Warwick Bass Recommendation

[Briton]

I think for my next four string purchase I am going to by pass Leo Fender influenced Basses like Fender, EB and G&L, and invest maybe in a Warwick which I have never been interested in before but since joining this forum I have seen some great looking Warwick Basses that seem to have great tone and playability. I am not really looking for a budget Bass and mainly play Rock/Indie, what do you Warwick Guys recommend?

 

[Henrythe8]

You have stunning examples of Dolphins and Buzzard in the "for sale" section. They are not for the faint of heart, but are the "highest" in the Hierarchy of Warwick according to my very own experience. (meaning, I like Dolphins and Buzzard )
What is your main taste ? Passive ? Active ? Narrow neck ? Subtle or in your face for the look ? Have you already tried a 'wick before ?

 

[Briton]

You have stunning examples of Dolphins and Buzzard in the "for sale" section. They are not for the faint of heart, but are the "highest" in the Hierarchy of Warwick according to my very own experience. (meaning, I like Dolphins and Buzzard )
What is your main taste ? Passive ? Active ? Narrow neck ? Subtle or in your face for the look ? Have you already tried a 'wick before ?

At the moment I am going to keep my options open in regards to either passive/active, I do prefer a narrowish neck but that too is not a game changer for me. I prefer a standard shaped guitar that is comfortable to play both standing and sitting whether that be a slab or contoured body, so something like a Buzzard would probably be a no no. Warwick is a Bass that I have never actually tried though I have had many oppurtunities to try one in the numerous guitar shops in London, but it just never happened, so I think it is now time to change direction away from Fenders etc and buy a Warwick.

 

[DiMarco]

I'd try to score a Streamer LX or a Corvette of some sort if I were in your shoes. Both are very comfortable models.
The "jazzman" pickup configuration comes to mind for versatility, although an LX with PJ configuration will also most probably fit the bill.

Once the Warwick bug has bitten you, you can move to one of the neckthru models.
Thumb basses, while awesome, are less comfortable to play and have a very specific dry tone.

Edit: Have you noticed this one up for sale in Manchester?

 

[Briton]

I'd try to score a Streamer LX or a Corvette of some sort if I were in your shoes. Both are very comfortable models.
The "jazzman" pickup configuration comes to mind for versatility, although an LX with PJ configuration will also most probably fit the bill.

Once the Warwick bug has bitten you, you can move to one of the neckthru models.
Thumb basses, while awesome, are less comfortable to play and have a very specific dry tone.

Edit: Have you noticed this one up for sale in Manchester?

Thanks for that, I will take a look on YT in regards to the Streamer and Corvette for audio examples. Thanks also for the link for the used Bass in Manchester on Fleabay, but I am going to buy new and I can walk into the City of London and pick one up from one of the numerous guitar shops in the Capital and walk back with it which is ideal and I don't need to worry about sloppy couriers.

 

[ectoflanger]

I think for my next four string purchase I am going to by pass Leo Fender influenced Basses like Fender, EB and G&L, and invest maybe in a Warwick which I have never been interested in before but since joining this forum I have seen some great looking Warwick Basses that seem to have great tone and playability. I am not really looking for a budget Bass and mainly play Rock/Indie, what do you Warwick Guys recommend?

Fretless? I would recommend a Corvette standard bubinga to burst your cherry- of course I love the Thumb NT but I’m afraid she might smoke check ya!

 

[Briton]

Fretless? I would recommend a Corvette standard bubinga to burst your cherry- of course I love the Thumb NT but I’m afraid she might smoke check ya!

I am going to steer clear of Fretless Basses ectoflanger, but thanks for the recommendation!

 

[Briton]

Looking on the Warwick site I was not aware that there are so many models. This is going to be difficult methinks!

 

[ectoflanger]

Looking on the Warwick site I was not aware that there are so many models. This is going to be difficult methinks!

Well the Corvette Standard Bubinga is a fine instrument with or without frets or active electrics-

As far as the Thumb (NT or BO- they’re all active) goes, you won’t find a more uniquely Warwick-looking or sounding bass than that- mind you the NT models are pricey.

