Warwick Review: Thumb 5 Neckthrough

History: I've played electric bass for nearly twenty years and have been on Montreal's live circuit for nine years. I've been in several bands, both original and cover. I currently play two to four shows a week. The music I play largely represents the music I enjoy listening to (with the odd exception): funk, R & B, reggae, afro-latin and pop. On to the review!

Purchase: I bought my Thumb in 2004 at Italmelodie in Montreal. I already owned two other Warwicks (a Streamer Stage I and a Thumb 4 Bolt-on) and had long wanted a Thumb NT. They didn't have any in stock, so I took a chance and ordered blind (I'd tried a Thumb 4 NT, but never a 5). Whoops. $3300 Canadian later...

What I Like About This Warwick Thumb 5 Neckthrough: There's no denying the beauty of this instrument's materials. The figured bubinga is lovely and the bass does, indeed, look like a fine piece of craftsmanship. It's one of the most attractive basses I've owned and certainly gets attention. The tone is warm and clean and sounds great on its own. The hardware is solid (save for the nut) and the bass matches the furniture in my living room very nicely.

What I Do NOT Like About The Warwick Thumb 5 Neckthrough: A lot of people love this bass. I am not one of those people. First of all, as many other reviews mention, this bass weighs a ton. Worse, it is considerably neck-heavy. For me, the Thumb 5 NT is an ergonomic nightmare: it hangs strangely, the bridge is where my hand would normally pluck (this is due to the unusually small body and short upper-horn) and the neck is super-thick (much thicker than the nineties Warwicks. The bass sounds elegant on its own, but in a band context, all definition is lost. With the bass pot rolled up, things start to get muddy fast (especially on the B string). This is NOT a good bass for slappers: the 26 frets ensure that your slap position will leave you with no low-end punch and a too-taut-for-popping feel.

Warwick Thumb 5 Neckthrough Quality Rating: It gets better. My Thumb arrived with a nut which was in the process of coming unglued and a crack in the fingerboard at the 26th fret. I had these both repaired. A year later, another crack in the same area and ANOTHER crack at the control cavity from an improperly mounted screw. Given that the bass was in storage for over a year before I bought it, I would suspect negligence on the part of the distributor. Warwick agreed to patch up my bass, but refused to give me a replacement. When I attempted to correspond with Warwick, they would only forward my e-mails to the very uncooperative distributor.

Review Summary: Having owned two other Warwicks, the Thumb 5 was a great disappointment. The fact that Warwick refused to provide a replacement given the instrument's defects (and that they wouldn't respond to my e-mails directly) only made the whole experience worse. Honestly, if you're going to lay down that kind of money, buy a Sadowsky! If, however, you must buy a Warwick, opt for the Bolt-on Thumb. It won't impress your friends as much in the looks department, but it will be more ergonomically friendly (yes, there's a noticeable difference between the designs of the NT vs Bolt-on) and it will be punchier and clearer in the mix. Good luck!

Rating of this Warwick product: 2

This Warwick Thumb 5 Neckthrough Bass Guitars Review Submitted By: Dylan K

Review Date: 2007-04-09