Warwick Corvette Standard 4-String

My Warwick is the Corvette std. bubinga with 4 strings and 24 frets. The scale is 34" and the bass is a 2008 model. It has two jazz-style MEC-pickups, and the electronics are passive all the way through.

The neck is made from ovangkol and the fretboard is wenge. The neck is quite narrow but also rather thick, but you don't necessarily need long fingers. The bass weighs almost five kilogramms which has aroused some criticism. But I think a normal guy can take the weight easily.

Warwick's growling sound cuts through the mix both live and in studio. I usually play the bass at home through Amplitube or GuitarRig and haven't really tested the bass through a decent amp. In studio and at home the sound needs a little eq-fiddleing but generally it's good and distinct.

The neck pickup can produce some precision-style Pink Floyd - Money bass sounds, but it isn't really very usable alone. I usually play so that the mic pan switch is centered, but when I need some serious growl and low-end massivity, I turn the mic pan all the way to the bridge pickup.

The bass was quite well set up by the dealer who is an official Warwick dealer in Finland. I have fiddled with the settings a bit and found out that the truss rod needed some loosening so that the neck could get more curvature. I've also adjusted the strings closer to each other at the bridge end and lowered the adjustable nut.

Generally I didn't find anything to mock about the bass as I bought it anew. It was adjusted the way it's manual recommends.

The bass is of a very solid structure and it will certainly take a lot of beating and damage before it breaks. The hardware is also quite tough.

The biggest drawback in durability is the bass's finish which wears out easily. I had already after a week of playing managed to wear out a spot over the neck pickup with my thumb. The bass has also sustained some minor scratch which don't actually show that clearly.

I can't trust the Warwick's strap locks completely. Particularly their locking system seems somewhat weak. Although so far they have done their task.

The dealer was very friendly and helpful when i purchased the bass. The bass is under warranty but so far I haven't needed it.

I've had the bass for a little over two months now and it's about 5 times better than my ex-bass, the Yamaha RBX170. Although the Warwick is about 5 times more expensive as well.

I knew Warwicks were a bit different compared to more traditional basses such as Fenders, so I haven't been disappointed with any of it's characteristics. The main excuse for getting a Warwick instead of a Fender Jazz was the Corvette's neck and sound.

2004 model, 24 frets, 4 strings, 3 knobs ( volume, tone, pickup blend), Passive J/J Mec's (very HOT sounding for being passive), Ovangkol Neck, Bubinga Body, Wenge Fingerboard, natural finish, fender jazz-esque body shape/styling, gotoh tuners, beefy 34 inch neck

The only Reason it's a 9 is because it doesn't have active electronic capabilities

The sound is Growling, Punchy, and clear. A more detailed analysis of the sound shows a: FAT,CHUNKY,HUGE bottom end (The Bubinga body and Ovangkol neck are to thank), a solid midrange (could be improved since all of the woods used on this bass are extremely heavy and mellow in sonic character), and a crystalline beautiful treble response. Great for Rock, Hard Rock, Punk (use a pick to get a crunchy, organic sound from this bass), Jazz, Blues, Funk, you name it. It's all about the player, with solid technique, artistic ability, and tweaking the knobs, this bass can accomplish the task of anchoring the rhythmic backbone of any style of song. You can get any kind of sounds from a very convincing P-Bass sound, all the way to a Stingray slap tone. This bass is a chameleon when it comes to adjusting itself sonically to a given piece of music. Sounds great in the studio, recorded an entire album with it. The pickup were quiet and the overall sound mesh extremely well in the mixing and mastering process. For live, it sounds good, 10 minutes on stage with this thing is a punishing experience for your neck and shoulders. The damn thing is about 12 pounds.

Nicely set up from the factory, pickups, bridge and finish were excellent. the major flaws is the input jack. Warwick is notorious for using poor quality input jacks that frequently fail and stop working after minimal use. The cable literally started to slip right out of the hole in the input jack from 3 months of use and absolutely no abuse. Do you self a favor and get it changed there not that expensive. Other that that the bass is dream to play and feel like a million bucks (except for that pesky input jack).

This bass is a workhorse and can take serious punishment very well. The hardware is resilient and the only wear I've seen is the MEC logos fade off of the Pickups. (it's just gold printing, purely cosmetic). I recommend using the warwick beeswax on the body and lineseed oil on the fingerboard at least once a month to keep this bass sounding like a champ. The strap buttons were solid as can be: a very pleasant surprise these days. Whenever the climate changes, check the intonation and truss rod. This bass has somewhat of a tendency to alter action and intonation from dramatic changes in humidity and climate. Solid and reliable to sum it up, but definitely keep a back-up bass.

I haven't had to speak with customer service yet, the bass has been working just great.

After 5 years of playing bass and trying all different kinds of amps and basses, The sound of wood really shines through the mix in all kinds of musical situations. I just wish i knew about the weight of this 12 pound axe. I love the sound and the colossal bottom end and low mid response whilst maintaining a velvety high register. I hate the weight and the input jack; but hey; that the price a pay for that wood. I wish it had active electronics but I can live without it. Make sure to get an extremely sturdy and comfortable strap because you WILL feel the weight of this thing on stage after 15 minutes, forget about longer gigs if you don't have considerable shoulder strength. Great value for a great bass, pleasure to play and own, highly recommend despite it's few imperfections.

corvette std 4string passive swamp ash version bought 2005. was new.

no fancy stuff, just a bassguitar!

i play mostly rock and a little fusion and
use it for fingerstyle only (slap ---> thumb nt^^).

i play it through an mpulse 600 with 2x12 warwick and 1x15 mesa cabs.

could use a little more sustain but overall the sound is great! i can get almost every tone i want. with the right electronics, which i havent found yet it would get a 10

with stock pus just a 7.

no noise! the stock pus sucked though so i got myself some from harry h??ussel. now it kicks ass :D

i bought it from a shop around the corner, verything was set up by them.
no flaws whatsoever.

next time i would buy it with another finish so it needs less caretaking.

well build.

stock jack never saw any birthdays but that was a minor problem.

stock straplocks sucked so i replaced them.

i always gig with both my basses as i need their specific sounds on different songs, but i would use it without backup.

mine looks a little punked now but i play it for min 2 hours a day and didnt treat it that nice. i gig about 3 times a month and it never failed me.

never dealt with them

i play bass for about 10 years now.
i also own a thumb nt4 and some crappy old yamaha.

really love the handling, it was the main reason why i bought it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
warwick necks are soooooooooooooooooooooo great :D

you cant have it hanging next to your balls, it needs to be worn pretty high but thats no problem for me.
it weights in at about 3.5 kg (~7 lbs), perfect for 1.5h+ gigs.

overall a great instrument.

if mine was stolen i would buy a new one. if i were rich i'd also hire some south african mercenaries to track down the thief and whip him to death with a wet towel.

