Mr. Ed I just love how you play such nice grooves with both fingers and pick. You are such a talent to YT and your renewed job at Bass Mag. Thanks for all the years of giving us your time as I am sure the compensation is not based on money alone, so I say thank you again sir.
After going back and forth, i FINALLY found a used bubinga for 499 in ridiculously good condition, just ordered it, I can't wait. your video helped, Thanks very much
Sorry it's been so long, i ended up with the Bubinga a few months back, found a German made for 450, and it's INCREDIBLE. your video helped me establish a great understanding of this model, and absolutely love it, might even sell my MTD. Thanks!
Now I’m not sure if Ed has any Warwicks in his arsenal, but something about his playing and Warwicks is just magical. Don’t get me wrong, Ed sounds phenomenal with about anything but damn there is a nice connection between him and Warwicks.
I have this bass in the the 5 string model, and i have to say i have absolutely no complaints from this bass. tone controls are very good, and i have the action set up to exactly how i like it. apart from the sound, I think its a beautiful bass, and it was definitely worth the money I spent on it.
Great video. I've never tried doing chords on the bass the way you did for that intro riff. I'm going to have to give that a shot now, it was a very interesting sound.
As a Lefty my personal Fave setup on a Bass (in terms of physical preference when playing) is the double Jazz Pickup configuration without a Pickguard. Thankfully there are many options like that available to us. I got to try 3 Warwick Rockbass Corvettes, a fretted 4, fretted 5 and fretless 5. Loved all of them. P.
I actually ended up finding a 2005 Bubinga standard for 479 and bought it. it's INCREDIBLE. thanks to your video for helping me come to a decision, I may just sell my MTD kingston Artist because of it. BTW, what ear plugs are you using? Was interested in some for the studio.
The Ash is not only pretty but pushes a nice bright tone on the snap of a the strings. Bubinga carries a rich lower tone as a tone wood while the Ash carries a crisper and brighter tone as a tone wood. I own the 5 string version of this bass and it definitely cuts a littler harder on the highs than the Bubinga models I have had and sell.
i love the tone of Warwick's. i had one a few years back like this one and the truss rod broke, no joke , so it became firewood . when i was' as we say , taking it a part the truss rod was no thicker then a D string.
If your amp goes down to 4ohms, it is safe to run two 8ohm cabs. It will definitely increase your output - you'll get the full power from the head, and you'll increase your air movement.
@Metal94head Cool, I guarantee once you get it fixed you will fall in love with it again, Warwick's have such a growl like no other, personally I'm a Music Man dude but still.. Not too sure about the Warwick tuning set up but I know from my Fenders that when the strings are not wound closer to the bottom of the peg it doesn't allow for enough tension, thus causing fret buzz like you described, but again, Ive never looked at a Warwick set up.. anyhoo, good luck bro!
I have this exact same problem, and everyone tells me its not normal configuration for the Corvette Standard... Mine was made in 2008 I believe, and everything in the control cavity looks original so I'd like to get to the bottom of this as well...
Sounds great Ed. Talk about kickin' Butt I should kick mine for selling my Warwick Corvette Standard Fretless. What a great sounding bass that was. You are right even though Korean Made high quality, great sounding, easy playability! Hec Ed you could probably make a string on a wash tub sound great!
I've got this one in 5 strings. I think it sounds great and it's an agressive sound. I Love it. I prefer this one than Fender for example. Fender has a very commom sound.
@Zackr27 They go from around 700 - 1300 (the ones straight out of Germany are higher though). All depends on your taste whether or not you like solidbody basses or other categories, but I will say this about the Corvette--it is my DREAM bass. It has good tone and pick-up, it has a solid body which enhances sound, it DOES NOT BUZZ (HUGE problem with many basses) and my favorite unique thing about it--it's feel. It has the most comfortable feel I have EVER got from a guitar. That's my take.
@nemakur - The Warwick is around $1200, that seems high for a Highway One. However, I would choose based on the sound. They are polar opposites tone-wise. What sound do you want?
Ed how is the neck of this bass?I was ready to buy a G&L tribute L2000(yes i like fat necks) but when i saw this bass, i liked it very much!Very nice sound!The only problem is that i cannot find info about the neck dimensions!Is the neck the same with the new models of Warwick or is diffirent?
