Buzzard

[Chris P.]

I'm in a Buzzard phase and I visit the Custom Shop pages often.

What do you think of this, I 'designed' my perfect bass on paper.

Warwick Buzzard
neck through: maple neck with rosewood fretboard
mahogany wings
one passive MEC vintage humbucker in the middle position
kill switch only like a blackbird.

I guess it'll be a bit Rick 4003-ish with this maple neck and body-mid section, but also a bit Bird-ish with the mahogany wings and passive humbucker.

[Barklessdog]

You need to post some pics

[Chris P.]

Pics could take half a year (if I order it...). But I mailed the CS about a bass with this specs:

Warwick Buzzard
neck through: maple neck with rosewood fretboard
mahogany wings
one passive MEC vintage humbucker in the middle position
kill switch only like a blackbird.
Chrome hardware
dot inlays
NO LEDS
NO ACTOVE CIRCUITRY
a MEC passive vintage humbucker
only one kill switch like the Blackbird.
Colour: Black

[Chris P.]

And of course chrome hardware. Í'll go on dreaming in this little private toic;) I'm very bad with PhotoShop, so i used Paint for this bad mock up. But it gives an idea about pick up and toggle switch placement.

[Dave W]

Chris, the problem I see is that this looks so different from your other basses that you won't be able to sneak it past Loes without her noticing immediately.

[Chris P.]

Yeah, for once I've told Loes I'm busy with this one. The ex-Jules EB0 is unnoticed yet...

[Barklessdog]

I love the headstock, but I have issues with the shriveled looking pistol grip lower horn. Is that supposed to be the claws?

The rear wing is the wing and the neck the neck, the front horn is the buzzard hump.

I can't see it fitting withy your band, but in natural wood, it would look better.

those are price birds aren't they?

[Chris P.]

I love the headstock, but I have issues with the shriveled looking pistol grip lower horn. Is that supposed to be the claws?

The rear wing is the wing and the neck the neck, the front horn is the buzzard hump.

I can't see it fitting withy your band, but in natural wood, it would look better.

those are price birds aren't they?

The gun grip: I guess it are claws. Some Buzzards have a control there and then it looks like another beak with an eye.

The Buzzard totally doesn't fit in my band. Guess I have to start another band then;) We're a bit retro, so I'll keep on playing my vintage stuff and reissues.
The Buzzard sound fits even more badly. That's why I want a passive maple/mahogany one. I love the looks, but i don't like active basses.

Wood: I like natural and sunburst basses and my Rivoli, Ricky 3000 and 4005 are natural. But I don't like exotic woods, though the Zebrabird's nice. I also hate black basses, cos they're too metal to me, with an exception for a Ps (common) and a 4003s (wear a tux and go!). But a Buzzard just looks the best in black.

I guess I can have it, wearing a black Fred Perry with it or something;)

Prices: Bolt Ons (with normal 2+2 Warwick headstock) are 1,800 euros. Neck throughs are like 4.500 euros and Custom shops between 2.600 (BO) and 7.700 (NT).

[Chris P.]

I´m still having this Buzzard idea. A guy at the Warwick forum made this PhotoShop mock up to show how my idea would look.



With a Danelectro Longhorn, a Fiesta P, an Epi Rivoli, a Gibson Thunderbird, it could be a nice addition to a JAE-inspired colletion, doesn´t it? And then of course then I need a Fenderbird, an Explorerbird, an Alembic Spyder, ....  Well, I´m still quite young

[Blazer]

When my Fenderbird is done, I want to put it up for sale for around 1500 Euro.


So you'll be the first to hear when it goes up for sale...

[Chris P.]

Cool. Dunno if I have money then, but cool!

[Bert]

The pickup is more towards the bridge than I thought I would be. And I like the black hardware in the earlier picture very much. Besides this this is a very interesting/nice bass!

[Chris P.]

I guess the pick up is a bit on the position of a Rickenbacker bridge pick up. Maybe it goes a bit to the front, but itt'll be in 'middle' position.

[gearHed289]

I guess the pick up is a bit on the position of a Rickenbacker bridge pick up. Maybe it goes a bit to the front, but itt'll be in 'middle' position.

My 2 cents: Put it in the sweet spot - centered directly below where the 36th fret harmonic would be. That's where a Ric "bridge" pickup sits. Modulus Quantum Sweet Spot models have one pup in that location as well.

[Chris P.]

Guys,

Now you'll see the reason why I don't have any money to buy any basses the last couple of months, except for a cheap Explorer. I changed my plan a bit in time. The idea was to have a one pick up Buzzard cos I love one pick up Thunderbirds. But it looked best placed on the back and that's really not my sound. And with the Nikki Sixx kill-switch only controls I couldn't change anything. So after some long talks with a guy named Marcus we settled on two passive MEC vintage humbuckers and some controls. Neck through is maple, body's mahogany, fretboard is rosewood. Dot inlay.

I hope it's here within some weeks.