# Warwick Corvette $$ DB Vs. Ibanez Sr5005 prestige



## fitforanautopsy (Jul 26, 2010)

Hey guys. I just got a little debate going on in my mind. I have a budget of 2000g for a new 5 string bass. and im kinda stuck on what to get. I really like the ibanez 5005 for all its features and the bartoloni pickups. but the warwick is handmade and also has a great sound. I play metal, funk, blues, and all sorts of rock. but nothing to jazzy. Any suggestions? Other basses that arent in the two as suggestions would be great. 
thanks&Cheers
-will


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## MaxOfMetal (Jul 26, 2010)

Those are both great basses, but feel very different in the players hands. 

What types of basses do you like to play? Which necks do you prefer?

Based on those two, I would go for the Ibanez. I like the wood combo better, and prefer Bartolini electronics. I also like the neck better on Ibanez basses. I find Warwick necks to be too "boxy" in shape, with big "shoulders". I also find the stock MEC electronics to be quite disappointing.


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## fitforanautopsy (Jul 26, 2010)

Yeah, that was my main disappointment, was the mec electronics. Bartoloinis are godly and i love how ibanez feel in my hands. Does anybody know how the ibanez would compare to a brice 5 string?(Rondo music)


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## MaxOfMetal (Jul 26, 2010)

fitforanautopsy said:


> Yeah, that was my main disappointment, was the mec electronics. Bartoloinis are godly and i love how ibanez feel in my hands. Does anybody know how the ibanez would compare to a brice 5 string?(Rondo music)



The Brice can't touch the higher end Ibanez basses, and even some of the lower end ones. I've had three Brice basses. They're fantastic for the price, but the electronics, fretwork, and quality of materials were no where close to those in the $1000+ range. Brice basses are cheap, fun instruments and would make a fantastic project, but if you're looking for a serious instrument, look elsewhere, especially if you have the cash.


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## fitforanautopsy (Jul 26, 2010)

so you would recommend the ibanez?


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## MaxOfMetal (Jul 26, 2010)

fitforanautopsy said:


> so you would recommend the ibanez?



If you like the feel of Ibanez bass necks, and love Bartolini electronics, then the Ibanez SR5005 seems right up your alley. Though, I'd also look into the SR4005, same neck and electronics, just without the Wenge top & back.


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## Beta (Jul 26, 2010)

One other thing to take note of regarding Warwicks is the woods used in the neck.

This is anecdotal, obviously, but I have a Thumb 5 bolt-on with an ovangkol neck that twisted on the bass side about two summers ago. I searched the good old internet, and, sure enough, there were others with the same problem (Corvette owners, mostly). If it's particularly humid where you live (I'm in coastal Connecticut), and you're not inclined to slather your instrument with their not-so-easy to find wax, it's probably not worth your time getting a Warwick.

I tried to get a replacement neck for mine, but they'd only replace it with a neck made of the same wood. I sent an e-mail to Warwick itself, not their distributor, telling them I'd pay whatever it cost for them to make me a maple neck, and I was told no.

Wenge is pretty rigid, and Warwicks with wenge necks are sought after (I've seen talk of the neck profile of a Warwick with a wenge neck being drastically different from the ovangkol necks, but I've never played one). As Max pointed out, all of the Ibanez SR prestige models have a wenge/bubinga neck.

Get the Ibanez.


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## fitforanautopsy (Jul 26, 2010)

What do you mean by wenge? Im unfarmiliar with the term. And i really appreciate all this advice, im the only bass player out of my group of good friends who i play with, so most of them cant give this extent of advice. 
thanks a ton and cheers guys
-will


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## MaxOfMetal (Jul 26, 2010)

fitforanautopsy said:


> What do you mean by wenge? Im unfarmiliar with the term. And i really appreciate all this advice, im the only bass player out of my group of good friends who i play with, so most of them cant give this extent of advice.
> thanks a ton and cheers guys
> -will



Wenge is a hard dark wood, it's used in necks most frequently (thanks to it's rigidity), but can also make a great top. The Ibanez SR5005 uses it in it's neck (for strength) and the body (for tone). It's that dark, heavily grained wood that gives the SR5005 that deep chocolaty brown color. 

