Opinions on Warwick Thumb

Sergius Durante

Sergius Durante

May 21, 2019
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4,551
#1
Hello all, new to posting on TB, but not new to the site at all

This is a general question regarding the Warwick thumb(or related) from those who have played, owned, or found in the back of a red pickup truck off the side of Arizona... how is it? Do you think it was worth the price/trade for it (be it used or new)? Do you own a neck thru or Bolt on, and if so which do you prefer?

I've heard that the bass is heavy to some, to others it is average, it is "comfortable, like that of a Fender J bass" (not my quote on the matter,but read and got this reply, and that and wanted to see how some would feel about that comparison), and that it sounds damn good with lots of tone potential and options.
 
#4
Sergius Durante said:
4 or 5 string, also was it bolt on or neck thru?
I've heard about them being quite heavy, as well as they can have necks equivalent of baseball bats, also how much did it cost ya?
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German Pro Series five-string bolt-on. It wasn't light. I thought the shape of the neck was good, it just wasn't a balanced bass. Again, sounded fantastic though. $2300.
 
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#6
I own one, a 6 string fretless. Very heavy, sounds unlike any other bass, active EQ, Bolt on neck & made in Germany. It was expensive (well over $3000) in 2002 or 2003 if I remember correctly, and way too heavy for me to play live for more than 20 or 30 minutes. I’d never give it up. I’ve have work done to it: I had LED side markers installed and an LED installed in the Headstock “W” along with a toggle switch.
 
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#7
They are heavy, uncomfortable, and unbalanced. Neck thru or bolt on. 5, 6, or 7 string. Balance gets worse the more strings you add. Most have very thick necks and narrow spacing, and a rather small body. They are very mid forward, punchy, growly and aggressive sounding, and also have some of the best B strings Ive ever played. They are also not the most versatile instruments (IME/IMO).

They have a very particular charm about them, and I’m actually quite fond of them, but they are not for everyone, but they are amongst the most unique bass guitars out there, and all the ones I’ve owned have been well built, and very high quality.
 
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#8
I've had a four string and a six string one. I wish I could merge them into one instrument.

Tone? Just awesome and really unlike anything else. It has a certain grind and growl to the lower strings and some serious bell-like upper voice that is just unique. It also sounds awesome with dirt/distortion.

The 4-string felt good, was ok balanced and had a super fast, slim and comfortable neck. This Jazz bass, but a lot smoother and even thinner. Played like a dream really. It sounded pretty good.

The 6-string sounded just monstrous. Nothing out there sounds like it. Note that every version has different pickups/placements, so it's no wonder they sound different. I like the tone of the 6er the most. It was lead heavy and the neck was wide as an interstate motorway. I sold it for a lot more than what I paid for - but in reality I sorely miss it and wish I would have kept it.

I sold the 4-string just because the 6er was sooo good in comparison.
 
#9
Epitaph04 said:
They are heavy, uncomfortable, and unbalanced. Neck thru or bolt on. 5, 6, or 7 string. Balance gets worse the more strings you add. Most have very thick necks and narrow spacing, and a rather small body. They are very mid forward, punchy, growly and aggressive sounding, and also have some of the best B strings Ive ever played. They are also not the most versatile instruments (IME/IMO).
Click to expand...
^^^This about sums it up.
Rock on.
 
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#10
Sergius Durante said:
Hello all, new to posting on TB, but not new to the site at all

This is a general question regarding the Warwick thumb(or related) from those who have played, owned, or found in the back of a red pickup truck off the side of Arizona... how is it? Do you think it was worth the price/trade for it (be it used or new)? Do you own a neck thru or Bolt on, and if so which do you prefer?

I've heard that the bass is heavy to some, to others it is average, it is "comfortable, like that of a Fender J bass" (not my quote on the matter,but read and got this reply, and that and wanted to see how some would feel about that comparison), and that it sounds damn good with lots of tone potential and options.
Click to expand...

I owned a 97' NT and a '98 BO. Both were 4-strings. Here is how I would describe each:

NT: Powerful, growl tone. One of the most comfortable necks I've ever felt. A bit heavy if I remember correctly, maybe 11 lbs. Absolutely beautiful look.

BO: Focused, brighter tone with some of the growl. Neck was a tad skinnier than the NT. Lighter weight. Still beautiful.

Overall Thumb: The ergonomics of the Thumb didn't end up agreeing with me. Because of the short upper horn/location of the strap button, the neck was out much further than what is comfortable for my wrist. I never experiences neck dive with either, however. The tone of a Thumb is unmistakable and difficult to recreate with any other bass. There is some magic going on with the pickups' locations and maybe the wood types that Warwick uses.
 
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#11
I own a 2018 BO 5 German with Ovankol body. The neck is fast and the tone is amazing, especially on the B. You WILL cut through the mix with this bass especially if you're popping. It weighs about 8 lbs which is 2 lbs lighter than my Bubinga Corvette 5. The Vette has a larger body which is better for my wrist/hand position but after a few gigs with the Thumb it's beginning to not matter. No problem with balance although I stand more than sit. I've played the Vette for 15 years so I may be a little biased.
 