Made in West Germany, 24 Frets, 4 String, Active MEC Pickups, Just-A-Nut 3, Made of Bubinga, Natural wood no finish, Jazz style with thin neck.
Very Good Features.

This sounds amazing with Jazz, Rock, Funk. I can go from a Vic Wooten sound to Claypool with just a turn on the tone knob. Not noisy at all, although i play through an Ampeg which are good about cutting fuzzy sounds. very freaking rich sound. Its pretty Dark and warm and with adjustments from the amp its quite bright.

Action-10+
Pickups-10+
Flaws-the pickups come a little loose sometime but thats not a big deal at all.

I use this bass for a Jazz band and Church. The Durability on this bass seems to be incredible. I think you could count on this bass for any life shows.

I have been playing bass for 4 years and i also own an Ibanez 5 and an old Austin bass, I run it through an ampeg combo. Im really proud to own this bass, if i lost it i would buy it again no doubt. I actually like it more than the Thumb bass.

I bought the corvette standard (active) about a year ago and I love it. This is the best bass I have ever bought to this point in my music career of nine years. It is the bolt on if that makes any difference and it just plays like a dream. I love long thick necks ( not wide) and this thing does it for me. The bridge has so many adjustments you can make on it, I had to ask a guitar tech what they all did. There is also a bypass for treble/bass knobs if you pull the volume knob out which is cool.

Sound is the best part about this bass. It sounds good into ANYTHING you plug it into. I play out of a david eden wt half stack and it makes it sound very warm crisp and responsive. This is not a bass for beginners because it has a lot of tone to it.

The bass was not set up bad out of the factory but it sure wasn't good either. I paid $100 to get this guy to set it up for me and wow, was it worth it.

One bad thing about this bass is the finish. You are supposed to wax it about once a week so the wood can breathe. I do it about every 2-3 weeks and it is already wearing down on the neck some. I play a lot of bass, but 1 year is not long enough to feel neck wear. Also I rest my thumb on top of the front pick up when I play; there is a worn out spot where the finish is rapidly fading right there. But this will always turn on and put on a good show. Just make sure you have a spare 9-volt.

Never needed them

This is a great bass. I do have 2 main issues with it though. It weighs a metric ton!! After standing up and gigging for 3-5 hours your back will start to get tight. Also it comes with a "rockbag" which is the biggest piece of **** I have ever owned. For such an expensive bass it should come with a hard case but whatever.

Mine is a 2004, Made in Germany,
24 fret, 4 string. The Body is Ash, with a Satin Oil Finish, Bugundy Red. 2 MEC Gold Active J pickups, with a 2 band eq. Nearly any sound you like.

With a bit of eq fidleing, any sound you like, hard rock, metal,
i do session work, 15 years playing, The bass cost me 590 pounds, ex demo. Very suited to Jazz or funk sounds, also slapping, due to the ash body. If you can afford it go for a Streamer Stage II, the ultimate alrounder.

No problems what so ever, factory set-up, never needed to touch it.

Will suit studio, live, any situation and wont ever let you down,
(it's a warwick). The high E can get a bit out of sound, nothing abit of light compression, or limiter wont cure.

excellent

It's a 10/10 for this bass, excellent value for money. Next step up is a Warwick streamer stage 2, or alembic.

Warwick Corvette Standard 4 String, manufactured in Germany 07-13-06
24 Jumbo Bell Brass Frets
Volume, pick-up pan, and tone control knobs wired to 2 MEC passive Dynamic Correction pick-ups
Burgundy satin finish on ash body with ovangkol neck and wenge fingerboard all complimented with black hardware
Comes with awesome Rockbag by Warwick which includes all your accessories (can of wax, truss rod tool, allen keys, strap locks, owners manual...) in a little trapper keeper sort of thing
Go Warwick! :-)

This bass is great for slap, it has a real crisp woody sound with the tone control turned all the way up and a real mellow warm sound with it turned all the way down, which is great for finger style players. A lot of people prefer the active sound but I really don't need four or five different knobs to get the sound I want out of this thing, it's pretty great as is. A lot of people bash MEC but I've always found them pretty suitable for that Warwick sound. The passive pickups can be a little noisy at times but the wiring makes them easily replacable. :-) Not quite perfect, but really good stuff.

I've had no problems with the action set-up straight from the factory. The only thing that I had to adjust was the bridge pick-up because for some reason it was really high and there was some annoying distortion, but that's an easy fix. The body feels solid, but it's not built like a tank like the bubinga models... since it's ash, this makes it a little easier to get a scratch or a ding on that satin finish. Overall though, no poor construction here, only the best from that German craftsmanship.

This is the part where you got to be careful... Warwicks are a very solid and durable instrument, but because of the exposed soft wood it seems prone to some dings... I haven't played it long enough to notice if the satin finish begins to wear off with use but I don't really see that happening unless you absolutely abuse this thing. Hardware looks like its going to last forever, again that German quality really shines through. The strap locks that come with it I recommend replacing, I've heard a lot of bad experiences with Dunlop and I really wouldn't want to risk it with at instrument I just forked over a grand for. But basically, if you take care of it, use it... not abuse it, you can really depend on this to last you for a long time.

Never dealt with them, haven't had to. :-)

I love pretty much everything about this bass, it's simple in it's nature and that's one of the beautiful things about it... no need for all the knobs, everything you need is just right there. It doesn't weight as much as the bubinga models but still gives you all the playability that they have. Almost the entire bass is adjustable, so there's no way you couldn't get comfortable with it. The Corvette models are among the best basses I have ever played, and pretty much anything Warwick makes is great. If you're debating on any kind of bass to get, just go to Warwick, you won't lose. :-)

The Warwick Corvette is hand made in Germany, 24 frets and 4 strings. It comes stock with MEC J/J passive pickups which deliver quite a nice sound. The body is made of African Bubinga wood which has an awesome 3-d esque texture. The fretboard is also a very dense African wood called Wenge. And the neck is made of another African wood called Ovangkol. The one i got came with a Warwick deluxe gig bag which is actually very nice, as well as a warwick trapper style thing which contained beeswax, instructional guide, truss rod, as well as some other goodies.