Warwick used to use it almost exclusively for their necks, but decided to use Ovangkol wood instead. Ovangkol is a hard wood, but many believe it's not up to par with the older Wenge necks that Warwick used to use.


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## Sepultorture (Jul 26, 2010)

only a personal opinion, but the feel, playability and sound from the Ibanez Prestige SR basses is just beyond anything else bass wise for me. then again i like a nice light wait body that ins't bulky and a fast neck, so that's Ibanez right there for me, and i like the bartolini pickups the best for fast death metal playing, or funky/jazzy stuff, great for slap and pop and tapping


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## Beta (Jul 26, 2010)

MaxOfMetal said:


> Warwick used to use it almost exclusively for their necks, but decided to use Ovangkol wood instead. Ovangkol is a hard wood, but many believe it's not up to par with the older Wenge necks that Warwick used to use.



I think the decision was fueled by wenge becoming less and less common, through (sometimes illegal) over-exploitation, and the restrictions some countries put on importing it. Ovangkol and wenge have similar tonal properties, but dissimilar rigidity. It was the "next best thing" in terms of keeping Warwick's "tone," with greater availability and fewer governmental restrictions. (It's also hard to work with; the dust can cause skin irritation and respiratory illness.)

At any rate, many Warwick users do believe that the newer necks are inferior in feel and playability to the wenge necks.

Wenge also makes for a nice fretboard, and Warwick still uses it for that.


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## fitforanautopsy (Jul 26, 2010)

well. since my budget is 2000, i was thinking of getting a nice half stack for around 1000$ from ampeg. and then getting the sr505 for around 600$ and a 60w amp i can bring easily to play with buds at there houses. all for around 2000.any suggestions going against the sr505 or the ampeg halfstack?


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## MaxOfMetal (Jul 26, 2010)

fitforanautopsy said:


> well. since my budget is 2000, i was thinking of getting a nice half stack for around 1000$ from ampeg. and then getting the sr505 for around 600$ and a 60w amp i can bring easily to play with buds at there houses. all for around 2000.any suggestions going against the sr505 or the ampeg halfstack?



The SR505 is THE best bass in it's price range in my opinion.


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## fitforanautopsy (Jul 26, 2010)

Differences between it and the prestige?


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## MaxOfMetal (Jul 26, 2010)

fitforanautopsy said:


> Differences between it and the prestige?



The Prestige is Japanese made, is going to have better fretwork, higher quality woods, beefier hardware, and a more powerful pre-amp. Overall, a better instrument. There's a reason it's about $1000 or so more. 

That doesn't mean the SR505 is bad, it's just not as good. I'd still take the SR505 over MANY basses in the $1200+ range.


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## punisher911 (Jul 26, 2010)

After all this talk about these nice basses.. I looked them up... SR5000? WANT!!!!!!!!!!!!! I might settle for the SR500 though. I don't see the need to pay for the 700 based off the maple top.


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## Andii (Jul 26, 2010)

Don't forget about the Ibanez BTB series.


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## punisher911 (Jul 26, 2010)

I like the monorail bridges for sure.


sorry for the highjack.. but obviously, my opinion is for the Ibanez.............


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## MaxOfMetal (Jul 26, 2010)

Andii said:


> Don't forget about the Ibanez BTB series.



The BTB's are killer too. Especially if you're into neck-thru and 35" scale. 


I just never got along with the wider necks and huge bodies. Though, all the BTB's I've played have had great fretwork, and sounded monstrous.


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## Beta (Jul 26, 2010)

fitforanautopsy said:


> Differences between it and the prestige?



