# "Warwick growl"



## Roland777 (Feb 6, 2015)

My relationship with Warwicks has been tumultouous. Hearing Stuart Zender's work in Jamiroquai turned me towards them for a brief period until their pricetag scared me off for a very long time, during which I tried my best to convince myself that their basses were hilariously overpriced (a production Thumb BO 5 in Sweden, for example, runs for 3500USD). Coming back to them in the past few months, however, there is no question that these basses have one of the most characteristic, cutting and versatile sets of tonal properties on the market; they're [email protected] incredible. What amazes and perplexes me, however, is that I'm fruitlessly trying to track down the specific components that give them their characteristic base tone: that dry, growly, mid-range rich tone with a top-end that can be rolled off or brought back in, and a non-wooly bass that's significantly tightened up by said mid-range. 

The real head-scratcher comes in when the same tone, with only minor permutations, is present across a wide series of instruments: a 4-string chromed Streamer LX with an ovangkol neck, a 5-string premium-series Corvette, a 4-string Pro-series Trujillo-signature with EMG J-pickups; the last of which had the best and most versatile tone of them all. 
Someone help me out here - what is it about Warwick instruments that gives them their fantastic sound? Doubtful it's the wood-selection, as the instruments I played varied between maple- and ovangkol-necked; alder- and maple-bodies. The pickups? Again, plenty of variation here: the CT-streamer had MEC reverse-P/J, the 5-string premium had twin MEC J's, the Trujillo-sig had twin EMG J's hooked to a three-band EQ.

I need to know this shit, what's in the magic sauce? And is there any other manufacturer that comes close to the voicing of Warwick (very rich mid-range, fairly conservative bass and treble)?


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## MaxOfMetal (Feb 6, 2015)

There's no magic. Quality components assembled in a proper fashion will pretty much always give you a great instrument. 

All that said, a lot of what gives Warwick basses their tone is their electronics, which are mostly proprietary and their hardware, which once again is typically unique to them. 

Warwick makes and has made great basses, but I doubt I'm going to pick a new one up anytime soon. I owned a number of Corvette models from back when you could grab them for under $1k on eBay all day, great basses for that price.


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## punisher911 (Feb 6, 2015)

My fretless Corvette sounded great... Both my 4 and 5 string $$s sounded amazing!


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## TolerancEJ (Feb 10, 2015)

OP, for your consideration, unless you're specifically looking for a brand new instrument, used Warwicks are generally affordable. The instruments are built solid, especially if you locate ovangkol instruments. Depending on whether the owner(s) took proper care, their tone should be just as good as one hanging in the store.

I own 2 Warwicks: German made Thumb BO 6 and a Rockbass Alien Deluxe 6 (Acoustic Bass Guitar.) They both sound and play great for me. And I still have 9 other Warwick products in my wishlist.


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## Roland777 (Feb 10, 2015)

I might be looking at the used market in the future. Was on the lookout for a "35 Streamer LX5, and the custom quote came back at 35000SEK, which is rich considering I just wanted an extended scale...


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## macgruber (Feb 10, 2015)

check out the warwick pro series. very similar spec to the german version at about half the price.


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## TolerancEJ (Feb 11, 2015)

As suggested, the pro series is a good idea too. The Pro Series/Rockbasses today are much better than the quality a few years ago. If possible, always attempt to try an instrument before buying.


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## Roland777 (Feb 11, 2015)

^that's definitely preferable, but sometimes not always possible, especially not on second hand buys. Then again you lose little, if any, money buying second hand. What you lose is the chance to discover what floats your boat, which in my case apparently is the korean-made Trujillo-signature loaded with EMGs. That thing has the best sound of all Warwicks I've tried so far - a slightly more sparkly version of the Streamer LX with all the growl you could ever wish for.


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## MaxOfMetal (Feb 11, 2015)

Roland777 said:


> ^that's definitely preferable, but sometimes not always possible, especially not on second hand buys. Then again you lose little, if any, money buying second hand. What you lose is the chance to discover what floats your boat, which in my case apparently is the korean-made Trujillo-signature loaded with EMGs. That thing has the best sound of all Warwicks I've tried so far - a slightly more sparkly version of the Streamer LX with all the growl you could ever wish for.



Warwicks in general sound much better with pretty much anything besides the MEC pickups they come with, especially EMGs. 