I honestly love this bass even unplugged it's got the signature Warwick growl that is sought after for some many bass players. I play pretty much any style of music i try to stay varied in music. This bass tackles any and all styles of music perfectly to my taste. This bass is perfect for live settings, or for studio it's just got that great bass tone that is unmistakably warwick quality.

Straight from the factory the bass played amazingly well, i've never seen any guitar or bass come straight from the factory set up so well, (i've seen quite a few, working in a music store and all) Everything was just awesome straight from warwick

This bass is litteraly built like a Sherman tank it's rock solid and not very heavy at all really. After a long gig it can get a bit tiring however. The hardware seems very high quality, from the tuners to the bridge all awesome specs. I don't think i would need or want a backup to this bass, i would rely very heavily on it.

Haven't dealt with them and i hope to never deal with them

I've been playing guitar and bass for quite some time, i have no regrets after getting this, no buyers remorse what so ever just a great investment, if you've been considering go with it!

Standard Corvettes have evolved only slightly over time. Standard features are available at Warwick website. Subject model being reviewed was made in 1996. Wenge neck and fingerboard were standard that year.

+ Likes +: 1) Tone woods. 2) Lack of poly finish. 3) Neck is natural and oiled. 4) Body is waxed. 5) Bell brass frets and nut. 6) Body shape. 7) Neck shape. 8) Standard J pickup routes allow for easy replacement of stock MECs. - Dislike -: 1) MEC pickups were brittle sounding, low output, and hum producing to the extent of being unusable. Replaced MECs with passive humbuckers with sound spectrum characteristics of standard J pickups. My favorite sounding bass once pickups were changed. Sound rating reflects pickup change, a simple mod that is common, inexpensive, and easily reversed. Gigging amp is Eden through 2x12 cabinet at 4ohms. Practice amp is Hartke Kickback 10 at 8ohms. I play fingerstyle with no effects. Staccato, percussive, warm, round, jazz/funk oriented sound.

Well crafted and engineered. German pedigree. Make sure to wax the body often according to factory advice to avoid body cracks.

Reliable and durable. Used live weekly without backup

Have dealt w/Dana B Goods (US distributor) by email and phone with good results

My Corvette is my favorite bass. My American Standard Fender Jazz is currently relegated to unplayed back up. I am extremely fortunate to have both of these excellent guitars.

The features etc have been well covered already - this review is primarily to focus on a single aspect of Warwick basses, the just-a-f*k*g-nut II. So it could apply to just about any new Warwick bass.

My Corvette sounds great. Very versatile bass. Warwick make nice pickups.

No problem... APART FOM THE NUT!!!

The point of this review applies to any Warwick bass because as far as I know they all come with the cursed just-a-nut II.

This is a bad design in so many ways - the edges are sharp and can scratch the player easily, it is not very nice to adjust the height on (takes far too much force on the hex key) and by far the worst problem is the two retaining clips that hold it in.

Mine broke. Take a look on ebay and check a few Warwick bass auctions - pretty soon you will find one with one or both retaining clips snapped off.

Why? Because the design is stooooopid. You can't expect a super thin piece of brittle plastic to survive without getting snapped off sooner or later. It is an insult to the rest of the instrument and has no place on a quality bass.

Please Warwick, wake up and design a better nut. I know you already think you did as this is mark II but you need a mark III!!!

Apart from the nut, everything else is great.

I emailed and they were very vague in responses to my criticisms about the nut design. I felt they were not listening.

I have been playing for many years and Warwick make some of the best basses out there - no doubt about it.

With a good nut, my Corvette is a 9 or 10 maybe but I ain't giving it that because of the crappy nut.

There is an old Proverb - "Don't spoil the ship for a ha'porth of tar" which is exactly what Warwick are doing with the Just-a-nut II design.

I,ve already bought this bass last week assuming that I?m moving to bass from being 6 string guitarist. Since I first saw the corvette years ago, the desire of having one of this kind was growing inside of me.
It was made in 2004 (Germany), with a 34" scale, 24 frets, no dots fboard guides and all accesories included (gig bag, truss rod key, allens, beeswax, etc.). It?s body is made of two Bubinga pieces and believe me when I say that this fact counts a lot. The neck is made of Ovangkol and the fingerboard of Wenge. So we can say this is a good furniture one to keep a basis. Tuners are 45 degrees angled and is oil finished but requires some cares. Bridge (as well as the nut) is fully adjustable (strings high or low, spacing beetween, etc).
Electronics is a point to discuss I think. This bass has two J type MEC passive pickups. Despite some customers, MEC pickups are included in almost every Warwick bass, active or not. Such a brand like Warwick couldn?t bet for weak pickups so I know and believe MEC rules. The standard supports passive as I said, and this is such a goal when you go for a more wooden sound, less Hi-fi. Maybe through the years, I will desire to install a circuit or similar gadget to get more efficiency but for sure this bass is no needed to go in this direction.

So... we are talking of Chevrolets? The tonal range of the passive MEC is amazing, lows are dense & deep and middles/highs are punchy as a metal gauntlet, ideal for slap, pop or tap. It makes a little and almost imperceptible noise when playin? full watts at bridge position (I didn?t note if this was the amp or the Bass).
The only one bass to me that I assume having such a tonal range of highs could be an Ibanez SR 500 or similar (and for sure they are more affordable to guitar/bass transition), but I,ve tried the IBZ, a Yamaha and a Cort in the shop (with a bunch of techniques and a pair of friends bassists) and the Warwick goes beyond being active or not. It has distinction in its sound. Despite having only three control pots (volume, pickups blender and tone) the possibilities in the tonal range are bigger than you would imagine. You only have to turn a pot or two for changing from a obscure "kicking your bucket" sound to a punchy "liver destroyer" through a nasal warm "latin lover". No band circuits, no fakes. Even if they are using good amps/rigs or not, give an ear to Traa of P.O.D. or Jorge Casas of Miami Sound Machine.. You would have an idea of the tonal richness Warwick offers.

