Pro Series for a starter?

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drdninja

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Hello guys, im new here! First of all I apologise for any grammar mistakes, I'm from Greece =) . I usually play 4-string basses but I've decided to swith to a 5-string one for lower range. My budget is low (up to 900 dollars) so my only real option is a Pro Series Warwick base guitar. I know maybe a Warwick forum isn't the best place to ask this kind of question but are the PS Warwick worthy for the price you pay or all this hype about Warwick is about old classic Warwick basses. Should I be better off with something equally cheap like a Squier 5-string bass? Are the Korean lower priced Warwick basses worth their money for someone that wants a decent tone and a smooth playability ?

I prefer playin jazz, funk, groovy sounds and a lot of slap. I have 2 basses, 1 washuburn starter bass that was really cheap but it kept me going for like..4 years. Then I bought a Schecter Hellraiser 4 string bass basically because I was an angry teenager that wanted to play metal. I'm really dissapointed of that bass in terms of playability, it just doesn't feel good for the kind of music I want to play so I'm still playing with my old Washburn :P

Any opinions?

PS:Trying something in a music store is not really an option, cuz there are not any big warwick retailers where I live. I've only found a PS Corvette Warwick passive bass and I'll soon try that out
 
Not sure who's saying the Pro Series isn't as good as German-made models, but I certainly haven't been reading that anywhere. Quite the opposite actually. All I've read about the Pro Series is how well made they are. Especially if you're looking at a Corvette Standard 5, which are built to the same specs as the old made in Germany models.

I'm not sure what the used market is like in Greece, but obviously it would be worth looking for a used German Warwick. Not because they are better built or "worth more", but simply because I rarely recommend buying instruments new. You can find like-new instruments for significantly less, giving you more for your money. Plus, if you decide it isn't the right fit for you, you're more likely to get your money back selling a used instrument.

Either way, though, I definitely recommend getting a Warwick 5 string. Can't go wrong with them in my opinion! Then again, you're not likely to find too many differing opinions here on the Warwick forum.
 
TechJunky said:
Not sure who's saying the Pro Series isn't as good as German-made models, but I certainly haven't been reading that anywhere. Quite the opposite actually. All I've read about the Pro Series is how well made they are. Especially if you're looking at a Corvette Standard 5, which are built to the same specs as the old made in Germany models.

I'm not sure what the used market is like in Greece, but obviously it would be worth looking for a used German Warwick. Not because they are better built or "worth more", but simply because I rarely recommend buying instruments new. You can find like-new instruments for significantly less, giving you more for your money. Plus, if you decide it isn't the right fit for you, you're more likely to get your money back selling a used instrument.

Either way, though, I definitely recommend getting a Warwick 5 string. Can't go wrong with them in my opinion! Then again, you're not likely to find too many differing opinions here on the Warwick forum.
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Thanks for the reply, I appreciate it!
I just found a used Warwick FNA Jazzman 5-string for 800euros, I think I fell in love :P
 
For 900 Euros you can get some really nice German Warwicks like Tumb BOs and LXs
 
DemBoneZ said:
For 900 Euros you can get some really nice German Warwicks like Tumb BOs and LXs
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I've only found PS Series Thumb BOs and LXs at this price range, so if you have any link of a European store with these prices on German Warwicks I'll be glad to check it out :shock:

EDIT: Unless you mean used
 
drdninja said:
I've only found PS Series Thumb BOs and LXs at this price range, so if you have any link of a European store with these prices on German Warwicks I'll be glad to check it out :shock:

EDIT: Unless you mean used
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Definatly mean used, but used is the way to go IMO
 
If you are looking for a new bass, PS wicks are GREAT. I recon your budget is right on the edge of where you can find 2nd hand Germans, particularly vettes. (is it 900 USD or 900 Euros? bit of a difference there) Regardless you wont be disappointed with a new PS bass, but if you can find a 2nd hand german I'd go there. Certainly you'll get a better bass getting a PS, or even Rockbass than a Squire. Hell in terms of build quality id put Rockbass over Mexican fenders. PS will be at the level new standard series of American fenders. IMHO of course but I have played some pretty rough feeling Mex-fenders in shops here.
 
I am playing a PS corvette bubinga and I don't think in this price range you can get better new bass. My instrument is extremely well built and sounds great (although sound is a very subjective thing).
 
i love both of my PS Warwicks,especially my Thumb,fantastic instruments for the money.
 
I've found a Corvette $$ 5 and a FNA Jazzman, 800 each. I know Corvette has the double buck and FNA active pickups but I'm not sure which one will fit my playing better.

Thanks for the answers guys, they really help me in my bass search! ^^
 
Between the $$ and Jazzman I'd do the Jazzman - both have the bridge pickup in the right spot, but the FNA has more of a 'sensible' neck pickup IMO and it also has a three-band EQ!
 
Both are wonderfull basses. Pick the one with no gold hardware. ;)


On a more serious note, I´ll get the Jazzman too, I like better a J pup at the neck position.

What I don´t know is which one would suit your playing style better, you are the only one that my knows it.
 
I was going to suggest you look for a used bass but thought it might be hard to find.

Just in my experience, older $$ basses that have the 'soapbar' or 'brick' MM pickups without dog ears (i.e. the ones that are on a Stingray 5) have slight magnet alignment issues on the neck pickup. You have to widen the string spacing a whole lot to get the strings to cross the magnets of the neck pickup all the way.

Warwick have switched to 5-string MM pickups with dog ears (like on a Lakland) and this is no longer the case.
 
Haven't noticed alignment issues on my 05 jazzman.... mec pup looks identical to my ebmm pup from early 2000s.... not following what you mean.

Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk
 
thefitz said:
older $$ basses that have the 'soapbar' or 'brick' MM pickups without dog ears have slight magnet alignment issues on the neck pickup.
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I didn't even mention that bass in that point, I was talking about the neck pickup on older $$ 5-strings.
 
Yea. .. but mine has a mm style pup without alignment issues so am trying to figure out what alignment issues you mean. Maybe you mean in the neck pup? I of course don't have a neck mm pup but can imagine the neck spacing to maybe be problematic

Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk
 
I am indeed talking about the neck pickup of a $$ (double buck) bass. I was trying to emphasize that above.

Jazzman basses have a tilted neck pickup for that very reason - to align the magnets.
 
I found a German Corvette STD 5 string bass guitar in a music store near me! To my surprise the owner didn't know anything about the pickups or the electronics (lol), or if the bass is German-made or not so I kept the serial number and I found out its a model with passive pickups and active electronics, and these specs:

Corvette Standard, 5-string
Burgundy Red Oil finish
Swamp Ash body
Ovangkol neck
Chrome hardware


The article number from this bass is 1245780100CZASHOWW and I found it's a Passive/Active model in this site https://www.scribd.com/doc/18093681...ck-Slowakia-Poland-UK-Irland-14-1-03-2007-xls
Hope it's a reliable source

Also a newbie question: How can you tell if a bass has active electronics apart from what it sounds like? Does the double-knob EQ (I hope you understand what I mean :P) on the bass means active electronics?


I love how it sounded, how it played and how it looked. The fretboard felt amazing~! It was the first warwick bass I played and I fell in love with it! He is selling it for 800 Euro. What's your opinion on 2007 Corvette STD's Warwick forum? <3
 
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Hi buddy,
Yes, the double pot means active electronics - it is stacked - treble/bass. It is a nice bass, and the price is fair if it is in good shape. I personally prefer the ones with active MEC pickups, I wanted to mention this :-)
 
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