#12
Ive heard
denhou1974 said:
I own a 2018 BO 5 German with Ovankol body. The neck is fast and the tone is amazing, especially on the B. You WILL cut through the mix with this bass especially if you're popping. It weighs about 8 lbs which is 2 lbs lighter than my Bubinga Corvette 5. The Vette has a larger body which is better for my wrist/hand position but after a few gigs with the Thumb it's beginning to not matter. No problem with balance although I stand more than sit. I've played the Vette for 15 years so I may be a little biased.
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I have heard because of the short horn that their can be a weird stretch at times to the frets closest to the headstock, is this true from your experience or did it fit like a glove (somewhat)?
 
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#13
Warpeg said:
I owned a 97' NT and a '98 BO. Both were 4-strings. Here is how I would describe each:

NT: Powerful, growl tone. One of the most comfortable necks I've ever felt. A bit heavy if I remember correctly, maybe 11 lbs. Absolutely beautiful look.

BO: Focused, brighter tone with some of the growl. Neck was a tad skinnier than the NT. Lighter weight. Still beautiful.

Overall Thumb: The ergonomics of the Thumb didn't end up agreeing with me. Because of the short upper horn/location of the strap button, the neck was out much further than what is comfortable for my wrist. I never experiences neck dive with either, however. The tone of a Thumb is unmistakable and difficult to recreate with any other bass. There is some magic going on with the pickups' locations and maybe the wood types that Warwick uses.
Click to expand...
I see what you mean now (used my noodle to imagine it), but how much of a stretch would you say it was because of the horn? I had some experience like this with a Thunderbird and it felt like the first fret was so far away, but this makes me curious as I managed to track down a Thumb BO 5 at my local GC and intend to try later
 
#14
Sergius Durante said:
I see what you mean now (used my noodle to imagine it), but how much of a stretch would you say it was because of the horn? I had some experience like this with a Thunderbird and it felt like the first fret was so far away, but this makes me curious as I managed to track down a Thumb BO 5 at my local GC and intend to try later
Click to expand...

Compared to a T-bird, the Thumb is not bad at all. T-birds make me stretch quite a bit further.
 
#15
I own a German made 1999 Thumb BO 5 string. Ovankol body and neck with Wenge fingerboard. I got it used (ever so slightly) for $1700. Growls like a rottweiler. I have used it for almost all types of music and you can shape it for almost anything. It is heavy and has some significant neck dive but I love it and will never get rid of it. Warwicks, to me, are a love it or hate it type bass. Best way to describe the "Growly" tone, is that it is similar to the deeper keys on a piano. (If that makes sense?)

I have played many 4hr gigs with it all while jumping and throwing it around. I am 5'7" 170lbs..

It is so worth it's heavy nature. With the right strap, it is more than comfortable to play.
 
#17
LilFatty said:
They sound great, and I loved the neck feel. But the neck dive was way too much for me.

I would highly recommend not buying one until you try it out

It just has weird ergonomics
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Yea, am about to head to my local GC to try one out, I have a MIM Geddy Lee J Bass I love to death, but my band is currently shifting in a different direction, to which the active pickups, and low b string are going to be needed. Plus, I managed a deal at my local GC currently and may trade some of the gear I don't use, and possibly buy ma dream bass of the past 4 years.

Kinda killing two-ish birds with one stone :D
 
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#19
I've got a early 00s German BO 5. The thing with the Thumb is that you're meant to wear it high to make use of the curved shape of the body. If you're used to a Jazz, which hangs quite far over to the right, you'll find the Thumb quite far over to the left. I don't find it to be an issue.

Wear a wide strap to counter the weight. I don't think they're that heavy or unusable for a healthy adult man, but a wide strap is good for comfort, but I'd recommend them for any bass, not just Thumbs.

My Thumb is ovangkol neck and body with ebony fretboard. I always felt the five strings with the double jazz pickups right next to the bridge are the growliest Thumbs.

The size of the necks is overstated, they're not as big as people make out.

They really only do one sound - mid-heavy, aggressive and bright. It's a great sound that can be used in a lot of situations but it's not a bass that can do a lot of different sounds. Still, I'd rather have a bass that has one great sound than a bass that has loads of good sounds.
 
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#20
I owned one for a few years a long time ago, and I echo the sentiments in the thread for sure. It's a very unique sounding bass, which is a huge plus, but ergonomically it didn't work for me at all. The neck was very thick, and I remember spending a noticeable portion of my energy using the thumb of my fretting hand to keep the neck up in a playable position. Maybe that's why they call it the thumb???

I started getting tingling and numbness in my fretting hand after longer practices / shows, so after about 3 occurrences of that I sold the bass on Ebay and never looked back.
 
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