The electronics are all-around better in the prestige. The prestige has custom USA Bartolinis and a EQ bypass so you can go passive, and the 505 will have MKI pickups, a licensed Bartolini design that's common to many Korean-made basses (Ibanez, Cort) and no bypass. The hardware is also better on the prestige- Gotoh tuners, etc.

The prestige has a slightly thicker neck profile.

Another difference between the regular line and the prestige is the headstock configuration for the 5-strings. The regular line is 3+2, and the prestige is 2+3. I like the 2+3 setup because the B string tuner is a little farther away from the nut, and that allows for more of the string to wind on to the peg. It makes no difference in tension, but I like it better from a tuning standpoint. Not a big deal, really.


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## fitforanautopsy (Jul 27, 2010)

il just get the prestige, raise my budget, and get the ampeg halfstack aswell.


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## josh pelican (Jul 27, 2010)

fitforanautopsy said:


> il just get the prestige, raise my budget, and get the ampeg halfstack aswell.


 
Excellent, excellent choice. I highly doubt you will be disappointed.

If, for some strange reason, you are disappointed. I will drive down there and take it all off your hands (I already have a classic Ampeg stack, but could use a practice amp).


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## espec1000 (Jul 27, 2010)

Not sure if you're willing to dish out what I think is just a tiny bit more cheddar, but I would 100000% recommend a Dingwal. If you haven't heard of them, they are a bass company from Canada that builds some mean guitars. My bass player currently owns the Afterburned II 5 string bass. It's fan fretted, tone chambered walnut body, I think his has a bubinga top and neck. It comes with hand wound dingwal pickups that sound incredible.

I own a spector 5 string right now and his bass just rips mine into shreds. I think Dingwal has a cheaper version of the Afterburner called the Afterburner 1. This is also a really good bass but I do believe it has fewer wood/electronic options. 

I don't know if you have the option of trying one of these out, but if you do get the oppurtunity I would recommend it!


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## TemjinStrife (Jul 27, 2010)

espec1000 said:


> Not sure if you're willing to dish out what I think is just a tiny bit more cheddar, but I would 100000% recommend a Dingwal. If you haven't heard of them, they are a bass company from Canada that builds some mean guitars. My bass player currently owns the Afterburned II 5 string bass. It's fan fretted, tone chambered walnut body, I think his has a bubinga top and neck. It comes with hand wound dingwal pickups that sound incredible.
> 
> I own a spector 5 string right now and his bass just rips mine into shreds. I think Dingwal has a cheaper version of the Afterburner called the Afterburner 1. This is also a really good bass but I do believe it has fewer wood/electronic options.
> 
> I don't know if you have the option of trying one of these out, but if you do get the oppurtunity I would recommend it!



There are also the Combustions, which have the parts made in China but are set up and inspected at the Dingwall shop. $1200, and well worth it.


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## espec1000 (Jul 27, 2010)

^ very true and well worth it.


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## fitforanautopsy (Jul 27, 2010)

Well. iv decided, after a little trip to guitar center today. that il be picking up a schecter stiletto elite 5string for 800$. and the ampeg halfstack. I liked the overall feel of the schecter better then the warwick(which felt really blocky) and the ibanez. The ibanez didnt have the tonal range of the schecter stiletto in my opinion. I really appreciate everyone whos contributed opinions and suggestions to this.
Cheers
-Will


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## JKingV2 (Apr 29, 2011)

Lemme tell you somethin' son. I'm a guitarist who does a lot of home recording and needed a good bass to record with. Now I had a Korean made Ibanez SR with Barto's and it sounded awesome for whatever I needed it to do, but I was a stubborn connoisseur and said if it ain't US made, no way and traded it away and believe me, I regretted that move. I live in Japan now, and just recently purchased an Ibanez Prestige SR5005OL from a Jap dealer and got the full monty on the history of the bass. Trust me, the Japanese take real, and I mean real pride, in their work and I have been everything but disappointed with my IB bass. I love it to death and will never get rid of it. Get the Jap bass, you won't regret it, and if you intend on really using it, it should never fail you


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