@MrXhawk5 - thanks for noticing. It's called good technique. Its something a professional player needs to do their job properly. That said, there are times when I deliberately make it rattle or buzz. It's cool as an effect, but not cool to be stuck with it. I started doing session work back when they still cut with a live orchestra in one room. You didn't always get to clean up your clams, so you learned quickly how to get the sound and play the right stuff. Frankly, it's too easy these days.
I watch some of your bass reviews more to see what neat basslines you're gonna play than actually check out the guitar, but I find some of the chops tricky to work out even when I can see your fingers. It would be super-cool if you had some tab you could link to showing us what you're playing, particularly for the slap stuff near the end of this clip.
@BassGuitarMag Hey Ed, I know this is off topic, but I see that you have your right wrist angled when you play. That makes me confused because I thought that the less angled the wrist, the better it is towards preventing CTS. I try to play with my right hand as straight and relaxed as possible by using the "floating thumb" technique, but sometimes I still feel some minor aches on my forearm nerves. I really have no idea if this is temporary, or if my technique is wrong. Could you give some tips?
@TheBassGuy513 - sorry. This bass was sent back a long time ago. I think Warwick has a plan for what they will be sending me. Look out for my demo of the 2011 Streamer LX SE, in a month or so.
Hi, I have a Corvette Bubinga 5 (German 2002). Mine lacks a true "Active-passive" bypass. Using the push/pull knob only by-passes the active EQ, and can save a set if the battery starts to die (happens frequently), but still has some power left. However, if the battery is dead, or removed, no sound will come out of my bass. Are the pups active and need some power to function? In mine, pulling the knob does not make it a true passive bass and batteries last about 170 hrs. Is that normal?
Ed, what do you think about a corvette standard of the 98? please answer me that i want to buy a bass with those caracteristics ps: srry for my bad bad inglish, i'm chilean xD
@BassGuitarMag Hi Ed. I own a made in Germany Corvette Std and the only thing I don't like about it is the terrible hum coming from the pickups. My luthier told me it's not a grounding issue and I'm going to replace MECs with Delano JMVCs. I know jazz pickups are supposed to generate hum, but not that much I think. Could you please tell me if you've noticed any (annoying) hum in this particular bass you're reviewing?
@3WingedKitten3 i was thinking of an ibanez btb705dx: emg pickups, 35" scale neck and 1.9 string spacing. i've tried a btb775pb a week ago and it looked excellent to me: nice sounding B string and comfortable string spacing. the 705dx is the same with the only difference being emg pickups (705dx) instead of ibanez fake bartolini's (775pb).
@MrTheguyofbigbite - Yes, of course.... it was your request.... No, but even better, it was at Guitar World's request! And they pay me. Better news.... more Warwicks to come later in the year.
I'm a rookie sir ....but is there anyway possible you could send me the taps for that Slap Tone Test at the end of your video? That's straight funky. Thank you!
I have a Corvette (the German) and after a year and a half of using it (not more than once a week on average) I have already had 2 issues with the tunning heads - 1st time it was broken inside and was replaced. last month the cover of one of the TH just fell and I need to pay almost a 100 US$ just to get someone to fix it.
@thillwl - Not really. I just turn knobs until I get a sound I want for a particular song, there is no such thing as "maximum tone" in my mind. It all depends on the tune.
What do you recommand buying the exact same bass with the passive one? I found a killer deal with the passive one, want to get it if you recomand. Thanks.
Спасибо Warwick! 6 лет проиграл на таком же Корвете, инструмента с таким же соотношением цены и качества нет до сих пор. Ibanez, Shecter или ESP не могут создать бас с таким же крутым тоном за такие деньги.
И Warwick перестал их сейчас делать. Всю линейку корветов (кроме corvette $$)теперь производит китай и корея типа по лицензии, со всеми вытекающими по качеству сборки и мануфактуре. успел в свое время приобрести немецкий корвет в 2009ом, один из последних за смешные 26000. И да, за такую цену особенно сейчас даже близко не найти по звучанию похожий инструмент, до сих пор не хочу с ним расставаться, хоть и перешел уже на Thumb 5. Очень люблю этот инструмент.
