streamers don't seem to. If you want the neck to sit parallel to the floor, that's ok, that's where the Corvette models want to sit. I put down the last one I tried without even playing a note and moved on to the Streamer.

 

Secondly, whilst they look really nice I find all Warwicks really difficult to play. The small bodies mean that everything is really crammed together. My hands just can't move around in any kind of comfortable way. (My two basses are a Jazz type and a 5 string that makes Musicman necks look like toothpicks, so my hands have to deal with both ends of the spectrum neck-wise.) The other major playability problem I find is that the low F (or C on a 5 string) is a looooooooooong way away. I've played other 24 fret necks and not had this problem, again I think it is to do with the Warwick design.

 

Warwicks generally sound pretty good and the build quality is normally excellent and consistent. I can't play the darned things but I know people who love them.

 

The long and the short of my point is play lots of them. Then leave the shop, go back a few weeks later and play them all again. Then play all the new ones they've had delivered. Keep playing every one you can get your hands on until you find The One (the key is to realise that there is no spoon) and then buy that one. If the shop gets annoyed, then go somewhere else.

 

You mentioned Sound on Sound in Manchester, so I assume you're close-ish to them. Go to the Bass Centre (House of Guitars) in Manchester Bass Centre homepage . If the staff in the London branch are anything the go by, they won't mind you spending hours playing everything. They are also one of the big dealers for Warwick in the UK so they should have a decent supply. If not, talk to them and find out when their deliveries are. Ask them about getting stock transfered from other stores. They can't help you unless you ask them too.

 

If you can't find a Streamer or Corvette that you like, then maybe try something else. Personally, I've given up persuading myself to buy a Warwick.

 

Happy hunting.

[Afro_Man]

Thanks for more great advice, you said i mentioned sound on sound, and i've never heard of it before? I've been to the bass center once before and had a look around for an hour, its great. I'll ask to try them out with straps on, to find out about the neck dive. Im only looking for a 4 string at the moment, i have no use for a 5 string, although i know that if i do get one i'll probably end up writing songs using that extra string.

Thanks again for the advice, one of the many reasons i keep coming back here day after day (actually 5 times today, i had work to do)

Nic

[R.S.M]

I recently purchased a corvette 5 string fna jazzman .honey violen color, swamp ash body with flame maple top, its a bolt on with octavl neck and wenge finger board.I paid 1,460 american. I played every bass i could get my hands on. Some were worth less money and some 4 times as much.I played a bunch of the same fna models but this one was the one for me. You definitaly want to play before you buy. Ive noticed on a lot of warwicks the frets hang over the neck and hamper playing,some will actually cut you.These are not light bass'it is a tank ,I really don't have the neck dive problem if i use this one strap i own ,its a levys leather that was purchased long ago,very soft almost suade like.Mine is active electronics it does not go into passive mode when you pull the volume knob it just takes out some mids.Great tone control on this bass.As for prices find a bass you like then do a search on the net to find out who has the best price and hopefully your local retailer will will match the price guitar center is great for beating prices.Happy bass hunting.

[Afro_Man]

Thanks for the advice, i checked out every music store in manchester (that i know) and only saw one warwick that was in my price range, a second hand thumb for £499 but it had been reserved. I also learnt that the uk distributor for warwick has gone into liquidation (only last month) so until warwick finds a new distributor there will be a limit to what you can buy in the uk.

Now for another question.

 

4) Does any body know any big music shops in london, because i was thinking of going up there to check stuff out, any more help would be great.

 

Thanks, Nic

[alexclaber]

Originally posted by Afro_boy:

Does any body know any big music shops in london, because i was thinking of going up there to check stuff out, any more help would be great.

Denmark Street just off Charing Cross Road (nr Tottenham Court Road Tube) is where the greatest concentration of music shops in London (and probably the world) can be found. There's also Sound Control beneath the Virgin Megastore and the Bass Centre is now part of a guitar shop out near Liverpool Street. And of course, The Gallery in Camden which is filled with all sorts of high end goodies!

 

As your budget is rather limited for Warwick's increasingly high prices, you'd be best off getting a secondhand passive model which sounds good acoustically and can have its electronics upgraded in the future if need be. (I'm not too enarmoured with Warwick's active electronics, particularly the preamps).

 

Any particular reason why you're focusing on Warwicks? They're good basses but becoming a little overpriced IMO. What sort of music do you play, what kind of tone do you want? What's your setup now?

 

If you're coming down to London and want some second opinions, I work down at the other end of Oxford Street and could pop along at lunchtime to give some basses a twirl.

 

Alex

[J.A.]

i also got my warwick on ebay. $810 for a warwick fna 5 is pretty good i think. look for a seller with lots of positives. it's worth a shot

[Warwick Fan]

Originally posted by C.Alexander Claber:

(I'm not too enarmoured with Warwick's active electronics, particularly the preamps).

I own two Warwicks and love them. I have a 2003 active Corvette Standard (US $1050.00) and a new 2004 Warwick Fretless Thumb with a bolt-on neck (US $1300.00).

 

Seems there is a love/hate relationship with Warwick basses. Although I love mine I do agree with Alexander on the Warwick preamps though. My solution to that is to bypass the onboard Warwick preamp in favor of using a Sadowsky Outboard preamp (US $250.00). This is what I have done and it makes quite difference in my opinion.

[Afro_Man]

I was just really looking for a high end quality bass that would have a secondhand value, i like the tone and original look of some warwicks. I play in my band funky rock punk so i use both fingers and plectrum. At the moment i use both a jazz and a p bass, both fender replicas, with a laney linebacker 210 head and a marshall 4 speaker 10 inch cab. I spoke to the bass center and they said they'd check what they had and call me back, still no word 4 days later, i will call them when i have the time. Thanks for the advice about the preamp, can you replace the internal one, or is that the shadowsky one you were talking about? Is it difficult to replace?