I don?t have a qualified opinion for the setup, because I?ve been playing 6 string guitar for twelve years and all that I found when I adquired the Corvette it was a kicking 105 E string compared to the usual 042 E one I?ve been using for years. A week later I?ve been setting up the bass, strings are lower, near to f.board and I?ve removed the E string for a 095 one. Setups are a matter of tastes, if hardware is o.K you have no problem. This go also for the pickup height
The only one thing that I don?t like is the small allen key for bridge adjustment, is a piece of junk and I will need to buy similar keys more durable.
Soft oil finish is pretty, you can touch every veneer of this body and almost smell it, but this requires beeswax regularly and for sure if you live in a dry region you will need to have a big can of this material.

For sure this bass will respond in my new odissey as a bassist. Is hard as a rock and you only have to pinch softly a note with your finger to make the cascade sound flowing. The hour is coming to adquire a very, very, big, big amp to make it happen and thrashing ears making blisters in my fingers. It will last a lot, I cand fully depend on it and I could change my life for this Corvette if I was supposed to do.

I didn?t deal with them and hope not to do!!!

I bought this bass because years ago I?ve tried the Ash one and the experience was really o.k. Despite being cheaper, Ash one is visually prettier to me but is out of production. All in all, Bubinga sounds better than Ash. I love this sound and comfort even being a little bit heavy weighted.
Anything that goes beyond active or passive questions doesn?t matter to me. If I would be in a need to expand the tonal range I could install an Eq circuit, and for sure I will investigate to make it passive or active through a switch or similar to respect pickups integrity and its wooden tonal nature.
I?m going to seek for a 180/200 watt mosfet or similar amp to play. Actually I?m playing (believe it or not) through a 20 watt pure class A/B valve Hughes & Kettner guitar amp with a 15" cone (yeah.. that was the trick..)

I own a regular passive Corvette Standard and its one of the most awesome guitars I've ever played!
The construction of this bass compared to everything else I've played is absolutely amazing! I also own a Spector Performer and the Warwick blows it out of the water in every category.
This bass is HEAVY! I am a pretty small guy and I had a hell of a time getting used to this thing but it didn't take too long. I still can't go quite as crazy with it as I can with a lighter bass, but that probably keeps me out of trouble anyway ;)

The MEC Passive pickups on this guitar could probably use replacing. I'm sure I could get a better sound with some EMG or Bartolini actives. I use an Ampeg SVT Classic 300w all-tube head with an Ampeg 810E refridgerator and this thing sounds pretty badass no matter what. It does, however, have a very distinctive purr and I'm very happy with the way it mixes with our style of music (metal).
This bass sounds very good on all of our recordings...even with the crappy Hartke amp I used to have. We are recording again in July and I plan on using the Corvette!

I bought this bass used but the action is awesome. I have evolved it to fit my playing style and needs. These basses, of course, are unfinished with only a wax coating. If you neglect yours and don't wax it often enough, it will fade quite a bit. This also means that the wood is very soft because there is no hard coat over it. Mine is pretty scratched up from belt buckles but there is something really cool about these basses.....YOU CAN FIX DINGS AND SCRATCHES! Read the guide on Warwick's site on how to repair minor dings in your bass! It really works!
Anyway, this thing is absolutely beautiful in all regards. I especially love the color and the brass frets! The wenge fingerboard is REALLY nice...unlike the more common rosewood.

Ok first of all let me tell you that I play in a very active metal band. I have owned this bass for almost exactly a year now and I played WITHOUT A BACKUP up until a month ago! (I bought a Spector Performer for string breaking incidents and practicing)
I couldn't give my Corvette anything less than a 10 in this category because she's served me so well in the past year and continues to every day. I have broken quite a few E strings but luckily it has always been at or very near the end of the set or during practice. (I break strings because I mostly play with a pick...and I'm a madman!)
The only thing that has ever broken on this bass is the nut. I know lots of people who have problems with the plastic ones...the clips on the sides break which doesn't hurt functionality at all. The only time it is annoying is when you are changing strings and you have to hold the nut in place until you get the first string on tight. I plan on replacing it with an adjustable brass nut very soon.

The only thing I've had to call about was ordering the brass nut for these guitars. The tech was very helpful and gave me the part number and sent me to Bass Central for it. Haven't ordered it yet but soon...
(BTW the brass nut is $35.95 if you want to get one to replace your broken plastic nut)

As I mentioned before, I use an Ampeg SVT Classic rig and I use an AKG wireless system.
I love the way this bass looks! Its definitely my favorite part. It looks reallly good on a skinny guy like me. I was shooting for something that wouldn't be huge on me and this bass is perfect.
I wish it had active pickups but with a good enough amp you can deal with just about anything.
There is no bass that compares to a Warwick. Every time I play another bass it feels cheaply made and delicate compared to my Corvette.
OH the one other thing is that I wish I would have waited...my bass is a 36" scale and now they offer other size necks and a smaller one would be way better for me.
I am giving an overall 9 because I'm sure a higher end Warwick would be even nicer than this one. I will probably buy a Streamer next!
If you'd like to see/hear my Corvette in action, check out my band at:
http://www.myspace.com/sanctity

Here is a Warwick Corvette Standard, Made in Germany in 2003.
24 frets, 4 strings.

3 knobs: volume (pull off = switch active/passive), p-u selector, double knob treble/bass.

2 J-type MEC Pickups.

The body is made of Swamp Ash, the neck is Ovangkol and the fretboard is Wenge, the finish is natural oil.

I mainly play rock, and the bass fits it all !!!

Good slap sound, but far from Musicman slap sound...

The Warwick Growl is present.I play it passive, the sound is more "woody" than in active...
I plug it in a Hartke HA3500 and Ashdown Cab, 15", 250w.

The PU are pretty silent. You can go from a loud sound to a very bright one.

I bought it used... So I cannot give my opinion on factory setup...

Finish is good, but not THAT GOOD... I mean, there are visible lines, between the 3 parts of the body... and I can feel the difference between some parts of the neck, at some spot...

It is built like a tank, I think I really can rely on...

The wood is pretty "soft", you can easily make some "marks" on it...

I've never touched the truss rod yet....

I woukd use it without a backup, since there is a passive/ active switch....

I wrote them once, to know when my bass was made, no answer...

I play for about 2 years... I'm really happy woth this bass, but I think my next one is gonna be a Sadowsky or a Musicman...

If stolen.... I would cry my heart out :-), and would probably buy another Warwick, but not the same!