I put EMGs in all three of my Corvettes, wired with simple tone circuit, the best those basses ever sounded. Even better than the Barts I tried before.


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## Roland777 (Feb 11, 2015)

MaxOfMetal said:


> Warwicks in general sound much better with pretty much anything besides the MEC pickups they come with, especially EMGs.
> 
> I put EMGs in all three of my Corvettes, wired with simple tone circuit, the best those basses ever sounded. Even better than the Barts I tried before.



Honestly, I vastly prefer MEC's to Bartolinis. Bartolini has to be the most overrated bass-pickup manufacturer on the market - A/B'd versus MEC's or EMG's their sonic character is more reminiscent to throwing a wet blanket over the speaker IMO. To me, it's all bout dat midrange; treble and bass is something you can adjust with the preamp, but a vibrant midrange is VERY hard to put in post.


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## punisher911 (Feb 12, 2015)

MaxOfMetal said:


> Warwicks in general sound much better with pretty much anything besides the MEC pickups they come with, especially EMGs.
> 
> I put EMGs in all three of my Corvettes, wired with simple tone circuit, the best those basses ever sounded. Even better than the Barts I tried before.



I always liked the MEC Warwick growl. The EMGs sound even better? Noted. If I end up with another Corvette, I will have to try that..

For the record, I've only owned German Warwicks. Glad to hear the rockbass version has upped the quality. However, something inside of me can only play a Warwick with bell brass frets/ovangkol/bubinga woods.... Kind of like I refuse to buy a PRS SE without birds. (Except my Clint Lowery sig, which was hard for me to do) 

On a side note, Warwicks seem to not hold value well. So the used market is generally pretty affordable.


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## iron blast (Feb 12, 2015)

I've had the opposite experience with bartolinis I have a 18 volt 4.7 a/p pre and quad coil Bart's in my German corvette fretless standard and it's the best sounding bass I've ever played


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## MF_Kitten (Feb 13, 2015)

It's mostly the fact that they aim for that tone from the start I would say. They use their own hardware and electronics. Other than that, I'm pretty sure the rest of the specs aren't really part of it, since you find them with so many different wood selections, and they mostly have totally standard scale lengths.


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## pdbeaton87 (Mar 1, 2015)

You mean this guy right here? I purchased this in early January and just barely received it this past Friday. It is my first bass and I am loving it! I think it sounds really good!


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## Roland777 (Mar 1, 2015)

^That's tasty as f#&&#8364;! The one I played was a flat-black four string, but that's a certifiably great-looking bass. Quick question for you, though: what's the maximum string-spacing you're able to adjust to? How many mm's to spare on each side of the G- and B-string at the saddles?


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## pdbeaton87 (Mar 2, 2015)

I'd have to look into that for you. I've only had it for 4 days now and have been messing around with it a little bit between College Homework and my Job. I'll probably have it set up in the next couple of days.


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## Defi (Mar 2, 2015)

I picked up an ovangkol corvette for around $800. It's sounds absolutely demonlike unplugged, but not quite as much plugged in. I wish I would have got the $$ version. I love the neck shape though, it's a very fun bass to play.

Someone I know got the rockbass version of the same guitar, and I must admit it is at least 90% as nice as mine, for a bit more than half the price. If you're a guitarist that needs a bass for recording they would be a solid choice, and I might get a $$ rockbass in exchange for mine.


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## Der JD (Mar 2, 2015)

I've owned several Warwicks (I massively regret selling them) and have experimented with different pickups and electronics. I've had Warwicks with MEC, EMG, and Bart pickups. MEC, EMG, and Aguilar electronics (active onboard preamps). 

Not exactly sure what gives it that growl. Assuming just the overall construction. Every 'Wick I've had, regardless of pickups and electronics, had it. I ended up liking certain pickups/preamps in some basses over others but the Warwick growl was still there. 

It's difficult to generalize when it comes to pickups and electronics. For example, I had a Thumb BO that I thought sounded best with Barts (tried EMG and MEC). On the other hand, my Streamer Stage II sounded incredible with EMGs. My Corvette sounded best with stock MECs. I will say that Aguilar preamps sounded great in every Warwick I put them in. Made them even more aggressive and possible accentuated the growl.


