Warwick Corvette 4- string fretless w/ passive pick-ups Reviews 4

The vette was purchased at Guitar Center in North Olmstead Ohio. Total cost was $909 and some change. This is the first bass I purchased , and bought it to add to my guitar collection. I spent a lot of time comparing the fretted and frettless versions but decided on the frettless because i think it sounds better. The bass came with the natural oil stain finish, chrome hardware, MEC pick-ups, Warwick strings, all the tools needed for adjustments ,a can of wax , a generic owner's manual and a gig bag.

Smooth growl is how I describe the sound and I like it. In fact everything about this bass is smooth ,the tuners, the neck , the finish, and the looks. This thing stays in tune so well I'm begining to wonder if there is a conspiracy going on.The bridge and nut assembly is , if not the best, one of the best in the industry. Why wasn't this around 25 yeasr ago? The action is low and fast. The luster and quality of hardware is very high and it looks and feels like metal because it is metal, not plastic. ( like fenders&gibsons )When I asked the salesmen if the bass came with a case and I was informed that a gig bag is included I almost thought of not buying it. 900 dollars and no hard shell case? Hear me out on this one, this the best gig bag there is. It is very well padded and the interior is very soft. There are little feet at the bottom so that the guitar can sit upright ,unlike the other ones where all they can do is lay there . this thing has more pockets and zippers than Micheal Jackson's thriller jacket. I prefer this case over a hardshell because it's lighter and smaller. Overall , I'm very satisfied with my purchase.

This is a great bass, but not perfect. First of all , its a little bit heavy for such a slim line bass. Secondly, I would describe the oil finish as " high maintenance " . It needs wax at least once a week for the first few months, then, less often as the wax builds up. If you dont,it drys out real bad and the finish begins to look like the finish of a cigar box. I dont mind doing the regular polishing ,but, some of you might. Third, acousticly play, with no amp the bass has a beautiful tone , much like a stand- up double bass. Plugged in the passive MEC's have trouble reproducing the warwick's natural sound. Also, I found to be true on the active pick- up version as well , but not as bad.It just seems to lose some of the attack and tonal balance . I played many different vettes through many different amps and hear the same thing every time. So I'm searching for replacement pick-ups. By no means does the warwick sound bad , but I'd like it to sound more natural. They are very quiet pick-ups though.I don't like the way the warwick strings sound either. One final comments , the electronic's cover on the back like to fall of sometimes when it rubs against me.

Overall , the quality is very high. The body and neck wood is very hard and dense. Little dings and bumps leave no marks what so ever. One of the allen keys supplied with the bass was just a little too small so I bought a new. I think this would have eventually stripped the bolt at the bridge. Bad news. Other than that ,the bass semms to be made with percision and seems to be made out of the best materials.

I would have given this bass a 4 and a half. It's a great bass with slight pick-up issues. It can play anything from jazz to metal and not feel guilty. It's perfectly happy being the anti-fender.

yeaw-e rated this unit 4 on 2002-12-11.

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