Even as I type there is activity in the Black Forest as bass-building elves prepare to build my new custom shop Warwick Corvette.
It's not going to be anything fancy, just a Corvette Std with a Wenge-wood neck, short-scale and fretless, with black hardware. It'll be one of a kind but not all that far from what you could pick up at GC. Anyhow, I'm already getting anxious to see and play it.
Congrats!
Woo congrats! I really had my eye on one for awhile...Gretsch sucked up that money though. Great basses Warwicks are! Are the customs made in Germany?
Cool! Warwicks are related to the old Framus line! There is a local luthier whose last name is Warwick. No relation though.
Nice! I ordered my Warwick a few years back. I got mine about 2 months before the wenge necks stopped being standard; you're going to love that neck!
Thumb BO with piezo bridge; I love it!
Enjoy your custom; it feels good to order something as an individual.
I'm pretty stoked about it. This is being made in Germany to the best of my knowledge. They told me to expect it in late August, possibly into September.
I've owned a Warwick before so this is no huge departure. The Corvette I used to have was bone stock, a Corvette Std fretless. I loved that bass but I really wanted a wenge neck and a short scale. As long as I was going to all of that bother I decided to spec black hardware and Schaller strap buttons from the factory. Other'n that, she's bone stock.
I was aware that Framus and Warwick are related companies. Isn't Hans-Peter Wilfer (Mr Warwick himself) a son of the guy that started Framus. I dunno.
In any event, this is a thought-out purchase. Something I've wanted to do for several years. I'm starting to think of instrument purchases in regard to preparing for my retirement (15 years to go) so that I have quality instruments and hopefully, a lower headcount.
I'm pretty stoked about it. This is being made in Germany to the best of my knowledge. They told me to expect it in late August, possibly into September.
I've owned a Warwick before so this is no huge departure. The Corvette I used to have was bone stock, a Corvette Std fretless. I loved that bass but I really wanted a wenge neck and a short scale. As long as I was going to all of that bother I decided to spec black hardware and Schaller strap buttons from the factory. Other'n that, she's bone stock.
I was aware that Framus and Warwick are related companies. Isn't Hans-Peter Wilfer (Mr Warwick himself) a son of the guy that started Framus. I dunno.
In any event, this is a thought-out purchase. Something I've wanted to do for several years. I'm starting to think of instrument purchases in regard to preparing for my retirement (15 years to go) so that I have quality instruments and hopefully, a lower headcount. 12 instruments is a bit much.
I know how you feel, Mark. Quality over quantity. But a man has to have collections...
Sadly, my guitar lust knows little satisfaction, except . . . I've found that since I started buying guitars I really wanted things have gotten better. My American Deluxe Strat has survived nearly 3 years in my collection with little threat of being sold. My three Japanese Gretsches are not on their way top homelessness anytime soon if I have anything to say about it and each of them has a distinct place in my collection.
I have several other guitars that are worth more to me than their market value so I keep them. One is a Custom Tele FMT HH, a set neck guitar that is sort of a cross between a Tele and a Les Paul. I also have a three-pickup MIM Tele, the best guitar that $315 (plus mods) ever bought. My Melobar lap steel is irreplaceable so I keep it even though I rarely play it. My Heritage Eagle sounds great, I intend to own it for life. The Mustang bass ain't goin' anywhere but I'm not so sure about the Rancher Jr, it's on the bubble.
As strange as this sounds, there are no guitars that I crave. Possibly a bass or two but no guitars!
MS said: there are no guitars that I crave
Apart from a yet-to-exist off-white electro that I'd load with dynosonics, I can't say I'm lusting after anything in particular.
Now, a fretless corvette... YUM! I just love the sounds of those things, and almost bought one last year if it wasn't for them damned gretsch's sucking up all my loose coin. (But unlike you, I actually prefer the long scale fretless basses.)
Mark, do you get your fretless fingerboards epoxied? I tried one once and it gives plenty of that defined 'MWAH' sound. I've also been considering getting a 6string bass defretted and epoxied as an experiment. Then I thoough it'd be better to sell that bass and just get a warmoth kit fretless bass with choice woods.