Typical Corvette with bubinga, ovangkol, wenge, etc. Bought it used in excellent shape and had Bartolini pickups and preamp installed to push its performance through the roof. Materials, hardware, and construction were all fantastic. There's a catch, though. Keep reading.

After the Bartolini system went in...the responsiveness was amazing. Super smooth to modern sheen to Jaco-ish to slap happy snappy stuff, but this bass did not replace my passive Franken-jazz that I found second hand for $350. Be honest when you test drive this axe because it's lively, but not necessarily versatile. If I were a studio player, this rig would be handy, but it couldn't deliver live... read on.

Again, great materials and construction. Let's talk design. I didn't know how wrong this bass was for me until after I took it home and tried to play it a lot. It sat rather well on the knee, but the upper horn didn't reach anywhere near even with the 12th fret, so things went wrong when I wore it on a strap. Neck dive-you need to support the darn neck while fretting notes with the same hand. Also, the short horn means the strap orientation is too far toward the body end of the instrument, so wearing it means the reach to end of the neck is a lot farther for the fretting hand. I played the thing at a show for 20 mins. and thought my left hand was having a seizure. And this was after I dialed in the action as low as any bass I can remember. Play this bass on a strap for a while before you buy it!

Not heavily affected by humidity changes. Very Solid!

n/a

I've come across more than just one or two nuggets of wisdom in my eight-plus years on bass. Injuries are common, oh fellow groove hounds. I've talked about our hazards on several occasions with a hand therapist who works with musicians. This bass would have caused serious problems for me if I had tried to live with its shortcomings. Some players love this rig and that's great, but again, I think this bass is NOT for everyone. If you like it, spend as much time as you can testing it out. Make sure it can play on a strap and serve up some useful tone>that snappy wood is intoxicatingly funky. I was having a lot of fun practicing alone with it, but when I took it to the show, it just didn't hold up in the mix. I know I'm not an unconventional player and I don't demand perfection in any bass that goes for more than $500, but Warwick could have hit a home run with this product if they had applied some decent ergonomics to an attractive combo of very good woods and hardware.

2004
24 Bell Brass Frets
4 Strings
2 Piece Bubinga Pomelle Body
Volume, Pan, Tone controls
MEC passive Jazz/Jazz pickups
Ovangkol Neck
Wenge Fretboard
Oil Finish

DELUXE gig bag, tools, straplocks, manual, and finish wax included.

I play everything from prog to metal to jazz, solo and with a band, and this thing rocks. I can get any sound I want out of this thing, it's amazing. I run it through an Ampeg BA-210SP, a BOSS CEB-2 Bass Chorus, and a Digitech Whammy-Wah and it really does sound beatiful.

The setup is perfect. There are no flaws at all. Actually, this bass is the best corvette I've ever seen. The wood is very highly figured, probably because it was a special order, and not through a normal dealer.

It's kind of heavy, but I don't mind. More sustain. It came with straplocks, so I don't think I'll have to worry about it slipping off during a gig. I have gigged without a backup, and I don't think I would ever need one unless weather conditions were poor. Corvettes only have an oil finish and don't stand up well to bad weather.

Sucks. It took TWO MONTHS to get the instrument. A week before I got it, I called up the distributor and found out that the guy who processes this kind of thing had been on vacation for a week, so they hadn't bothered with it. Who knows when he would have been back, I'm so glad I called. The bass was worth it, though.

I won't ever put this thing down. It's better than any Corvette I've ever seen, and I'd be willing to prove it. You really have to see this particular instrument to believe it.

My Corvette was made in 1995 by hand in Germany. It has the usual 24 bell brass frets. It's a 4-string, with passive J-style MEC pickups. Volume, pickup blend, tone control. It has a bubinga body with natural oil finish, nice thin wenge neck and fretboard, adjustable brass nut, and the 2-piece bridge. Chrome hardware. Easy-access electronics cavity and truss-rod cover. Recessed straplocks. Angled warwick tuners. Came with a hard case of some sort.

I'm giving a 9 for features because it doesn't have active electronics.

It sounds awesome. I have a 5-string Streamer LX from 98 which has a bit more growl due to its active electronics, but this Corvette has awesome tone. I get even sound over all the strings, and no note is too boomy or too clicky. You can roll back the tone for a classic Fender Jazz sound, or crack it up for a sweet slap tone.

I play in 2 bands. One band is an all-original outfit with a sound like a mix of Stone Temple Pilots, Black Crowes, and Alice in Chains, with a touch of Motown funk. With that band, I'm always in standard tuning, and I use a nice round tone. The other band, another all-original deal, has a more recent sound, similar to bands like Wilco, the Strokes, and the White Stripes. I play a more basic role, holding down the groove. I use a bit more edge in my sound for this band, and this bass comes through favorably.

I play through a Genz Benz GBE600 head and a Genz-Benz GB410T-XB and a Genz-Benz GB210T-XB and this bass really stands out. Even with my professional rig, this bass (along with my other Warwicks) really makes a difference.

Playing music professionally, I get a lot of compliments on the sound of my Warwick basses.

I bought this bass used, so I can't say anything about the factory setup, but the action when I got the bass was very satisfactory. Nice slim neck makes it very comfortable to play for long periods of time without your hand getting cramped or tired, even when playing busy basslines. The pickups are adjusted perfectly. The bass balances very well and is very comfortable to play, even though it is the heaviest bass I've ever played, and that includes my Thumb BO 5-string and Streamer LX 5. I have owned 5 Warwicks, all with natural oil finishes. I have never oiled or waxed them (one bass I had for about a year and then sold it recently to help pay for the Thumb BO and the other 3 I just got in the past couple months) and they still hold up fine. I figure over time they might crack or something, so I'm ordering some wax from Warwick.

This bass is in awesome condition after almost a decade, so it apparently has what it takes to last. The finish still looks great, even though I get the impression that it was never waxed. The tuners on Warwicks are only held in place by a single small screw each, and for whatever reason, they like to come loose now and then, but other than a little tightening occasionally, they have held up great. The bridge and nut are as sturdy as ever, and the frets show no wear. Fretboard is still beautiful. This bass has recessed straplocks, and they aren't going anywhere. On my Thumb, the cover on the electronic cavity is broken and on my Streamer it was broken too. The one on this bass isn't broken, but I suspect it will break eventually (it's handy that you don't have to unscrew it to open it, but it's made in such a way that the little clips that hold it in place fail eventually). I feel like I can definitely depend on this bass, and I would certainly play it without a backup (although I never do... I always have my Streamer LX 5 with me).