Yeah, the only real difference is that the rockbass is made in China, uses normal frets, Maple neck (still has those stripes) and a rosewood fretboard, I think they changed the body wood to Alder too
@CosmicPrune - Thanks. But I play these licks off the top of my head. I make them up and then they are gone. I never write anything down, so there are no tabs. I simply don't have the time to write them all out, but they are all possible to learn by watching. Just keep at it.
@BassGuitarMag nice. i love the feel of p bass necks. i saw one that is made in germany. its 12 years old. the guy wants 600 for it. from what i heard its well worth it
My local Luthier gets these korean made basses in "kits" he puts them together him self in his own shop. These things are killer when he is done of them, and sell so fast. I played some high end warwicks in other shops around canada, that were obviously not set up properly im talking serious money $3000-$4000 price range, and I hated them. This guy changed my mind about warwick. As for the shops that dont set up theyre basses....they're stupid.
Sounds like you need a setup... I had the same problem with my Corvette when it arrived. After tweaking back and forth over about a week, I can say it plays and sounds better than all of the Ibanez basses I've tried. Before you ditch the Corvette (if you haven't already), try giving it a proper setup. The right action and pickup height would solve all your problems.
@RLHubner - Tension is bad whether you keep your wrist straight or not. Yeah, it's better to keep your wrist straight to avoid problems... but track down the source of the strain. Is it because you're holding your arm up in the air to keep your wrist straight? Can't diagnose your problem online... but it's your body. You should know where the strain comes from.
@MrXhawk5 - And.... Because it's so easy to get out there and be heard, you get to hear a lot of people that are not ready to BE heard. One result is, it makes people think I'm a lot better than I actually am! Lol
My main bass is already a light bass unfortunately. MTD Kingston Artist. I do normally like swamp ash but i found the tone lacking compared to the Bubinga version. I think bubinga is the way i'm going, Thanks!
Mr. Ed I just love how you play such nice grooves with both fingers and pick. You are such a talent to YT and your renewed job at Bass Mag. Thanks for all the years of giving us your time as I am sure the compensation is not based on money alone, so I say thank you again sir.
I have a 2008 bubinga 5-string and I simply love it! I had the choice to buy a MM or a Warwick and I chose Warwick because I love the tone.
After going back and forth, i FINALLY found a used bubinga for 499 in ridiculously good condition, just ordered it, I can't wait. your video helped, Thanks very much
Sorry it's been so long, i ended up with the Bubinga a few months back, found a German made for 450, and it's INCREDIBLE. your video helped me establish a great understanding of this model, and absolutely love it, might even sell my MTD. Thanks!
One thing that makes me wanna buy this bass is the slap tone. sounds fabulous!
I've noticed the same thing especially with using d r high beam strings
Unbeatable slap tone :)
Now I’m not sure if Ed has any Warwicks in his arsenal, but something about his playing and Warwicks is just magical. Don’t get me wrong, Ed sounds phenomenal with about anything but damn there is a nice connection between him and Warwicks.
I'm sold! This might be my next bass purchase!
I have this bass in the the 5 string model, and i have to say i have absolutely no complaints from this bass. tone controls are very good, and i have the action set up to exactly how i like it. apart from the sound, I think its a beautiful bass, and it was definitely worth the money I spent on it.
Great video. I've never tried doing chords on the bass the way you did for that intro riff. I'm going to have to give that a shot now, it was a very interesting sound.
The bridge pickup has an unusual amount of punch. I like it.
As a Lefty my personal Fave setup on a Bass (in terms of physical preference when playing) is the double Jazz Pickup configuration without a Pickguard. Thankfully there are many options like that available to us. I got to try 3 Warwick Rockbass Corvettes, a fretted 4, fretted 5 and fretless 5. Loved all of them. P.
Thanks again for a great review Ed.
The warwick pro series thumb bass is also very nice, a few hundred more but all in all, probably one of the best bang for buck bass around
wow, it sounds surprisingly good to me. I am a real Fender addict but this Warwick seems great.
Great review again! Thank you very much!
