Warwick Thumb NT 5 of questionable provenance / User Kit ?

mencken

mencken

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Hello all,

I am a first-time Warwick owner as of yesterday, and as happy as the proverbial clam. I purchased a (allegedly) "new" Thumb NT 5, but have some doubts as to its history and questions about the contents of the User Kit that came with the bass. Any assistance that anyone can provide on any of the following is greatly appreciated:

1. User Kit: Does anyone know what SHOULD be included in the User Kit that shipped with a 2002 Thumb NT 5 string?
A. I received a truss rod tool, a polish cloth, two allen wrench keys, owners manual, and the warranty card for the WRONG bass.)
B. Wondering if it was supposed to include beeswax and additional allen wrenches (and anything else.)

2. Provenance: The bass was listed as "new", but was missing a volume knob, has a 2002 serial number, and was priced at about half of what that distributor quotes for a Thumb NT 5. When I realized that I didn't even have the warranty card that goes with the bass I started thinking that this may be a previously owned instrument (or perhaps someone at the store was working on an early Christmas present for himself.)
A. Does anyone know if/how I can verify (with just the serial number) that this bass was actually sold to the distributor I bought it from? (And isn't previously owned.)
B. I bought the bass from an authorized Warwick distributor in the United States. SN is D 092410-02.


I should also add that whether it's previously owned or has just been sitting on a shelf for six years, I absolutely love that bass and wouldn't trade it for the world. (I just want to be sure I know exactly what I've got.)

Any assistance is greatly appreciated.
--mencken
 
It's possible that it's been in a few shops.

My SS1 was bought new in 02 by it's previous owner, but the serial number was 99

As long as you like it, it doesn't matter. And I've never had Warwick pack/warranty/truss rod tool with any of my Warwick's, but at the price I've been paying I don't think I can complain.
 
The folks at Dana B. Goods tell me that they don't have any records showing which bass was sold to whom, and that if the original warwick ID/warranty sheet is gone, my only hope is that the folks at warwick.de might have the information.

(The Dana B. Goods folks DID answer my questions about the contents of the User Kit though.)

So, the question (somewhat reframed) is now:

Does anyone know if/how I can get a copy of the details of the specs on my bass with just the serial-number? (And also, if I can verify that no-one else has completed a warranty registration for a bass with my serial-number?)

regards,
--mencken
 
First of all, welcome to the family! :D

I can tell you based on your serial number, that your bass was made in April 2002.

Since you bought from an authorized Warwick dealer, it is more than likely not previously owned. If that dealer is a Guitar Center or Sam Ash store, this is fairly normal. I've seen Warwick basses at Guitar Center with serial numbers as old as 7 or 8 years ago that have never sold. It's also way too common that the Guitar Center employee grabs the wrong RockBag - thus the User Kit has the wrong warranty card. I've even made the salesman go in the back and find me the right RockBag. One time, they could not find the right User Kit, so they gave me the only one they had - it was for an FNA Jazzman LTD, with the certificate still in the User Kit. That makes me mad because someone bought a LTD ED bass and never got their certificate because a salesman didn't care to match the case to the bass! :twisted:

I was also told that Warwick dealers call in the serial number from the bass to Warwick, so the waranty card is unnecessary. I've never had to test if my basses were registered or not, but Tyler at Dana B. Goods has been taking care of me anyway.

Now, while your bass hasn't been previously owned, there's a good chance it's had a LOT of hands on it putting it through the paces over the past 6 years - especially if it's been hanging at arms reach on the Guitar Center wall!
 
Thanks for the quick replies. I'm satisfied at this point that the bass really wasn't previously owned (talked to the sales clerk, and had him look up the history on their end, and it looks like they really bought it six years ago.) I'm assuming that the six years hanging on the wall account for the fact that they sold it to me at about 60% under MSRP.

On a related note, when I spoke with the salesman again today he promised me that they'd send some beeswax my way-- but that has me wondering if I should be looking for any signs of neglect on the little guy's body (which probably hasn't had anything more than finger grease applied to since it was shipped from the factory.)

Anyone know if there's anything specific I should look for on the body and neck to make sure that lack of care over the past five years hasn't compromised the "health" of the wood?

--mencken
 
mencken said:
Thanks for the quick replies. I'm satisfied at this point that the bass really wasn't previously owned (talked to the sales clerk, and had him look up the history on their end, and it looks like they really bought it six years ago.) I'm assuming that the six years hanging on the wall account for the fact that they sold it to me at about 60% under MSRP.

On a related note, when I spoke with the salesman again today he promised me that they'd send some beeswax my way-- but that has me wondering if I should be looking for any signs of neglect on the little guy's body (which probably hasn't had anything more than finger grease applied to since it was shipped from the factory.)

Anyone know if there's anything specific I should look for on the body and neck to make sure that lack of care over the past five years hasn't compromised the "health" of the wood?

--mencken
Click to expand...

If you don't see any visible/obvious signs of cracking, then your bass is OK. As for its care over the six years, I would guess that it has been cared for, but probably not properly. The staff will keep the bass looking good enough to sell, but may use the wrong cleaners to do so.

If you go to your local ACE hardware store, you can buy Howard's Feed N Wax, which does a wonderful job of restoring any Warwick to a glowing shine. I use it exclusively on my 2000 Thumb NT because it really enhances the look of the Bubinga Pommele wood even more than the Warwick Beeswax does. Howard's has a mix of Beeswax, Carnauba Wax, and Orange Oil that enhances the grain and feeds and preserves the wood. Again, it brings out the 3D effect with a beautiful glow!

