Which Warwick is the most comfortable to play?

my streamer is under 8lb.... effortless!

 

A toss-up between a nice light-weight Streamer or similar weight Dolphin (though I also like the Corvette) but unfortunately the first position on a NT Thumb has never been comfortable for me personally.

 

My Streamer LX 6 has got to be one of the most lightweight 6'ers I've ever picked up. Just an incredible bass to play...

 

I tried a Corvette, a Nobby and a Thumb BO5.
No problem with the Corvette and the Nobby (standing up and w/ extension bar), Thumb had a moderate neck dive.

 

An old Dolphin Pro1 weighs in at only 4.2kg so yeah, comfortable.

BTW compared to my other basses ANY Warwick is comfortable.
I really don't care much about comfort though, guess I'm an easy player. If it is less comfortable I just hit it harder.
I also prefer sitting on a little wooden kitchen bench to a comfy chair at the dinner table. Maybe I'm just weird.

 

Ive only ever played the corvette, being lefty its quite tricky to try lots of models out. But i find it very comfy, easy to play without tiring, and thats with a lower back issue (i had a discectomy for a very prolapsed disc2 yrs ago).

 

My '92 custom shop SSI/SSII hybrid is the most comfortable instrument I've ever played, and my former SSII fretless of the same year sat just as well.

My Katana's in the middle, and I've constantly fought with my Vampyre and former Thumb BO, even with Ultralites.

There's a difference between 'there's no neck dive' and 'I like my bass to sit horizontally'. For some people, particularly taller people, having a horizontal bass isn't comfortable. Even then, you need to have your bass riding high to make the horizontal angle work. If you're tall, you have long arms, and this is uncomfortable and awkward looking. The higher the bass, the more you have to bend your arms.

There's no such thing as body dive (cue a million people saying YES THERE IS!!!). If a bass balances well, the bass should sit immaculately when it's horizontal. It should also sit immaculately when it's tilted upwards, as well.

And there's something else people omit - where the bass sits on your stomach. Not height, not angle, but rotation about the body. A well balanced bass should sit somewhere closer to your right underarm/towards the right side of your body. You can angle a bass that doesn't balance well to any angle, but the higher the angle, the closer towards the left it goes. This is bad.

My Vampyre, and especially my old Thumb, needed to be basically vertical to sit comfortably to the right side of my body. My Streamer sits there no matter the angle.

 

My Dolphin SN is very comfortable to play, yet I use the ash Corvette for long sessions as it is so much lighter. Makes a difference after 3 hours...
As long as there is an ash corvette, no need for funky straps either

I tried an Infinity recently, and found that to be just as comfortable as my Dolphin.

 

Just to add to the standing/sitting aspect; there's also the "slouching on the coach" position!
And for that, Corvette rules!

 

Out of the Warwick's I've owned (various corvettes, thumbs, and streamers), the Streamer Stage II wins it for me to date. The Corvettes all had at least some neck dive to pull it from the angled position I like. Nothing horrible, but enough where I had to readjust pretty regularly. Plus, the flat bodies weren't the most comfortable for me (once I had a curved body, that killed all slab instruments for me!). The Thumbs were, as well known, great in horizontal, but at the angle I usually play, the worst with neck dive. I loved them, but it was hard for me to adjust the way I play versus finding a bass that worked for my preferences right out of the gate. The Streamers have all been a joy. Some were a little neck heavy (my current LX5 has a little bit of pull), but still only periodically require any readjustments to get back to my normal play.

The Stage II, however, stays exactly where I want it. I can let go whenever, and it rarely moves on me or has any issues. My LX4 was probably second best, as it was very similar. Just a hint of movement, but overall stayed put dead on. The P-Nut gets third, not moving much on me, but does need adjusted occasionally. In the end, even the worst Streamer I've played was still better than the other Warwick's I've owned.

I've played a few Fortresses, but not on a strap and never long enough to make an opinion, but I've always heard how well those balance. I haven't played a Dolphin, but those are also high regarded as well balanced basses, so in my personal experience, the Streamers win, but going off tribal knowledge, I'd say it's a toss between Fortress and Dolphins. And due to my love for the curved body shapes, the Dolphin would likely get the edge from me.

 

If you play around your belly, its the thumb. If you play below your belly like you are in Korn or something, the SS2 or Corvette is a great choice, especially the $$ model.

Also I find the Jack Bruce bass very comfy too. Almost as much as the Thumb when resting my right arm.

 

Maybe it's just me and based on my experience, but I'm skeptical of the balance of 26-fret instruments. The Dolphin looks like it has a long enough horn and everything but I think the wood 'missing' from the body at the centre of mass of the instrument might throw it out of whack (if that makes sense).

All I know is the Thumb is bad and my Vampyre is bad (even though the description of the instrument on the website talks about how well it balances).

 

If any Dolphin should be neck heavy it's my broadneck 5. Still I don't feel that it is. If you ever travel to Norway, stop by and try mine

 

It may depend on how high or low you play your bass. I have mine rather high up, in front of the belly. The Thumb BO is very comfortable for me, but the Infinity SN is slightly more comfortable and thus my most comfortable.
The Corvette feels slightly less comfortable, maybe due to its straight back. The least comfy is the Buzzard BO. It's not because of its weight and shape, but I guess it's the pin placement.
As Golem said, we are all free to drill holes wherever we want - I just feel awkward drilling into this great zebrawood.

 

The dolphin's lack of wood in the centre is well balanced by the long slab below the bridge. much of the mass of the dolphin is below and behind the back pups, really pulling the neck up. If you happen to have one with the top of the body chambered...WELL..:lol:

 

I can only comment on the two warwicks that i have had the pleasure of owning: a thumb 5 BO and my CS SS2 5. And to me they were like light and day, the thumb BO never felt right for me and I used to buy different straps and try differing heights and stuff (i really loved the sound of that bass but just couldn't get comfortable with it). The Streamer Stage 2 however was like a light bulb moment when i got her, from the first time i played that bass I knew it was right for me. It balances beautifully and is the most comfortable bass i have played warwick or not (fender j's, bongo's, ibanez sr's, stingray).
Just wondering if the LX is as comfy or near comfy as the streamer ss2 from anyone's experience?

 

IMHO the LX is just as comfy & awesome sounding as the stage 2 Augie.


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I struggled with the thumb, always felt as if I was supporting the neck a little with my fretting hand. But I loved the sound, when I discovered the Dolphin I was converted pretty quickly!