I actually ended up finding a 2005 Bubinga standard for 479 and bought it. it's INCREDIBLE. thanks to your video for helping me come to a decision, I may just sell my MTD kingston Artist because of it. BTW, what ear plugs are you using? Was interested in some for the studio.
man! those slapping riffs were cool!
The Ash is not only pretty but pushes a nice bright tone on the snap of a the strings. Bubinga carries a rich lower tone as a tone wood while the Ash carries a crisper and brighter tone as a tone wood. I own the 5 string version of this bass and it definitely cuts a littler harder on the highs than the Bubinga models I have had and sell.
@Merick365 I own a German Corvette STD and I think it performs it's best in drop tunings like C & B. The "growl" becomes far more prominent.
I hope you will review one of the higher end NT models too
Sounds great man, the best part of the bass is definately the dual pickuped slapping. :D
i love the tone of Warwick's. i had one a few years back like this one and the truss rod broke, no joke , so it became firewood . when i was' as we say , taking it a part the truss rod was no thicker then a D string.
they have a lifetime warranty..... oh my god a warwick and fire should never be in the same sentence.
They dont need to be any thicker If you break a truss rod you aren't doing it right.
If your amp goes down to 4ohms, it is safe to run two 8ohm cabs. It will definitely increase your output - you'll get the full power from the head, and you'll increase your air movement.
El sonido más increíble que puede darte un bajo.
@peabody1028 - this bass had the stock strings which I believe are Warwick.
Great demo Ed! I though these were out of production?
@Metal94head Cool, I guarantee once you get it fixed you will fall in love with it again, Warwick's have such a growl like no other, personally I'm a Music Man dude but still.. Not too sure about the Warwick tuning set up but I know from my Fenders that when the strings are not wound closer to the bottom of the peg it doesn't allow for enough tension, thus causing fret buzz like you described, but again, Ive never looked at a Warwick set up.. anyhoo, good luck bro!
I have this exact same problem, and everyone tells me its not normal configuration for the Corvette Standard... Mine was made in 2008 I believe, and everything in the control cavity looks original so I'd like to get to the bottom of this as well...
Sounds great Ed. Talk about kickin' Butt I should kick mine for selling my Warwick Corvette Standard Fretless. What a great sounding bass that was. You are right even though Korean Made high quality, great sounding, easy playability! Hec Ed you could probably make a string on a wash tub sound great!
That pick tone is nasty!
I've got this one in 5 strings. I think it sounds great and it's an agressive sound. I Love it. I prefer this one than Fender for example. Fender has a very commom sound.
@SpongeRay - It was a custom built piece by Chris Smarrt at Sol'stice Gardens in Dripping Springs, TX.
@Zackr27
They go from around 700 - 1300 (the ones straight out of Germany are higher though). All depends on your taste whether or not you like solidbody basses or other categories, but I will say this about the Corvette--it is my DREAM bass. It has good tone and pick-up, it has a solid body which enhances sound, it DOES NOT BUZZ (HUGE problem with many basses) and my favorite unique thing about it--it's feel. It has the most comfortable feel I have EVER got from a guitar. That's my take.
@nemakur - The Warwick is around $1200, that seems high for a Highway One. However, I would choose based on the sound. They are polar opposites tone-wise. What sound do you want?
@pbobassist - The pickup placement is a little closer to the bridge than a J. That's part of what you're hearing.
Terry Pratchett providing some useful information on my next purchase.
@SuperGuy344 - No, they just started up production in Korea.
Ed how is the neck of this bass?I was ready to buy a G&L tribute L2000(yes i like fat necks) but when i saw this bass, i liked it very much!Very nice sound!The only problem is that i cannot find info about the neck dimensions!Is the neck the same with the new models of Warwick or is diffirent?
the intro is amazing...where can i get this drum loop?
Love my bubinga Corvette. Sound man said it was the best bass he'd put through his p.a.
@MrXhawk5 - thanks for noticing. It's called good technique. Its something a professional player needs to do their job properly. That said, there are times when I deliberately make it rattle or buzz. It's cool as an effect, but not cool to be stuck with it. I started doing session work back when they still cut with a live orchestra in one room. You didn't always get to clean up your clams, so you learned quickly how to get the sound and play the right stuff. Frankly, it's too easy these days.
