Looking for opinions on tonal variety, purchasing a new bass.

[Matthew Morter]

Hello Talk Bass!

this is my first time ever posting here, I just discovered this forum recently. I have been playing bass for over fifteen years but, sadly, I lost my way for the last five years and didn’t play much. I went through a period of addiction and sold almost all of my gear about eight years ago. The only things I kept were a few pedals and my prized Fender American 5 string Jazz Bass. So now that I am clean and rediscovering my love of music I am rebuilding my rig. Two things I sold which I am very unhappy about was my MarkBass cab and head and a German Warwick Corvette Standard 4 string bubinga. I have somewhat remedied the amp situation by purchasing an Ampeg Rocketbass 10 for practice at home, but now I am feeling the need to get a 4 string again. Slapping on the 5 string is much more difficult than on a 4 string, I can do my Victor Wooten style slap on the fiver but my Flea style slap does not work well on the fiver.

So now I am thinking I want a Warwick again, as I loved that old corvette. But I am worried that I won’t have much tonal variety with two J style bass’s in my arsenal. Would getting a corvette double buck be a better idea, for more variety? I am torn because I just love the growly sound of the corvette standard, and I have heard the double buck is much rounder and doesn’t have the same bite.

TLDR - corvette standard or double buck 4? To go along with a fender jazz 5.

I apologize for the long post but it feels very cathartic to get this story out.

 

[groove pump]

I had a nice German Warwick Corvette some years ago that gave me some super smooth sound that I really liked when practicing alone. Unfortunately there was too much inherent mid-scoop in its buttery tone and I couldn't make it work especially well with my band. I had a great time doing slap and finger style with it on my own - I also swapped in some Bartolini humbucking J pickups and a 2-band preamp - but after some time went by and I couldn't use it at my gigs, I gave it a new home.

I liked that semi-chunky neck and the funky woods (bubinga, etc.), but I was also very turned off with the inherent neck dive that comes with those basses. Those woods are relatively heavy, but the upper horn on the Corvette is just too short for it to balance well, at least for me.

Since I'm a bit of a fan of JJ humbuckers and all that they seem to be able to do, I'd lean toward the double buck model if you're okay with the layout of the Corvette. I'd expect that one to be much more than just a one trick pony, but I've never played one myself.

 

[Snert]

I have been playing bass for over fifteen years but, sadly, I lost my way for the last five years and didn’t play much. I went through a period of addiction and sold almost all of my gear about eight years ago. The only things I kept were a few pedals and my prized Fender American 5 string Jazz Bass. So now that I am clean and rediscovering my love of music I am rebuilding my rig.

I can't offer advice on the basses, but just wanted to say good on you and I pray the journey from here is just a better life and much joy from playing again.

 

[Matthew Morter]

I can't offer advice on the basses, but just wanted to say good on you and I pray the journey from here is just a better life and much joy from playing again.

Thank you so much for the well wishes, I appreciate it. I have to say, my life is much better now.

As to what Groove Pump said, I hear you about the Warwick not sitting in that well with a band in the mix. Luckily my old band was an instrumental funky, jazzy, rocky, jam band so the bass standing out was a positive instead of a negative. But I have the Fender now to use if I want to blend in with the mix, I was wanting a new 4 string to be more of a ‘standing out’ bass. I appreciate your feedback! I really want to try these basses out side by side in a store but I literally can’t find ANY Warwicks in stores near me in Seattle. Only one I did find was a corvette fretless, and that’s not what I am going for. However, I was talking with someone selling a Warwick Infinity set neck bass here on TB and now I am thinking that would be ideal! Oh the joy of instruments!

 

[Winston H]

My Thumb 6 NT has HH pickup configuration, and I personally much prefer the tone over the single coils that most Thumbs have. Better bottom end and a more balanced tone rather than what I sometimes hear as almost thin sounds from the singles, all mids and not much either side.

I'd go with the $$, definitely.