What Warwick am I looking for?

uOpt

uOpt

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Could somebody guide me through the past of Warwick basses? There are none to try out here and they are slow to flip. I think I finally made up my mind that thumbs are not the basses of my dreams.

But there is a huge mess around what Warwick was available with what options

What I want:
  • Split style Precision pickup or MM style humbucker, both in their respective positions
  • Some bridge pickup, narrow. J or soapbar format work for me. Not too close to the bridge
  • I think actual neck pickups are useless to me
  • HH with the pickups too close isn't useful
  • 24 or more frets is OK, as long as it doesn't move the central pickup and doesn't make the body too small and light
  • which brings me to...
  • No small bodies made from ash.

I haven't developed a preference for wenge versus ovankol neck. I dearly love my Corvette 4JJ, however it doesn't quite do what I want. The neck pickup is not as useful to me as a central P or MM. The overall bass doesn't have enough "meat" to it sound-wise. If you have seen my 4/5/6 string thread you know what I mean. I think this thing would be better as a 5-string, sound-wise.

So, I figure my best bet is a Streamer, followed by a 5-string corvette if I can find useful pickups in it.

I would really appreciate if people could point out more fitting gems in the Warwick catalog, past and present.
 
I don't get what you want with what pickups.
I'd say you're looking for the Stu Hamm Red Prototype. (ALder Body)
Stu-Hamm-bass-closeup.jpg

Not sure he will want to sell it, tho :-)

Or, you might want to check the Dolphin Pro2, both P'ups are really far from the neck. (Maple body IIRC, but might be ash...)
ebmbnszlvxlgp8g4jtag.jpg

And in the "one P'up is enuff to get some meat", please try an AS Clayton Signature. Yes, the weird golden thingy.
 
Get a Streamer LX and modify it with a humbucker in the bridge position maybe?

Sounds like the best option for you, and it suprises me Warwick doesn't offer one.
 
Better yet, get ilikebass7 ProM :-)
Should be allrite ?
 
What I'm saying is PJ is allright with me, as long as the pickups haven't been moved from the "proper" positions. I think that is common for Streamers.

I would have a small preference to have a soapbar instead of a J in the bridge but it isn't that important. There are similar sounding pickups in J format.
 
Those fortresses have solid maple bodies, right? Not maple veneer over ash?
 
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FNA. Used, or custom new. New
means any woods you desire. 24
frets is default across the whole
WW line. IIRC the MM PU on the
FNA is splittable.

`
 
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Just happen to see this while cruising the usual sources,
altho BNW is not merely "usual" ... they are most highly
respected and will ship used items world wide. Please do
notice the woods involved, seems to fit your intentions.

https://www.bassnw.com/Used Basses/warwick_masterman_4_honey_.htm

No personal connection to vendor other than the many,
MANY basses I have bought there :-)

`
 
So are you selling that thumb in your profile pic? :D
 
I really don't think that double J pickup is to my linking.

I assume a MM pickup wouldn't fit the same route, right?

What kind of magnet setup does a double J have, anyway? Bar magnet on bottom and passive polepiece? Blades? Or magnetic rods?
 
I don't think it matters too much soundwise what kind of magnets they have, it does for normal guitar but for bass it makes far less impact as far as I know.
 
You are not looking for a Warwick.
What you described in your opening post is a Fender American Deluxe Precision Bass.
 
Gnermo said:
I don't think it matters too much soundwise what kind of magnets they have, it does for normal guitar but for bass it makes far less impact as far as I know.
Click to expand...

That is true but I'd still like to know.

In any case, while I agree that bass shows less of a difference between ceramic and the different alnico variants when all of them use bar magnet and passive polepieces - I think that rod magnets make a real difference.

I have indeed considered going plain PJ, as in a new-fundled split style Precision bass with a J route. Overall, however, I have grown to like many aspects of warwicks, especially wenge necks.
 
For non Warwick guitars, a Yamaha BB10xx (good) or BB20xx (better) series might cut it

Warwick wise you could look at the Stage 1 as it has the Wenge neck now, though the maple necked ones are cool just the same. Finally a $$ bolt on or NT might be an option, which would also allow splitting coils as needed, and if that is not enough, there is always the custom shop options to go bananas with.

I own a BB 20204, a Stage 1, $$ Corvette and temporarily owned a $$ NT Bubinga, so ask me anything you like and I will answer to the best of my ability.
 
Twin J's have ceramic bar magnet inside of coils. Polarity direction of both magnets are the same. It´s not Humbucker style PU. There are 2 identical active J PU in one cover.
No humming because it is an active pickup…
 
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