I watch some of your bass reviews more to see what neat basslines you're gonna play than actually check out the guitar, but I find some of the chops tricky to work out even when I can see your fingers. It would be super-cool if you had some tab you could link to showing us what you're playing, particularly for the slap stuff near the end of this clip.
@BassGuitarMag Hey Ed,
I know this is off topic, but I see that you have your right wrist angled when you play. That makes me confused because I thought that the less angled the wrist, the better it is towards preventing CTS. I try to play with my right hand as straight and relaxed as possible by using the "floating thumb" technique, but sometimes I still feel some minor aches on my forearm nerves. I really have no idea if this is temporary, or if my technique is wrong. Could you give some tips?
@Rorro6Strings - I don't know, never played the 98 model. It's probably fine...
@TheBassGuy513 - sorry. This bass was sent back a long time ago. I think Warwick has a plan for what they will be sending me. Look out for my demo of the 2011 Streamer LX SE, in a month or so.
Hi, I have a Corvette Bubinga 5 (German 2002). Mine lacks a true "Active-passive" bypass. Using the push/pull knob only by-passes the active EQ, and can save a set if the battery starts to die (happens frequently), but still has some power left. However, if the battery is dead, or removed, no sound will come out of my bass. Are the pups active and need some power to function? In mine, pulling the knob does not make it a true passive bass and batteries last about 170 hrs. Is that normal?
Is this the bass that has the treble and bass pots stacked?
Ed, what do you think about a corvette standard of the 98? please answer me that i want to buy a bass with those caracteristics
ps: srry for my bad bad inglish, i'm chilean xD
Damn, you make me wish one of these again!! even when I got a new bass like 2 weeks ago!! haha >_>
Quick question, Bubinga or Ash, i'm crazy about the Bubinga basses, but curious about the Ash ones. Thoughts?
@FKNhostile187 That's all down to preference and which wood you prefer the tone of
@Animatronica - A J bass has a very different sound, even if the pickups are similar. The wood plays a big role in the Warwick tone.
@BassGuitarMag Hi Ed. I own a made in Germany Corvette Std and the only thing I don't like about it is the terrible hum coming from the pickups. My luthier told me it's not a grounding issue and I'm going to replace MECs with Delano JMVCs. I know jazz pickups are supposed to generate hum, but not that much I think. Could you please tell me if you've noticed any (annoying) hum in this particular bass you're reviewing?
@3WingedKitten3 i was thinking of an ibanez btb705dx: emg pickups, 35" scale neck and 1.9 string spacing. i've tried a btb775pb a week ago and it looked excellent to me: nice sounding B string and comfortable string spacing. the 705dx is the same with the only difference being emg pickups (705dx) instead of ibanez fake bartolini's (775pb).
This video could also be tagged as "Perfect right hand technique" for electric bass; All Genres!!
Tom Parks Ed Friedland could sell me firewood in August, in Texas.
Interested in thoughts on the Corvette vs the Ibanez SR500 ??
@dudli91 - I use EZ Drummer by Toontrack.
@MrTheguyofbigbite - Yes, of course.... it was your request.... No, but even better, it was at Guitar World's request! And they pay me. Better news.... more Warwicks to come later in the year.
@sparklebiscuit - You're welcome.
I'm a rookie sir ....but is there anyway possible you could send me the taps for that Slap Tone Test at the end of your video? That's straight funky. Thank you!
I have a Corvette (the German) and after a year and a half of using it (not more than once a week on average) I have already had 2 issues with the tunning heads - 1st time it was broken inside and was replaced.
last month the cover of one of the TH just fell and I need to pay almost a 100 US$ just to get someone to fix it.
do you think this bass would be verstile as far as tone for Drop C tuning?
@thillwl - Not really. I just turn knobs until I get a sound I want for a particular song, there is no such thing as "maximum tone" in my mind. It all depends on the tune.
What do you recommand buying the exact same bass with the passive one? I found a killer deal with the passive one, want to get it if you recomand. Thanks.
how is the rockbass line of the corvette?
hey ed, how is the feel of the neck on that bass?
I found the ash version of this bass was nice and light, something I like.