When I got my Streamer LX, the trussrod cover was missing and they sent me a new one free of charge. They reply to e-mail quickly. A+

I've been playing seriously, not just doodling around, for about 7 years. I've owned several basses including 4 other Warwicks. I've played through several amp heads and 7 or 8 different arrangements of Genz Benz cabinets. If this bass were stolen, I'd be okay knowing that it's insured on my homeowner's policy for $1400 (what it would cost new). I'd be mad though. I'd definitely get another one if I could pick one up cheap enough. But if I didn't get this exact model, I would definitely replace it with another Warwick. I love everything about this bass except that it weighs a ton. Like I said, it's the heaviest bass I've ever played, but that's because of the density of bubinga, and without that, the bass wouldn't sound as good. That's the trade-off. One thing I definitely love compared to my Thumb is that this bass is balanced very well, as compared to my Thumb, whose neck has a tendency to dive toward the floor when I'm not holding it up. My favorite feature of this bass is the sound. It has a really great, fat, ballsy sound. I wouldn't necessarily call it a growl, because compared to the Thumb, the Corvette really doesn't have that characteristic, but for music that I use this bass for primarily, I'm not trying to get a growl. I'm trying to make the fattest groove possible, and this bass does that perfectly. Whether you go with a Corvette or a Thumb or a Streamer, or some other model, definitely go with a Warwick. And try to get one made before 99, as the Wenge neck they used on the older basses is outstanding. The ovankol on the newer Warwicks is really good too (way better than the necks they use on just about every other production bass I can think of) but the Wenge really adds to the sound and the look of the bass. This bass is amazing.

My bass is 1997 model 4-string Warwick Corvette Standard. Natural finished bubinga body, wenge neck & fingerboard. Recessed straplocks (cool!). The electronics are passive with vol/pan/tone -knobs. I replaced the stock J/J MEC pickups with Seymour Duncan Basslines Quarter Pounder -set. Overall the bass has no bells&whistles, but quality parts and woods.

Corvette STD has really special dark sound, with really deep bottom and strong emphasis on low mids. The sound is also very defined, compared to run-of-the-mill Jazz Bass or Precision. The notes really stand in the mix.

I hated the stock MEC -pickups and replaced them with a QP set. Strongly recommended! The MEC passive pickups are really bad with nearly no bottom and annoying spike on high mids. They don't even cancel hum with both pickups on!

8 points w/original pickups, 10 with QP set.

The action is nice and low, but not as nice as my Thumb BO. I've had the Corvette longer though, and played it a lot. Maybe a fret dressing is needed after 6 years of heavy playing. Also, the control cavity of Thumb is nicely shielded, but the 'Vette is unprotected.

The neck is very very stable! I haven't even touched the truss rod.

The body needs to be waxed regularly. I do it every time I change the strings (about once/2 months). The body is still in great condition. The wax evens out all the minor scratches.

This bass would survive a nuclear war. I hope the cockroaches will enjoy it.

No response to the emails! I've heard the Dana B Goods support in USA is excellent, though.

I've been playing for 8 years. I also have a Warwick Thumb BO bass, which is equally good in features, but has more modern HIFI -sound with it's active electronics and walnut body. I slightly prefer the Corvette over the Thumb, but I use the Thumb when I need a great slap sound.

I also have a Yamaha RBX 250 and had a Fender Jazz Bass for the warm&fuzzy old school sounds. The very defined sound of a Warwick is sometimes a bit out-of-place in the mix.

97 Model. Passive pickups. This one's got the wenge neck, which i really prefer to the newer ovankol ones. I really like how many different ways you can adjust the action on these basses. this has the individual string height adjusters at the nut which i prefer, yes they can adjust themselves when you're changing the strings, but they allow more adjustment than the newer platic nut. Nice thin neck, like I said I love the feel of the wenge grain, one of the best necks out there. I also like the bell brass frets, very classy. Nice woods on this bass too. It looks very sophisticated.

This is difficult. Yeah, it's got the Warwick growl, yes its got the warwick punch. But I'm not sure that's enough. For some reason I'm just never totally happy with it, it's wierd. The thing I do hate is that it's pretty noisy, which I was suprised about.

Once I got it setup exactly the way I like (which I could do because there are so many ways to adjust these things) it was near perfection. This is where these basses shine. I could play it incredibly fast and it felt so good having the wenge under my fingers. One of the best playing basses around, especially for the money.

Seems pretty sturdy, it should for how heavy it is.

Been playing for 10 years, I've owned many basses. Ive sold it because I never felt totally comfortable with it, so no I wouldn't replace it. Love the action and the woods, hate the noise and the way this thing balances, almost parallel with the ground, which I find to be very uncomfortable. Because the sound was just ok, I decided to get rid of it. For the price you can get these things used for (they're a dime a dozen) they're hard to beat, but make sure you can put up with their shortcomings before you buy, I couldn't.

My Corvette Standard was made in 1996 in Germany. It has the usual 24 bell brass frets. It's a 4-string, upgraded to active EMG J-series with volume control for each pickup and a master tone control. It has a bubinga body with natural oil finish, nice thin wenge neck and fretboard, adjustable brass nut, and the 2-piece bridge. Chrome hardware. Easy-access electronics cavity and truss-rod cover. Recessed straplocks. Angled warwick tuners. Came with a Warick Rockbag.

When I got this bass used, the action was pretty high and the strings were dead, so I did a quick setup and threw on some EXL170 D'Addarios (.045-.100) and it sounds awesome. I have a 5-string Thumb BO from 94 which has a bit more growl and more of that "ploop" sound when you drag across the strings, but this Corvette has awesome tone. I have never had a bass with EMGs before, so I don't know how much difference they make, but they sound pretty amazing. I get even sound over all the strings, and no note is too boomy or too clicky. You can roll back the tone for a classic Fender Jazz sound, or crack it up for a sweet slap tone. This bass is also whisper quiet (I couldn't believe how quiet it was, considering how much output the active pickups have).

I play in 2 bands. One is a hard rock/alternative metal type of band in which I play entirely in Drop D (and drop D drop A with my 5-string) and while our music is heavy, I add a lot of melody and I also do a lot of slapping and popping. The other band is a plain old rock n' roll band a little on the funky side. With that band, I'm always in standard tuning, and I use a little bit rounder tone than with the other band (a little more edge in my sound for the heavy stuff) and this bass sounds great for both styles.

