Stage I vs Stage II

J

Johnny

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Hi everyone!

This is the first time I leave a message here in this forum.

I am thinking of getting a new bass recently. I own a Philip Kubicki Ex-Factor Bass and would like to try Warwick. My target is either Streamer stage I or stage II (maybe a 5-string). I browsed the forum and it looks to me that stage I appears to be more popularly discussed than stage II. I am just wondering if any buddy could give some comment by comparing the two models.

Which model do you think can cover a wide range of musical style? I don't usually focus on a particular musical style or playing style, but definitely do slapping stuff very much.

Thanks mates!!
 
Both can easily cover almost every kind of music.

The Stage 1 has a more open sound, being made of maple.
I love this bass, even tough it doesn't have the typical Warwick low midrange growl.

On the other side the Stage 2 is more growly, and has incredible low end.

High frequencies are more aggressive on the Stage 1.

Slapping on a Stage 1 sounds more similar to a seventies Fender Jazz slap tone.
 
Thank Mr Rabble for your view...

and 'Hi' Mala...I know you are an expert of Warwick bass...

I am also thinking of getting a custom Warwick bass so that I can combine their good points together...

Warwick custom shop creates not only high quality sound, but also art.

Cheers
 
Well, Johnny, you are right on that. Mala is quite the Warwick bass expert and so is Marcbass, who you'll probably meet around here pretty soon. The best advice I can give you is to go and try out the basses yourself in a shop and pick whichever one you think suits more your playing style and the music you intend to play the most. The Streamer shape is very popular and is very comfortable, at least for my body shape. Hope you find what you are looking for and welcome to a great family of Warwick users and gurus.
 
i spent a good hour playing a streamer stage I 4str a coupla days ago at my local music store and i was just stunned by the beauty of the instrument and the number of sounds this sleek little devil could produce. i'd go for a 5 stringed version asap if i had the money!
 
Johnny, as Oliver pointed out you will find a lot of people with a load of knowledgae around this great forum, together we cover the most you need to know. I, myself only know how to set up a bass and enjoy playing it. The experts in Warwick history, preamps, pick ups and very much everything you need to know, you'll run into here. Have a great time! / mats
 
What's the difference between Stage 1 & Stage 2's?? I'm completely ignorant as to the differences.....
 
ok.... the differences...


Firstly, the main difference are the woods.

A Stage 1 is made of Maple with strips of ovangkol (?) for the neck. This gives the bass a bright sound with nice mids; it's also lighter in weight than the dark-wood warwicks.

A Stage 2 on the other hand is Afzelia with ovangkol for the neck. The afzelia is a much denser wood than maple; this is said to give the bass better lows and mids... and after all, the dense dark woods are what gives Warwick basses their 'growl'.


The next and most significant difference is the string spacing. The Stage 1 has a wider string spacing than a Stage 2... thus at the 24th fret the stage 1 neck is significantly wider than a stage 2 neck. Have a look at the photos of both basses and you'll see that the Stage 1 neck tapers wheras the Stage 2 neck looks straighter. I think string spacing is 20mm on the Stage 1 as compared to 18mm on a Stage 2.


OK, another difference is in construction. Both basses have neck-thru construction... HOWEVER, a Stage 2 has 'hidden' NT construction.... thus the body of the Stage 2 looks solid from the front... you only see the neck laminates from the back. With a Stage 1, you can see the wood strips from the front and back.


Stage 1 basses have a P/J pickup configuration (4-string) and 2 humbucking soapbars (5-string and 6-string models). Stage 2 basses have J/J pickups in both 4 and 5-string models. Both basses have active 3-band electronics, yet from what i know the Stage 2 has a slightly different pre-amp that better suits the denser woods.


Finally, Stage 2 basses are only available in 4 or 5 string models. Stage 1s are available in 4 through to 6 strings.




I own 2 Stage 1s (one Fretless, the other is the custom shop all-white bass with blue LEDs).

HOWEVER — i had both of these made in Afzelia.

The reason is i prefer the sound of Afzelia, but enjoy the wider string spacing available on a Stage 1. In addition, my fretless is a six-string... so that was not available as a Stage 2. Both basses feature a Stage 2 pre-amp.

I guess both basses could be called a 'Stage 1-and-a-half!'



I hope all this info helps. I think the best thing to do is play both basses and see which you prefer in sound and spacing. Remember you can do ANYTHING as a custom shop bass so all the options are there!

Cheers,

Lex
 
Hey Johnny,

I was recently at my local music shop (Which is also what it's called) and they had 2 Streamer Stage IIs (4 and 5 stringed versions) as well as 2 Streamer Stage Is with a Flamed Maple A body(4 and 5 stringed versions). I was able to play all of them except for the Stage II 5 string because for some reason it was "Off Limits" (So was a Thumb NT 5 and a Vampyre Ltd. 4, but for some reason the Infinity Ltd. 4 Flamed Maple AAA wasn't :?).

Any way I can't really recommend one more than the other seeing as I'm not sure what you're going for. The Streamer II was a lot heavier but had that classic Warwick "growl" as opposed to the Stage Is. What I didn't like about the Stage I 5 is the whole broadneck concept. Sure it's good for people who want to slap (this is something I can't doo on a normal 5 string spacing ~ 16.5 mm) but the gay thing is that the body of the Stage I 5 is wider/bigger than the 4 stringed version. I don't know if this is much of a problem for you but I want the body of a bass to be as small as possible and compact.

In the end it's really up to you. Go out there and try them out for yourself! One thing is certain, they're both real "Prestiege" basses.

Cheers!
 
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