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## Roland777 (Mar 2, 2015)

Der JD said:


> I've owned several Warwicks (I massively regret selling them) and have experimented with different pickups and electronics. I've had Warwicks with MEC, EMG, and Bart pickups. MEC, EMG, and Aguilar electronics (active onboard preamps).
> 
> Not exactly sure what gives it that growl. Assuming just the overall construction. Every 'Wick I've had, regardless of pickups and electronics, had it. I ended up liking certain pickups/preamps in some basses over others but the Warwick growl was still there.
> 
> It's difficult to generalize when it comes to pickups and electronics. For example, I had a Thumb BO that I thought sounded best with Barts (tried EMG and MEC). On the other hand, my Streamer Stage II sounded incredible with EMGs. My Corvette sounded best with stock MECs. I will say that Aguilar preamps sounded great in every Warwick I put them in. Made them even more aggressive and possible accentuated the growl.



A more detailed write-up with comparisons between the different models, pups and preamps would be appreciated. I've had conflicting feedback at times, but more perspectives are always welcome....


...especially seeing how I'm in the process of speccing out a custom-shop Warwick.  In general, it seems as if - all other things equal - both MEC pickups and preamps have a harsher high-end that amplifies string- and fret-noise, but that it seems to answer well to rolling off treble. Barts seems to roll off the high-end noticably and have a slightly mushier low-end, which carries over to the preamp. What are your experiences?


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## Der JD (Mar 2, 2015)

Roland777 said:


> A more detailed write-up with comparisons between the different models, pups and preamps would be appreciated. I've had conflicting feedback at times, but more perspectives are always welcome....
> 
> 
> ...especially seeing how I'm in the process of speccing out a custom-shop Warwick.  In general, it seems as if - all other things equal - both MEC pickups and preamps have a harsher high-end that amplifies string- and fret-noise, but that it seems to answer well to rolling off treble. Barts seems to roll off the high-end noticably and have a slightly mushier low-end, which carries over to the preamp. What are your experiences?


 
Difficult for me to do a detailed write-up. I owned Warwicks during the 2006-2010 period. Haven't had any for about 5 years. 

Conflicting feedback is common when it comes to pick-ups and preamps. A lot of people base their opinions off of little experience. They hear "X" pickups in one bass and decide they're crap. Results vary from bass to bass. EMGs might sound great in one but not so great in another. Same goes for preamps. Unfortunately, the only way to know what's going to sound the best in YOUR bass is experimentation. 

I hate to generalize when it comes to pickups/preamps, as each manufacturer has several models with characteristics individual to each. However, IF I had to generalize I'd say (based on my experiences): 

Barts- smooth top end but still plenty of highs. Not a blanket over the tone type of sound. Thick, meaty lows and low-end that sounds great for a burpy, farty type tone. Never noticed a mushy low end with Barts. Overall, not as clear and defined as EMGs.

EMGs- very clear, defined, compressed, with a lot of attack. Some people use the word "sterile". I know what they mean though I don't necessarily agree. They seem fairly neutral across the frequency spectrum but that clarity and compression can feel a little "sterile", I suppose. If your bass has any flaws sound-wise (for example, harsh upper mids), EMGs will not correct it. In fact, they seem to make everything the bass naturally has and make it more apparent. 

MECs- I see them as middle of the road between Barts and EMGs. Clearer than Barts but not as clear and defined as EMGs. I've never noticed harsh highs with MEC. 

What production model will your custom be closest to?

I've owned a Thumb 5 BO, Corvette Standard 4 fretless, Corvette Proline, Streamer Stage II, and have played several other models.


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## Roland777 (Mar 2, 2015)

As it stands right now it's a fairly standard Streamer LX5, with the custom options being a "35-scale and perhaps an EMG BQC-preamp. Probably going for the stock pup/-configuration, though the thought has passed my mind to put J's in the thumb position. A TJ/J-combo has also been suggested for the best of both worlds. Will have to play more Warwicks in order to discern if it's worth the extra dough.

About the MECs - if you YouTube for "MEC vs EMG" there's a great comparison between the two in a Streamer Stage II. Also, user JazzBassist (IIRC) has a GREAT series of A/B-comparisons of all sorts of Warwick basses, pre-amps and pickups. The differences are there, but I'm getting the impression that some EQing will sweep away most differences between many of the electronic components - it seems like the instrument itself harbors the majority of the tone-shaping qualities.


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