=The Warwick Thumb Club=

Hey Jimbo, nice pair you have there :-)
I am not a fretless player, but I used to own a thumb BO5, and the sound and feeling was insane!
Congratulations!
 
Hey thanks Florin, yeah the broadnecked fretted has really growing on me in both sound and feel. It's a bit beat up but was sorted by Jon Shuker a while back. As I dug it I thought I'd try and find it's fretless partner and a guy from Denmark had one in a nice condition :D! I'm not going for any Jaco or Willis craziness on the fretless but more laid back stuff. It's hard enough to play in tune without lines so I'd rather play less but play it well ;)
 
we had this debate here on the forum, and for many of us, including me, playing without lines was easier :-) The thumb fretless is very interesting, because the bass actually may not sound at all like a fretless, but keep the sweet slides. Keep the same thumb groove, but with extra expression.
Jealous...
 
Thanks Herb vibes, I've recently sold a '98 thumb nt 5 that was a work of art but the ergonomics didn't suit me very well, a real shame as the sound was really thick. However the broadneck bo thumbs just seem to work for me, the positioning of things is just that bit more forgiving and whilst the tone doesn't sound as thick to me, it seems to have a wider sonic spectrum with more sensitivity from the soapbars so ends up in reality a bit more versatile. I think for me now the broadneck 5ers are the way ahead, I never should have sold that SS1 5 lol!!
 
i know what you mean... i've sold 8 warwicks until i got my broadneck collection together:)
 
Morgoth said:
Posting Thumb pics is a dirty job but someone has to do it...
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Fantastic wood grain your thumb has! Nice slab of Bubinga you got :)

Great work of art there!

I'll have to take some more pics of Jacky, now that my cell camera went from 2mp in 2008...to 13mp now ;) Probably bring out the grain better.
 
Yep Paul does have one of the best looking standard Thumb NT's in the world. Well deserved too!
 
Hoggles said:
Fantastic wood grain your thumb has! Nice slab of Bubinga you got :)

Great work of art there!

I'll have to take some more pics of Jacky, now that my cell camera went from 2mp in 2008...to 13mp now ;) Probably bring out the grain better.
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Welcome back home, Hoggles :-)
 
Hoggles said:
Fantastic wood grain your thumb has! Nice slab of Bubinga you got :)
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Agreed with Stevo here. All of us Thumblanders are fairly grain-jealous of Le Pol (at least I am). But he has gone through a lot to hit such mark.
 
Thanks a lot guys! Indeed, I'm lucky to be the owner of this Thumb. And it's been a loong journey. Again, my poor camera and my poor skills don't make it justice at all. I truly wish I could show you the mighty bubinga in all its glory...
 
Hi there, my first post here.
Just acquired my first Warwick, a Thumb BO4. And thought I'd start with a mini-review of it.
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The Thumb Bolt-on-4 is known for it's by its dark, well defined tone and lovely, low-mid-growl. The organic and ergonomic body shape and neck are made from a beautifully, dark grained Ovangkol, with an even darker, Wenge fingerboard, which is made even more beautiful by the lack of markers, between it's 24, medium, bell-brass frets.
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The 2, active, MEC, J-style pickups, in combination with the bass's woods, create some inspiring tones, that sparkle with dark harmonics. The tone is clear yet very earthy. You could say, the Warwick's looks and tone truly reflect each other. The active electronics are controlled by rotary knobs, for volume, panning, treble and bass. No middle control, it's true but with this bass's gorgeous, natural mid-tones, why would you want to mess with them?
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I'm not really a fan of black hardware on a bass but Warwick's black, 2-piece bridge, security locks, tuners and (ad)Just-a-Nut 3, are not only extremely functional but blend with the bass's dark, good looks, quite well.

As you may expect from a German made bass, the BO4 is very well designed and crafted. The neck has a deep(ish) profile and is incredibly comfortable to play. The profile and immaculate fretboard just make you want to play in an accurate and precise manner. Yet also encourages sonic exploration and self expression.
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This particular bass was made in 2008 and remains in immaculate condition. When I bought it, I also tried out an English made, Overwater Inspiration Std. Deluxe 4. Both basses are small bodied, with high quality construction and parts. The Overwater's tone was crystal clear and even, with great harmonic range. But it was the earthier tone and organic looks of the Warwick that sold it to me.

This bass comes with a user kit, that comes in what can only be described as a very professional folder, made of rucksack type material. It looks like something you might get with a high end car. With pockets for the beeswax, needed in the early years of the bass's life, strings, an impressive trussrod tool, a cleaning cloth, the sizeable manual and certificate. Never seen this before, even with more expensive instruments.
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Overall then, this is a high quality instrument. The small body in no way hinders tone but does make the neck seem to stick out further, than on larger bodied basses. You soon adapt and it becomes as natural as any other bass. I didn't used to like to look of Warwicks but now I'm really appreciating the look, feel and sound of this most musical of basses.
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I´m confuse, did you bought it or are you selling it to us? ;)

Just kidding, man, Welcome aboard and enjoy your new baby, it looks like new. And don´t worry about black hardware, it looks amazing.
 
Welcome, nice run through of your thumb, and you're right the thumb tone is hard to beat 8:
 
Thanks guys.
Whilst trying out my BO4, I also played a Warwick Jack Bruce signature Thumb NT-4. That's a very nice bass but I wasn't keen on the LED markers and having s signature on the body. Lovely bass though.
 
Thanks for the nice review grayn, that's a sweet bass indeed!
BTW, you still need to use the wax from time to time :-)
 
body needs waxing too (NHS)
Use really small amounts of wax, do not let it build up. I use the fingers to apply it, and rub with the grain until I feel it warming a little bit. Let it try overnight and buff it with a soft cloth.

Cheers,
Flo
 
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