Спасибо Warwick! 6 лет проиграл на таком же Корвете, инструмента с таким же соотношением цены и качества нет до сих пор. Ibanez, Shecter или ESP не могут создать бас с таким же крутым тоном за такие деньги.
И Warwick перестал их сейчас делать. Всю линейку корветов (кроме corvette $$)теперь производит китай и корея типа по лицензии, со всеми вытекающими по качеству сборки и мануфактуре. успел в свое время приобрести немецкий корвет в 2009ом, один из последних за смешные 26000. И да, за такую цену особенно сейчас даже близко не найти по звучанию похожий инструмент, до сих пор не хочу с ним расставаться, хоть и перешел уже на Thumb 5. Очень люблю этот инструмент.
Ed, do you have a recommended EQ curve to get the maximum tone out of the instrument?
@zulafiq40 By swapping them out, and playing many basses?
As of today, they don't make the Corvette Standard anymore.
Which current model would be equivalent to the former Standard model?
You sure? I can still find them around. If not, the rockbass version is of a very similar quality, but without the brass frets or exotic woods.
Yeah, the only real difference is that the rockbass is made in China, uses normal frets, Maple neck (still has those stripes) and a rosewood fretboard, I think they changed the body wood to Alder too
@JonnoThomas i think i will do that because i have to play live next week, so i don't think i will have enough time to trade my corvette for the btb
I need this object on your wall !!
@CosmicPrune - Thanks. But I play these licks off the top of my head. I make them up and then they are gone. I never write anything down, so there are no tabs. I simply don't have the time to write them all out, but they are all possible to learn by watching. Just keep at it.
do use a drum machine? if so what model?
thanks, Collin.
i love warwick bass but im looking for a 4 string thats under 2000$ budget i lplease recommend me one
Are the tone tests done in passive or active?
I am waiting for some esp basses review cause I am quite interested in a review of some of them made by a professional musician
@Yaahcoob - Well, the review bass did not have any problems.
@jlbassplayer - I'm not a smiley dude when I play. I close my eyes a lot and get in the zone, believe me - I have more fun than most.
Thank you very much!!! Excelent test!!!!
@gjuro8 - QUite possibly. Check out the Streamer LX demo I did just a few months ago too.
thank you so muchhh sir!
@BassGuitarMag nice. i love the feel of p bass necks. i saw one that is made in germany. its 12 years old. the guy wants 600 for it. from what i heard its well worth it
What are you playing at 5:37 ??
that bass is active - passive or it is modified??
My local Luthier gets these korean made basses in "kits" he puts them together him self in his own shop.
These things are killer when he is done of them, and sell so fast.
I played some high end warwicks in other shops around canada, that were obviously not set up properly im talking serious money $3000-$4000 price range, and I hated them.
This guy changed my mind about warwick. As for the shops that dont set up theyre basses....they're stupid.
what is the difference btween corvete classic and basic
Sounds like you need a setup... I had the same problem with my Corvette when it arrived. After tweaking back and forth over about a week, I can say it plays and sounds better than all of the Ibanez basses I've tried.
Before you ditch the Corvette (if you haven't already), try giving it a proper setup. The right action and pickup height would solve all your problems.
what kind of strings do u use?
@vince5502378 - Yes, badly.
@bassplayer1494 - Felt good to me. Kind of like a streamlined P Bass neck.
@sgorthy - These days I use Toontrack's EZ Drummer. Great program.
@Metal94head - Sounds like you could use a setup.
That tone is meaty and delicious
@squiresuzuki - yes
@RLHubner - Tension is bad whether you keep your wrist straight or not. Yeah, it's better to keep your wrist straight to avoid problems... but track down the source of the strain. Is it because you're holding your arm up in the air to keep your wrist straight? Can't diagnose your problem online... but it's your body. You should know where the strain comes from.
@MrXhawk5 - And.... Because it's so easy to get out there and be heard, you get to hear a lot of people that are not ready to BE heard. One result is, it makes people think I'm a lot better than I actually am! Lol
My main bass is already a light bass unfortunately. MTD Kingston Artist. I do normally like swamp ash but i found the tone lacking compared to the Bubinga version. I think bubinga is the way i'm going, Thanks!