Guys,
You know I have a Warwick Buzzard for a very low price. And I like it!:D
I don't have any deal with Warwick, though, so I mean this Star Bass story underneath, ha ha!
A couple of weeks ago I got a Warwick Star Bass as a review bass for Musicmaker magazine. It was a maple one with satin finish. Normally I am not into modern basses and Warwick wasn't high on my wish list (except for the Buzzard), but this one's very EB2-ish, passive, so I was very curious.
What a bass! I know it is expensive, but if you want a really good sounding and looking EB2-kinda bass, without the cons of a vintage instrument, this is the bass to go!
At first the bass is very well crafted. My reissue Rivoli looked like a toy, when compared to the Star Bass. It's very sturdy, longscale, well built and good looking. The satin finish gives the idea it's years old and the satin neck plays like a dream. The bass is all passive and the big chrome singlecoils do their job very well.
Soundwise it's very fat and warm, but it still has the typical Warwick growl. So it's vintage sounding, but not too woody or muddy. Vintage, with a modern touch. It still cuts through mixes. It was nice to play with at a La La Lies rehearsal, but it really suited the melodic Boilersuit lines. I never played a bass before that was so even sounding on al positions on the neck. Even the D and G strings were fat, sweet, ...
Loes and Bart normally don't say anything about a bass, only when I'm too loud. Both started talking about the sweet sound after two songs! I want one, but I won't buy one soon, ha ha! Very expensive!
The last couple of years only two basses sounded this sweet: The TV Jones equiped Gretsch White Falcon Bass and this one. Try one out if you see one around.
(http://www.basscentre.com/user/products/large/starbass-maple-4.jpg)
They do look nice, I'm not surprised to hear they sound nice too. It makes sense that a semi-hollow would fit better with Boilersuit's music.
Interesting!! Darn nice looking bass, too.
Have you by chance played a Casady bass? If so, how would you compare them?
8)
I used to have a JCS myself. I have to think very good about a comparison, also because I sold the JCS long before I tried the Star Bass and the Gretsch. I think the basses three have certain things in common. Longscale, a pick up roughly at the P-position (Gretsch more to the front). The JCS and Gretsch are hollow and the Star Bass has a center block.
The JCS has the nice 3-way switch with in my opinion two usable opinions. A fat one and a thinner more Jazz-bass kinda sound. I also think it's a very good sounding bass. In this style one of the best around and quite affordable. If you just want a semisolid or hollowbody bass besides your normal basses it's a good score. Epiphone is and will stay the 'cheaper Gibson'.
I think both the Gretsch and the Warwick are better built. Better hardware, better lacquering, it's always a bit hard to describe, but sometimes you just feel and see it, without really having proof. Hold it in your hands and you know. The Gretsch has the locking tuners, the TV Joneses, the Warwick the very sturdy bridge, nice woods and very heavy frets.
Both basses have such good pick ups. The sound of the Gretsch is just wide, open, warm, fat, clear, ... Almost unbelievable. I tried an expensive USA P after playing the Gretsch and it was just, thin, compressed, .... Like it couldn't breathe.
A bit the same with the Star Bass. very open, very wide and warm, but it always has some modern quite high growl. So a vintage warm sound, with an edge.
Most striking feature was that every note on every position on the neck of the Star Bass was good!
I can't say both are worth the price difference. I think the street price in Holland of the JCS is 650 euros and it's 3.000 for the other two. But if you have the money and you need a really good bass it's worth it.
Thanks, Chris - interesting info!
I've always thought that they looked like a very nice bass but I just can not wrap my head around the "Gumby" headstock on that bass. While not my most favorite shape I think it works on most all of the other Warwick basses, I really like the Buzzaed heastock as well.
A +1 on the headstock, but I got used to it. There's a Custom Shop Star Bass around with big EB2-style tuners. A nice bass.
A Star with Buzzard-headstock like the Trini Lopez/Dave Grohl ES-335.... I suggested that to Warwick, but they don't like it;)
Any neck dive?
Nope. It has a center block, so not that neck heavy.
Nice review Chris. I had a look at these on the Warwick site a few months ago. I will have to stick with my Woody bass for now though as there are at least 2 other basses that I want/need before that. ;D
looks very similar to what the Jack Bruce tribute bass was supposed to be. i think his was bubinga instead of maple.
Quote from: jumbodbassman on May 13, 2010, 03:21:50 PM
looks very similar to what the Jack Bruce tribute bass was supposed to be. i think his was bubinga instead of maple.
Wasn't that a solid body?
my bad you are right. same pickups thru me.
There is also a Star Bass with a bubinga body, that came out before the maple one which was only introduced this year, hence maybe the mistaking.
Those basses are supposed to be great and they are the one Warwick I'm tempted with. The pups - for all their mudbucker-esque look - are single coil by the way, especially designed for this bass. I held one at Musikmesse but couldn't play it amped, I second the stable feel "Warwick-Landstorm-Chris" mentioned.
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/50/Ssnederland.jpg/200px-Ssnederland.jpg)
Ever since he got that endorsement from Gruppenführer Wilfer he hasn't been the same, really. :-X
The Warwick headstock is fugly.
I really LOVE Vampyre basses but not with that stock headstock. BLECCCH
An acquired taste, still echoing Warwicks Spector influence of yore. I think it's ok on the Star Bass, but it's totally out of place on pointy stuff like the Stryker or the Vampyre - those would need something elongated four in a row.
:mrgreen: ;D
Both the Jack Bruce 'Cream Reissue Bass' and the Star Bass have the same pick ups and they're indeed singlecoils. Some parts of the Warwick website and some old brochures suggest they're humbuckers, but they aren't...
I never liked the headstock very much, but the Stryker has the Buzzard headstock nowadays.
Gruss,
Chris Dekker
Freiwilligen Panzer Grenadier Warwick Brigade 'Nederland' ;)