Warwick basses

[Ralph]

Has anyone ever played them? What do you think about the quality?

[marcnorth]

A buddy of mine has had one for years that he brings over when he wants it set up. I get it for a few days about once a year when he thinks it's not right. I really don't ever do much except maybe (only a couple of times) a little tweak on the rod, new strings and tighten the loose screws on the tuners. Then I play it for a couple of days.

They sound great, one of the best I've heard. It plays good too, even if it is long scale. The quality on his is excellent, I'm not a big fan of the oiled finish but the wood looks cool. He loves it and wouldn't play anything else.

I would love to have a short scale model, if I ever see one hanging around local I'll buy it.

[killerteddybear]

Usually heavy. Excellent instruments, well built (although their Asian discount stuff -'Rockbass'- can be sketchy).

I had a Corvette fretless for a couple years that I stupidly sold.

It's one of a few basses that I would buy back.

Many many years ago I tried out a neck-through Thumb bass. Also on my 'wanna' list. VERY aggressive tone.

[gtone]

My son has one of the old single HB (splitable) Streamers from the late '90's we bought used for him for a high school grad present. It's a great instrument and he really loves it. Although it has a small body, it's quite heavy for it's size. Don't know what kind of a tonewood the body is, but it definitely has some mass, as does the neck and hardware. Great quality build too. Notes just pop/ring off that fretboard, so it's great for slapping funk styles and such...

[carfish7]

Bell brass frets, adjustable nuts, big, manly necks, heavy weight and heavy tone. VERY cool basses to be sure. I only wish it were a touch easier to discern where they were made.

[tbonesullivan]

I just can't get past the body shape, and in the dual HB models they put the pickups too close together, and I can never find a place to play the way I want to.

[Steve Haynie]

A store about 60 miles up the road carried Warwick back in the late 80's/early 90's.

The neck through basses were really cool, and in some cases seemed to be a take off on Spector designs. The wenge necks felt great to me, but others hate them because the grain of that wood can feel like a coarse file. It depends on how the wood is finished. (coolfeel's custom Chaparral has the smoothest wenge neck of all time!)

A high end Warwick is in its own world. Either you will find it to be the greatest bass in the world or you will not. If I could have one, I would!

[Ralph]

Thanks for the responses. Maybe I can find a nice Hamer Chap 4 string. At least then I know what I'll be getting.

[Montelovesco]

They are made not so far from here (if, yes, IF that European Hamer meeting of 2014 would have happened here I would have taken the crowd to the factory... :-)), and, like their guitar brand Framus they are said to be good (the guitars ARE good), including some custom shop attidtude ("You want it? We build it"). There have been some issues with the company not paying minimum wages and being a hard place to work, though.

[Tres Aardvarks]

I wanted a Warwick after seeing them in music shops in Germany when I was 18. As a broke college kid, that wasn't happening I picked up their cheapest German made 5-string right before they switched to the import Rockbass line. The thing is a tank (heavy) with a baseball bat of a neck. I just can't get on with the neck, otherwise I'd keep it forever. The wenge neck has definitely got its own feel, if you like the feel of wood then you're golden! It also has a really nice sound, and the pup is splittable. My old roommate informed me that of all my guitars and basses, the Warwick was the best looking.