I play through a (pre-Fender) SWR Chrome 350 head and a Genz-Benz GB410T-XB and a Genz-Benz GB210T-XB and this bass really stands out. Even with my professional rig, this bass (along with my other Warwicks) really makes a difference.

Playing music professionally, I get a lot of compliments on the sound of my Warwick basses.

I bought this bass used, so I can't say anything about the factory setup, but at some point someone decided they'd like a little work-out while pressing down the strings, so the action was almost as high as it would go. haha I lowered the action, set the intonation, did a slight adjustment to the string spacing (Yes, you can do that with the awesome Warwick bridge... fully adjustable) and put on some new strings and it plays like a dream. Nice slim neck makes it very comfortable to play for long periods of time without your hand getting cramped or tired, even when playing busy basslines. The pickups are adjected perfectly. The bass balances very well and is very comfortable to play, even though it is the heaviest bass I've ever played, and that includes my Thumb BO 5-string. I have owned 3 Warwicks, all with natural oil finishes. I have never oiled or waxed them (one bass I had for about a year and then sold it recently to help pay for the Thumb BO and the other 2 I just got in the past couple months) and they still hold up fine. I figure over time they might crack or something, so I'm ordering some wax from Warwick.

I got this bass dirt cheap because the neck joint has a hairline crack in it about an inch long. I took the neck off and checked it out and it doesn't seem too bad. I'm going to get it repaired. I don't know if it cracked because it was flawed or if it cracked because someone tightened the bolts too tight. I suspect probably the latter, and I'm sure it wasn't the factory's fault. Other than that, this bass is still in awesome condition after almost 8 years, so it apparently has what it takes to last. The finish still looks great, even though I get the impression that it was never waxed. The tuners on Warwicks are only held in place by a single small screw each, and for whatever reason, they like to come loose now and then, but other than a little tightening occasionally, they have held up great. The bridge and nut are as sturdy as ever, and the frets show no wear. Fretboard is still beautiful. This bass has recessed straplocks, and they aren't going anywhere. On my Thumb, the cover on the electronic cavity is broken and on my Streamer it was broken too. The one on this bass isn't broken, but I suspect it will break eventually (it's handy that you don't have to unscrew it to open it, but it's made in such a way that the little clips that hold it in place fail eventually. I feel like I can definitely depend on this bass, and I would certainly play it without a backup (although I never do... I always have my Thumb 5 BO with me). Just in case by some oddity the crack in the neck was because of a flaw or something, I'm gonna give this bass an 8 in this category, otherwise I would say it's a 10.

I e-mailed to ask about getting a new electronics cover for my Thumb and to ask for some tools. They gave me prices and let me know where I can go to order the stuff I needed. No freebies like others have mentioned, but you can't really complain about that. :)

I'm going to e-mail and ask them what they suggest I do about this crack, and I'm sure they will help me out.

I've been playing seriously, not just doodling around, for about 6 years. I've owned several basses including 2 other Warwicks. I've played through several amp heads and 7 or 8 different arrangements of Genz Benz cabinets. If this bass were stolen, I'd be okay knowing that it's insured on my homeowner's policy for $1500 (what it would cost new with active pickups). I'd be mad though. I'd definitely get another one if I could pick one up cheap enough. But if I didn't get this exact model, I would definitely replace it with another Warwick. I love everything about this bass except that it weighs a ton. Like I said, it's the heaviest bass I've ever played, but that's because of the density of bubinga, and without that, the bass wouldn't sound as good. That's the trade-off. One thing I definitely love compared to my Thumb is that this bass is balanced very well, as compared to my Thumb, whose neck has a tendency to dive toward the floor when I'm not holding it up. My favorite feature of this bass is the sound. It has a really great, fat, ballsy sound. I wouldn't necessarily call it a growl, because compared to the Thumb, the Corvette really doesn't have that characteristic, but for music that I use this bass for primarily, I'm not trying to get a growl. I'm trying to make the fattest groove possible, and this bass does that perfectly. Whether you go with a Corvette or a Thumb or a Streamer, or some other model, definitely go with a Warwick. And try to get one made before 98, as the Wenge neck they used on the older basses is outstanding. The ovankol on the newer Warwicks is really good too (way better than the necks they use on just about every other production bass I can think of) but the Wenge really adds to the sound and the look of the bass. Especially for the price I paid, this bass is amazing.

1996, made in Germany
3-piece wenge neck, bubinga body, active MEC j's.
You know the features... not too much not too little.

I play heavy prog. rock, through my svtIII and a hughes and kettner BC410, no effects. Does get a little noisy when trble is dimed.
Bass can go from boomy to pingy quickly. Very versatile. I usually run the eq on my amp close to flat and boost the treble just a little bit on the bass.

Awesome neck and action. Awesome body/neck wood. Awesome nut/bridge.
Very fast neck, but it will spoil you when picking up a 6-string.

I've used this bass regularly for gigs and recording for the past 4 years. I will say that through the years I have been very good with waxing but the finish is beginning to suffer.... I am not sure on how to address this issue but I will be doing so shortly

I have been playing bass for 8 years. I own a fretless Jazz and have owned played lots (Ernie Ball, Fender, G&L, Ibanez, Lakland,Modulus etc.)I have yet to play the fretless version but I have a pretty good idea on what it would sound like, I love this bass, it has never done me dirty, and I would definitely buy another if this one were to be stolen/broken. No better bass out there for the money.!

I have a 2001, German made, Corvette Standard. It is made of Bubinga with an Ovangkol neck, I'm sure I endangered some animal by buying this bass. That said while it is of superb quality it has fairly simple setup. It has a volume, a tone, and a split pot. It is a bolt but still has a surprisingly fast neck (Excluding graphite it is the fastest bolt-on I have played.) A wenge fingerboard with bell-brass frets I dont know if they help but they look cool. The bass absolutely no inlays. It has pretty standard chrome hardware however the tuners are angled, which matters if you have short arms and are gigging. It uses mec passive J's which seem to be very good. It was sent with gig bag, truss rod tool, manual, and little can of wax. However the guys at Guitar center tried to screw me out of the bag. Simple yet successful.

