wankerness
Well-Known Member
I'm interested in buying a new bass sometime soon, and I've always sorta drooled over Warwicks. I'm interested in 5 strings, mainly. As far as models go, I haven't found a clear description of what the strengths and weaknesses are of each model, but it seems like the "Thumb" and the "Streamer Stage 1/2s" are the upper mid range models and thus what I'm interested in. I'm not closed to other brands, either, but from all I've heard a Warwick will solve most of my woes.
I've been using an Ibanez 405q for the last ten years and have recently gotten really dissatisfied with it as I've been playing in bigger groups with better sound systems, it seems like no matter what I do with the EQ, pickups and string gauges still results in the G string sounding incredibly thin and wimpy. I also REALLY don't like the action on this thing, I've adjusted it all different ways and it just doesn't work well for slap lines (not something I do a ton of, but I do enough that I've taken to using a cheap piece of shit just to slap/tap on cause the strings actually rebound properly). Finally, the output on this thing is INSANELY low, with volume on max and even with pickups raised almost to the strings the output is so low I have to run it through preamps before it will even trigger my compressor. This last problem may be some kind of defective electronics, but it's been exactly the same the entire time I've had it and no places I've had take a look at it have ever commented on it so who knows.
Any advice/pointers/feedback from people who know about 5 strings is appreciated. I don't have the means to try any Warwicks out since the places around here do not stock them. If you have any solid recs for a very versatile 5 string is appreciated. I play all kinds of stuff, everything from metal to jazz, and I'm often required to play in public in jazz groups where I have to do a lot of walking lines on old swing charts so it needs to have some tonal variety. I'm primarily a bass player, it's not like I just want something to do backing tracks on my guitar recordings or something.
I keep hearing that Warwicks have huge necks which might be too much for some players. I have been using an Ibanez BTB 405q for the last ten years so I'm not worried about neck length/width, but maybe I should be? It's 35" scale and the strings are pretty wide, but I don't know the exact width. I also have a cheap piece of shit Rogue 5 string with a shorter scale and MUCH tighter string spacing which feels like a toy in comparison, which makes me think the Ibanez is on the bigger end, but I don't really know.
I live in a cultural wasteland and thus have no half-decent guitar shops around for a great many miles, and I don't entirely trust ebay these days, so I thought I might as well ask on these forums even though it seems like almost all of the traffic is for guitars. I know I may end up buying used since my price range is in the 1-1.5k range and I know that with Warwicks at least the price difference between new and used is gigantic.
I've been using an Ibanez 405q for the last ten years and have recently gotten really dissatisfied with it as I've been playing in bigger groups with better sound systems, it seems like no matter what I do with the EQ, pickups and string gauges still results in the G string sounding incredibly thin and wimpy. I also REALLY don't like the action on this thing, I've adjusted it all different ways and it just doesn't work well for slap lines (not something I do a ton of, but I do enough that I've taken to using a cheap piece of shit just to slap/tap on cause the strings actually rebound properly). Finally, the output on this thing is INSANELY low, with volume on max and even with pickups raised almost to the strings the output is so low I have to run it through preamps before it will even trigger my compressor. This last problem may be some kind of defective electronics, but it's been exactly the same the entire time I've had it and no places I've had take a look at it have ever commented on it so who knows.
Any advice/pointers/feedback from people who know about 5 strings is appreciated. I don't have the means to try any Warwicks out since the places around here do not stock them. If you have any solid recs for a very versatile 5 string is appreciated. I play all kinds of stuff, everything from metal to jazz, and I'm often required to play in public in jazz groups where I have to do a lot of walking lines on old swing charts so it needs to have some tonal variety. I'm primarily a bass player, it's not like I just want something to do backing tracks on my guitar recordings or something.
I keep hearing that Warwicks have huge necks which might be too much for some players. I have been using an Ibanez BTB 405q for the last ten years so I'm not worried about neck length/width, but maybe I should be? It's 35" scale and the strings are pretty wide, but I don't know the exact width. I also have a cheap piece of shit Rogue 5 string with a shorter scale and MUCH tighter string spacing which feels like a toy in comparison, which makes me think the Ibanez is on the bigger end, but I don't really know.
I live in a cultural wasteland and thus have no half-decent guitar shops around for a great many miles, and I don't entirely trust ebay these days, so I thought I might as well ask on these forums even though it seems like almost all of the traffic is for guitars. I know I may end up buying used since my price range is in the 1-1.5k range and I know that with Warwicks at least the price difference between new and used is gigantic.