That should be all you'll need, plus lemon oil for your fingerboard and frets (I learned today that a Q-tip and lemon oil work wonders on getting into the grain and cleaning up a wenge fingerboard).

It seems that dealers in the US have a hard time getting the Warwick Beeswax, so I turned to Howard's. Other brands had laquer finishes blended in them or stains that would ruin the finish. Howard's works wonders and costs less than the Warwick wax.

BTW, I like to spread the wax on with my fingers and work it into the wood. It feels so good everytime I lay my hands on my Thumb NT, so it's a labor of love...
 
I bought an 03 Thumb NT5 at the end of 04 & also got the wrong warranty card.It's quite common for dealers to mix up the case candy.Just give her a good waxing & she'll shine again.
 
I have had times that i have not received any paperwork and have called Dana B and they have helped me out every time. ALso I use that Howards Feed N wax when i get a new bass and sometimes I alternate between Warwick wax and the Howards Feed N Wax. I like that the Howards leaves the bass shinny adnd well fed.

enjoy the monster. These thumbs are great.

Thumbs up to the Thumbs!! :wink:
 
Again... many thanks to all who replied. Things are working out great, and I've found these forums to be an amazingly helpful source of information.

I picked up some Howard Feed-n-Wax and lemon oil and have been giving it "the treatment" every night this week. (Both ingredients have born beautiful fruit!) It looks to me like the fretboard is ebony and the neck and body are both ovangkol. Having taken a Warwick crash-course this past week after what was essentially an impulse purchase, I'm pleasantly surprised by what seems like the relative rarity of the Ovangkol body on the Thumb NT 5.

I was horrified by the amount of gunk that came off the fretboard, but it looks/feels fantastic now. (I cleaned it with lemon oil and elbow grease two nights in a row before I stopped seeing gunk come up.) The grain in the Ovangkol body is really starting to look nice too. The only cosmetics I have left are to clean the tops of the frets.

In sadder news, I discovered when I took the strings off for the first waxing/fretboard-oiling, that the JAN2 had experienced the all-too-common wing breakage, so I'll be taking it back to the dealer soon for repair. (I'm putting it off, because I'm afraid that they'll have to ship it back to Germany or something.)

I'll post some pix in the Thumb Club thread after a few more waxings and a fret cleaning.
regards,
--mencken
 
Replacing the nut won't require a trip to Germany. There's a lot of info about nut replacement in the forum. Your JAN 2 will still function until you get a replacement.

O
 
Interestingly enough, the GC sales clerk just called me back and offered to replace the bass completely with a new-model Thumb NT 5. (I think that the local GC store doesn't have anyone who can work on basses-- especially based on the way it was strung when I brought it home.)

Seems bizarre to me that they would give me a completely new instrument instead of just replacing the nut. (Sigh/shrug.) I started a separate thread in the Warwick basses forum soliciting advice on that front. (I'm kind of torn about whether to convince them to just get me a new nut or roll the dice on a new '08 Thumb NT5.)
 
Just to clarify.Your 02 Thumb has a 5 piece ovangkol neck,blocked by ekanga veneers,bubinga pomelle body & ebony fingerboard.It's the same as the current 08 Thumbs. :wink:
 
Greg said:
Just to clarify.Your 02 Thumb has a 5 piece ovangkol neck,blocked by ekanga veneers,bubinga pomelle body & ebony fingerboard.It's the same as the current 08 Thumbs. :wink:
Click to expand...

Yup... thanks, Greg. (Someone already set me straight on the thread are started over in the Warwick Basses board.) I think I got turned around by the (to my eyes, anyway) extremely dark shade of the bubinga pomelle body and (having never spent more than 10 seconds thinking about exotic woods before) didn't think to look at the grain at all. (I was also distracted by the '03 Thumb NT 5 w/ a ovingkol body in the used gear board.) I now stand firmly corrected re. the body wood :)

--mencken
 
I got my happy ending today. I A/B'ed the '02 and the replacement (an '07, right out of the box from Dana B. Goods), and wound up taking the '07 home with me. I've got all the right case candy now, and now I won't have to worry about the 10,000 pairs of hands that had probably been all over the '02 for the past six years.

Thanks again for all the great information!
 
glad to hear that too. was the grain on the newer one nicer than the older one?
 
trujo777 said:
glad to hear that too. was the grain on the newer one nicer than the older one?
Click to expand...
I'd say the grain on the '02 was actually a bit nicer, but I prefer save words like "better" or "worse" for when I'm comparing snowflakes (or children.)

Seriously though, I think it was probably a highly subjective aesthetic issue with no wrong anser. I will say that the grain on the '02 seemed more unique to me than the '07, but I'm far from a Bubinga connossier. Comparing just the wood, what really sold me on the '07 was the fact that that it felt "healthier" to me. When I ran my hand against the grain on the Bubinga on the '02 I could really feel the pores in the grain (which I was kind of afraid meant I was just months away from actual cracking.)

Overall though, it basically came down to the difference between a factory-new bass, and one that had been hanging on the wall at a store for six years. Given the remarkable consistency of Warwick's instruments it really turned out to be a no-brainer.[/i]
 
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