No matter which- I’m sure they would all be happy to usher you into Warwick realms-

 

[Briton]

Thanks for that ectoflanger!........Price is not a problem that is why I mentioned in my first post that I was not looking for a budget Bass. I will go back to their website and take a look at their NT models

 

[ectoflanger]

So a Thumb NT would insist on being played at least twice a day - once in the morning and once in the evening- during the week. And on the weekends? Whoooo boy! You’ll be worn out by Monday morning!

 

[ectoflanger]

Thanks for that ectoflanger!........Price is not a problem that is why I mentioned in my first post that I was not looking for a budget Bass. I will go back to their website and take a look at their NT models

All joking aside- the action on the NT’s are amazing-

Nowadays all new Thumb NT’s are effectively custom shop models- this past year I managed to snag what is probably the last buntinga model owing to new CITES restrictions- pics are in the Thumb club thread- but she’s a fiver

 

[Briton]

So a Thumb NT would insist on being played at least twice a day - once in the morning and once in the evening- during the week. And on the weekends? Whoooo boy! You’ll be worn out by Monday morning!

I think I will be able to manage the physical exertion ectoflanger!
I was originally looking for a Pre EB Stingray 76-78 and they usually go for around £3,000 at Andy Baxters in Denmark Street London, so that is what I have got to play with. But now I want to steer away from Leo Fender influenced Basses as I already have several in my collection.
I don't think that I would have ever considered purchasing a Warwick but since I have been a member of this forum my opinions have changed.
I am going to do some thorough research on the NT for definite!

 

[ectoflanger]

My first Warwick experience, believe it or not, was at Guitar Center. I was taken in by the natural wood Bubinga models. Amazingly they had two Fretless fours on clearance. Having wanted a Fretless since hearing Guy Pratt’s lovely Fretless work (an early Status) with Icehouse and Dan K Brown’s (Fretless Wal MK II) with the Fixx in the mid-80’s (yes, I’m that old!) I had to have one.

But they all have that nice dark, chocolate growl which is quite similar to that of a Wal.

 

[Briton]

What is the difference between say a 90's NT Thumb and the most recent model ectoflanger?

 

[ectoflanger]

Not so much if it is early 90’s since they both share a dark wenge neck- later 90’s and early 00’s models have an ovangkol neck.

Late 00’s and new necks also sport cool luminous side markers-

 

[Briton]

Thanks for the info ectoflanger!
Its 2:00am currently in the UK, so I am going to get my head down and sleep on it and do some more research tomorrow. But I will come back here if I need answers to something more specific.
Thanks again!

 

[ectoflanger]

Here’s some comparison pics-

Wedge neck -


Ovamgkol neck-

 

[PaulS]

I know the Katana looks weird, but they sound awesome. I love my 2006

 

[jester]

Don't think too much when it comes to Warwicks. Being informed about what's available is a necessity of course, but something that in theory may seem perfect for you may collapse within two minutes of actually playing it. It is very important that you try out and compare different models. Even the same model with the same number of strings may have different ergonomics because of the neck wood used, or the neck profile, or the body's weight for example. Ergonomics are a major factor to take into account with Warwicks. I would suggest a Streamer LX4 (P/J) as a starting point. Marco suggested the same and I know it's not his favorite Warwick but it's truly wise advice for a "blind" first choice. A Corvette will sit a bit differently on you at the same height, but you may prefer it at a different height. Try them out as much as you possibly can, even if you have to become a nuisance. Because I prefer to not become a nuisance and to take a very long time testing instruments out under varying conditions I actually buy them and see what comes out of them. And there have been surprises I assure you, both positive and negative, some of them quite "late". I think the best way to get to know a bass really well is to live with it for a while. The second hand market prices for Warwicks should help, should you want to try to do something similar. I wholeheartedly wish you the best of luck exploring this new ecosystem of instruments, I know for one that you will not be bored.