I play mainly rock, folk, and jazz and it is very capable of playing any of those styles. Many people play Warwick for the "Growl" it is there but when playing quietly (coffee houses, church, etc) it is not quite as prevelent as I would like. I play through a Trace Elliot rig I believe it is 540 at 4 ohms. I run it through a trace 4x10 cabinet and sometimes a 1x15. I also play through Callien krueger head through the same cabs. The corvette sounds great through either.

The bass was set up pretty well. As many people do I popped out the truss rod and lowered the action but that is a preference thing. The pickups are fairly quiet and seem to be stronger magnets than most. There are some dings in my bass but most were casused by me hitting things and I guess I cannot fault the finish since there is none. Waxing is just price to be paid with Warwick. I do not wax every week and my bass still plays and looks great.

This bass has withstood two years of live playing and I am hoping it will withstand quite a few more. Hardware is very strong. Once again this bass unfinished. The strap buttons large and strong. I have only adjusted the neck once the day I purchased the bass. I tend to break a few strings so I normally know where another bass is located while I am gigging

My warranty has expired I did not have any reason to contact them so I did not.

I have been playing about 6 years. I own a cheap Yamaha,a Raven 5-string, and currently posses a Hamer. If it were lost or stolen I would be very angry, I would buy another Warwick but probably an FNA. The only draw back is that you need to wax this bass. I compared it with Fenders, Ernie Balls, Ken Smiths, Carvins, Moduluss, and F-bass, as well as many others. While I would love to just buy a Quantum by Modulus or any F-bass, for what I could afford there was very little comparison. The main thing I wish it had was a sales person that wasn't a money hungry idiot.

you know the features by now...not too many, not to little. It has enough to change sound but not to much that if you change the settings you'll never be able to find that same sound again.

Sound is great. Love the GROWL. I didn't undestand that term until i picked one up and slapped my thumb against the E string. I am a self taught bass player and I consider myself better than average. I learned on a squier P-bass...Ha, that bass is a joke compared to this one. I opted to get the fretless version b/c of my liking for standup basses. I play variety of music, anything from Rock, Punk, Jazz, even some Metal songs, and I cant belive way this bass forms to each style. On stage the bass has has a great presence especially without frets. Its also can deliver the soft backround melody of jazz songs, or it can jump out front and provide a loud bass solo. I love it

Not a single problem in the set up, everything seemed perfect. I also like the look of the wood, it's different from the usual finish on most basses...having to wax it is kind of anoying, but worth it

Built like a rock, it seems like the whole bass is one peice every knob is tighted just right. With the wood finish any small scratches can be buffed out, but i think the wood could eventually fade. The strap buttons have an extra lip on them that hold the strap onway better than on my other bass. I would feel i need a backup, but probably would bring one anyway

never had to deal with them. No Problem is a good problem

i'm 18 ad have been playing for about a year and this is the best bass ive played. i would probably buy this agian if stolen. i love the shape of the body and neck, i dont really care for how heavy the bass is but sound is what counts. A little expensive for me and it took some saving to be able to aford it, but it was definatly worth it. It will be a long time before i need a replacment

4 string 34" scale 24 fret ovangkol bolt on neck, 2 passive MEC J pickups with passive controls, master volume, tone, pickup blend. bubinga body. SOLID construction (my main reason). Nothing fancy, it's a no-frills as far as the features. Just a great set of basics.

I play alooootttt of difrent music:funk,jazz,punk rock,nu metal,
progresive rock,and aloot more...I love this bass soo much cuse
u can go from crunchy tribble happy slap to a bassie bass for jazz
in 1 sec!
its great for both the studio and the stage!
it has noooooo noise at all coming from the pickups
no hums!

its seted up from the factory perfectley!!!!
the wood quality is the best
(what did u think??? warwick)

wheel this is the minos on this bass...its wood is
really fregill and can get brused esaly...but besids that...
the elctronix and avery thing else is really the best
its all solid

didnt have 2 talk with them yet!

im playing for 4 years and i ownd a musicman sting ray
and a fender jazz bass
but this bass kicks both of thems ass!!

As previously listed.

Ahhhh yes...the Warwick growl. Beautiful. But you must also notice the clarity of the notes and how a fresh-pair of DR Hi-Beams make the bass cut through the mix. To the children who have played for 3 years and know everything about EQ-ing your amp and that new strings will bring life to any bass, learn how to play first. Oh, and if it sounded that bad then why buy it in the first place? Ever think you're amp might be to blame?

Action was good enough for my tastes. The finish was scratched a bit from people playing it in the store but a little wax buffed 'em right out. No flaws other than that.

If you have the active electronics keep a fresh battery in it, and always have an extra pair of strings on hand and you'll do fine.

I've played since I was 11 (I'm 20 now) and I'm still learning new things. The 'Vette isn't Warwick's flag-ship product but then again it's no sleeper either. It's the best bass I own and gives me all the depth I need for my music. I just wish I knew everything about playing bass my third year in cuz I'd be a star by now...just like one of the previous writers.

This is a 1997 model Warwick made in Germany. Bubinga body (natural finish) with 24-fret Wenge neck. Active electronics with volume, pickup selector and stacked treble/bass knob. Two MEC gold pickups. Special "Just-a-nut" string saddle (moves string height at head), special Warwick bridge that has adjustible string height/spacing.

I play just about everything.. pop, jazz, rock, funk, rap, etc. It sounds great! Im running through a Carvin R1000 and Carvin 8x10 cab. Between the bass and amp, i can get the perfect sound for whatever style im looking for, made very easy with tone controls on bass. Can go from very bright and clean for great slap sound, or very muffled and low for the infamous warwick "growl". i really like the sound i get from this instrument.

bought this bass used.. every player has their own preferences, so of course bass didnt come to suit my playing exactly. was VERY easy to adjust however. able to adjust from high to very low string action. easy access to neck bolts, bridge hardware, etc. had bass re-stringed, lowered action, and fine tuned intonation in around 10 min, and im no pro at it.

bought this bass used.. guy i got it from has used it for the past 5 years and im just now getting it. it is still in pristine condition and everything looks/operates like a fresh factory rig. i would say the reliability is great

havent had the need.

Ive been playing about 5 years now. I bought an Ibanez when i started and i do still enjoy that guitar. about a year after i bought the ibanez, i played a warwick and have been in love with the guitar ever since. it has a sound and playability like no other. ive played other ibanez, fender, squire, crate, peavey and yamaha basses, and i still come back to the warwick every time.