Nic

[alexclaber]

Originally posted by Afro_boy:

I was just really looking for a high end quality bass that would have a secondhand value

Unfortunately you'll have to be very lucky to get a 'high end' bass within your budget. I'd recommend you start looking now but don't spend any money until you've saved up enough to get the bass that really speaks to you, whether it costs £200 or £2000.

 

If you like your J-bass copy and want to take an 'intermediate' step up, the Geddy Lee Signature Jazz Bass is proving the popular LDL weapon of choice. BenLoy's even ousted his Stingray on Mrs Grundy recording duty .

 

Another option is to look at G&L basses which are rather undervalued in the secondhand market. Lots of bang for your buck.

 

Alex

[DJ-Wood]

I'd had my eye on a Warwick for a while, and finally decided to take the plunge and just buy it (if you're going to spend around £800 on something, then theres always the "what about the other options" dilemma).

 

Anyway, once I had made the 'definite' decision - thats when Warwick UK distributors go into liquidation. Can't currently get hold of the model I want.

 

Exactly the same thing happened a few months ago with Digitech - I decided which pedal I wanted, then the Digitech suppliers went into liquidation! I must be jinxed!!

 

Does anyone have any inside knowledge on when and who will pick up the UK Warwick supply?

[AndyJ]

This is also the same for Gibson, im trying so hard to find a gibson stockist so i can buy my t-bird but so far i've had no luck

Does anyone know why musiciansfriend refuse to send outside of the US, the t-bird is so much cheaper on there?

[g.]

Because its a pain in the ass to deal with shipping and customs?

 

Look around in your part of the world. Each time I google I come across interesting luthiers that are over there. Some of the stuff I would love to play but that's not so practical either. But you CAN get your hands on this stuff : }

[R.S.M]

afro boy why dont you just fly on over and pick one up

[Rhythm44]

A lot of things can't be shipped overseas. I've heard gear is more expensive in the UK and Australia, different markets I suppose. Depends on the agreements the gear companies have with their distributors. Toyotas cost about $10,000 more in Japan than they do in the US: different markets .

[AndyJ]

Ive just checked this out, Gibson are the ones that wont let items from the states be shipped any where else. Fingers crossed for me as i might be heading out to Phoenix to do some work, if i do ill get one ordered and get it sent to the hotel and dhl it back to the uk

[mcbn]

Any of you UK guys who want to get something ordered, just have it shipped to my house. I promise to test drive it for at least a week and make sure there are no defects!! I'm sure that I'll get around to shipping it over there to you..... eventually.

[Afro_Man]

Dj-wood tell me next time you're about to buy something, so i can order it before the company goes bust.

I've tried the G+L basses and they spoke to me but they are really expensive over here about £1200+ i am saving up and i am looking at every bass i see, i just really like warwicks.

Rocksynthman its too expensive just to fly over to buy a bass, i haven't checked the prices but the airport tax here is amazingly high.

Nic

[AndyJ]

afro_boy, found this while i was looking for my t-bird, these guys have warwicks in stock. Not sure if they have what you want but they might be able to get it etc

Lemme know if its of any use

 

http://www.guitarampkeyboard.com/prodlist.php?category=Bass+Guitars

[Afro_Man]

AndyJ thanks for the website, it doesn't specify between Warwick Rockbass and "real" Warwicks, but it has some nice prices, i think the streamers are rockbass, i quite like the streamer with the humbucker (that big fat double one, is it called a humbucker?) and the jazz pickup, they've really grown on me. Once again thanks for all the help and advice.

Nic

p.s. Any more info on the preamps? because someone said it wasn't that great, and to bypass it into a shadowsky?

[Warwick Fan]

Originally posted by Afro_boy:

Thanks for the advice about the preamp, can you replace the internal one, or is that the shadowsky one you were talking about? Is it difficult to replace?

Nic

You can replace the internal one if you wish but what I was talking about was the outboard or external Sadowsky preamp not an internal one that would replace the one that is currently in your bass. In other words it is a little black box that sits on the floor. I found the advantage of having the outboard preamp gives you the flexibility to use either your onboard Warwick preamp or you can bypass it in favor of your outboard Sadowsky preamp.

 

Regarding the quality of this preamp . . . I challenge you to try to find one that is used and for sale. I couldn't and you probably won't

either. What does that tell you about it?? For more info on the Sadowsky preamp go to:

http://www.sadowsky.com/pages/framesets/fs_preamp.html

[rick123]

Sorry, I hit the wrong button and started a new thread. I apologize

Hi Afro Boy

I know it's rather late in the thread to post anything very new but whatever bass you buy, particularly if it's an active Warwick, play around with it before shooting for a different preamp.I play a Warwick Streamer LX and I love everything about it, in particular the preamp! If I want to go passive or the battery fails I simply pull up on the volume knob. I don't mean to rant but these things (at least mine) are very cool. I've read a few threads regarding crappy Warwick preamps and don't know what they're talking about.Over

[Afro_Man]

I've never had an active bass before, so once i get used to it and play around with it i might like it or i might not, so i'll keep the shadowsky stuff in mind. I have played a fair few, but the people in the shops sometimes are a bit reluctant to let me play because they are expensive, i had to wait for conformation in one shop, they had to ask the manager and then watch me to make sure i didn't try and swing it round my head Im definately in for a Warwick but i want one with a different pickup configuration to what i currently have (jazz and P) so the standard thumbs and corvettes aren't my main choice, the streamer with humbucker and a j is what i really want.

Nic