Looking for the wisdom of the crowd here. Saw a killer deal local for a Rockbass Streamer (Warwick's bargain Asian-made brand). The owner said the neck is warped but that it's hard to photograph and that the warp is that the 12th fret, and that he thinks it is a tension issue. Now I understand that a warped neck is a twist from side to side but that bass necks may also develop bumps at the twelveth and higher frets due to string tension (and that people sometimes call this warping. I'm thinking of looking at the bass but really don't know a) what to look at and b) at what point it is unsalvageable. I've been told that a warp requires neck replacement but a bump may either require a truss rod tweak/string change. I've enclosed a picture of the neck that the seller put online.
My first question would be just how great of a deal could there be on a Rockbass Streamer to justify the risk of a bad neck. These are the very bottom end of Warwick's equivalent to the Tribute series (unlike G&L, which does not really have low- and high-ends to the Tribby line) . Used German-built Streamers in good playing condition seem to have a going price right around $500, and with a little bit of looking German Corvettes can be had between $550-$650. I paid $600 flat last year for a fretless German Corvette in near mint condition. New Chinese Rockbass Streamers go for $400-$500 new (list price). I haven't seen Rockbass Streamers going used yet, but I doubt they will be significantly less than they sell for new.
Regrarding the straightness of the neck, a lot will come down to your playing style. If you are going to stick down around the lowest couple of octaves and not get far above the seventh fret, you may be perfectly happy with a bass that's unplayable higher up. Selling it will be a problem though. I would personally be very concerned about twist. It would just limit the usefulness of the bass, and severely hamper any chances of selling it later on. I remember Buffalo Brothers having a Leo-era G&L bass with just this problem last year, and putting some very blunt disclaimers about the hopelessness of ever playing above the 12th-14th frets in the ad.
I've owned about a dozen basses in my life, and the only one that's had problems above the 12th fret was a horribly modified '78 Fender Jazz. Somebody had planed down the original maple fretboard (I bought it in '81), and glued on rosewood furniture veneer. The frets didn't have anything to hold onto, and pulled up starting around the 12th fret. I still have (and love) that bass, but with a different neck.
If you do check out this bass, I'd suggest testing the truss rod for operation. It may be possible for a combination of too much relief and bridge saddles set too low to cause problems above mid-neck. A bass needs to have a little bit more relief than a guitar. With the E string held down at the 1st and 24th fret locations, my fretless Warwick has about 2 mm of relief at the 12th fret position. I run my fretted G&Ls around 0.5 - 0.75 mm (using Tortex picks as the gauges).
I don't know if I would agree with a "bump" being fixable with a string change. Running very light strings on a bass that's been set up for heavies could cause backbow, which would be remedied by an appropriate set of strings. This was the case with my '81 L-2000E, which Guitar Center considered unplayable. All that one took was a string change to become a very sweet player. It had been fretting out the entire length of the neck though, not just above a certain point on the board. FWIW, it looks from the picture like this Warwick has appropriate strings now.
I hope this is helpful. I haven't played a Rockbass yet, but my Corvette has made me real fan of Warwick products. My local shop has had a German Streamer hanging on the wall at $499 for several months. I've been thinking about talking them down a bit and stashing it away until my sons are old enough for 34" scales (not so much to be a sweet Dad, as to keep their grubby little mitts off my G&Ls for a while longer!). Teh only reason I haven't snagged it for myself at that price is that I don't like the finish. I played a Korean Thumb BO at the same shop last week, and was very impressed by the workmanship.
If you do check it out and have any questions come up, please feel free to PM or email me.
Chet, Ken has said it well. I wouldn't even remotely consider buying it. If is has a high spot at the 12th fret only a truss rod adjustment is not the problem. Planeing, and re-fretting is expensive. That would be the only fix for a lump in the neck.-- Darwin
Coincidentally, I recently bought a used Rockbass Streamer at GC with no neck issues. I turns out that one pickup didn't work but it was a quick fix with just a solder connection in the control cavity.
I like the neck and I bought it because I was considering leaving it at my church to cut down on carting basses back and forth.
The bass sounds much better with both pickups and I like the size and weight of it but you can tell its a lower line Warwick.
i have a couple of German Warwicks, Corvette 4 and 5 strings made with Bubinga bodies and ovancol necks.
I would hope that you would get a severe discount for a known neck issue. i can't tell from your picture how bad the bump is, but often these things disappear after loosening the truss rod.
buyer beware!
good luck
sirmyghin wrote:One a side note, Holy crap Ken your actions are ridiculously low. I don't even set my guitars that low.
I've been told recently that I have a very light touch on the bass. I guess I never realized it on my own over thirty years of playing, but it makes sense to me. My left hand has much better speed and accuracy on bass than on guitar.
I was more concerned about the right hand, to be honest. I like the option of picking/plucking heavily and abhor string buzz, so my basses have a good 3mm of action, typically. I learned on a POS you could slide you pinky under the strings at 12 (that was after I adjusted it), so it never really bothers me.
this is just my opinion. if a guitar or bass has a twist in the neck. Pass it by unless your getting it at a give away price. A friend I used to be in a band with had a dean guitar with a similar problem. tried to get it fixed it only got worst. I had a electra bass in the 70,s that was the same no one could repair it it only seemed to get more noticable. You think that you don't play on that part of the neck then there will be that song were you do and you'll regret using that bass or guitar. some very good repair guys told me that is a very hard problem to fix