I'm with you, Mark S. I've sold 3 Gretsch guitars and a MIJ Fender Bass in the last 3 months. Down to 3 Gretsch Guitars, 1 Gretsch Bass. That's enough.
ADR said: do you get your fretless fingerboards epoxied?I never have in the past. I really like the sounds of the round wounds that come with Warkwick fretless basses.
I've got a fretless Carvin 6 string that I put a "bar top" finish on the fretboard one time. I did like the sound, but my round wounds ate through it pretty quick so I took it back off.
If that bass had better pickups it would be a wonderful instrument!
Mark, were those Warwick fingerboards ebony? I've used roundwounds on rosewood, and they got chewed up quickly. Haven't had a chance to try roundwounds on a fretless ebony fingerboard, but it ought to stand up to wear better.
On Edit: I see "wenge" wood is what they use, but I'm not familiar with it...is it a species of ebony?
Fretless Warwicks use ebony fingerboards. The strings chew into the ebony a bit, but not too bad.
Wenge is quite different from Ebony. Wenge has very open grain and is about the color of a Hershey's bar. Oil finished Wenge makes you think twice about touching it, by all appearances you wonder about splinters but it's actually fairly smooth to the touch. If you tried to paint it however you'd need filler by the barrel.
LeadSlinger said: I've got a fretless Carvin 6 string that I put a "bar top" finish on the fretboard one time. I did like the sound, but my round wounds ate through it pretty quick so I took it back off.
That wasn't an epoxy finish, was it? The epoxy finish on the fingerboad I tried was hard like glass.
Time to revisit this thread.
Dana B Goods did a great job of getting this bass ordered to my specs and delivered in good time. It only took a few months from beginning to end.
The picture isn't the best but hopefully the beauty of the bubinga in the body. The wenge neck is perfect too.
Nice bass Mark! Now where are you going to hang it?
jukebox said: Now where are you going to hang it?Hopefully from a skyhook.
It's about twice as heavy as any other guitar I own. I actually freak people out by handing it to them, it's smaller than a Strat and weighs twice as much. The short scale makes it thumpier than the average bass, somewhat more of an upright sound.
Next project . . . slat wall so I can get all 14 axes hung up at once. Then, if uncle George is nice enough to me (and rumor has it he's going to send me $600 late this spring) maybe I'll finally get an honest, by gum G400c Synchromatic to keep 'em all company. L.R. Baggs told me how to set up a combination piezo pickup/internal microphone for it.
Sweet. I'm glad to see it came out well. I like the slat wall idea, I just wish I had the space. Then again, I don't have 14 guitars.
Nice looking bass.
My wife has 2 Warwick Corvette Double Bucks... which I guess are much lower down the food chain versus your new bass. Hers are pretty standard spec. However, I'm constantly amazed at how good they are... and for relatively little money compared to some guitar manufacturers. They play easily... are very resonant and don't seem to suffer from dead notes as much as many other basses.
Why does she have two identical basses?? Well... we bought the first one shortly after they were launched. Then, about a year later, we found an immaculate second-hand one going cheap in a local store. The plan is to get one of them sprayed a more 'girly' colour (why are so many basses either black or wood grain?... no problem for me... but girls like a bit of colour). She's still trying to make up her mind on the colour... latest idea is sparkly purple!!
OldPicker said: My wife has 2 Warwick Corvette Double Bucks... which I guess are much lower down the food chain versus your new bass.Probably not, my bass only listed at $2,281, hardly a ripple on the pond of custom-shop guitars. Mine has the simplest pickups they offer and passive electronics. Bass-ically, it's a bass-model base, bass-ed upon nice woods and a short-scale neck.
A friend of mine has a internal mic in his '63 Gibson acoustic.Boy that sounds really great through a amp. When are you putting laser security in the house?Or do you have a gal from Brinks Security living with you, to protect the guitars? You know ,blond 5'6", 100 lbs,blue eyes????
jukebox said: When are you putting laser security in the house?Or do you have a gal from Brinks Security living with you, to protect the guitars?None of the above but I do have a good insurance policy.
