Now What Do I Do?

[praiseHisname]

Very simple. I have stumbled upon my "dream bass." It's the most beautifulest thing I have ever seen in life! and I don't even know if "beautifulest" is a word. Here it is: Warwick Streamer LX Broadneck 5-String Electric Bass
...have any of you had the privaledge to hold, touch, hear, or play one? I'm just a sold out beginner bassis so the expense would be worth it to me. I started out with a 4 string Dean, then a 5 string SR505 Ibanez, BUT from the looks of this one, I believe I would spend the rest of my musical life with her! While I know looks aren't everything, in this one, it's 99 percent of my impulse to buy. The other 1 percent is from the name. Please give me your unbias feedback.

[malthumb]

Several thoughts come to my mind....

• Warwick Streamers are really nice basses.  I've played one, but never owned one
• You, sir appear to have GAS.  In moderation, that's okay, but it can go wild on ya
• I can off the top of my head think of about 7 basses that I said "will definitely be the one"  I still have 2 of them, so obviously at least 5 of them were not "the one"

Peace,

James

[dhagler]

I have never played one, but I wish you well in your quest. As mal said, this bass probably won't end up being "the one" but that's OK as long as you are happy with her. Good luck!

Right now my two Fenders are "the ones" but I keep looking at the Callowhill and Sadowsky websites...

[momuzik]

If you got it like that...$$$... go for it.
My guess is that since you're a beginner, your preferences and needs may change as you develop.
I know with me, when I have a strong desire to buy something, it usually subside in about a week or 2. Then I realize I didn't HAVE to have it.

[Bullitt]

Several thoughts come to my mind....

• Warwick Streamers are really nice basses.  I've played one, but never owned one
• You, sir appear to have GAS.  In moderation, that's okay, but it can go wild on ya
• I can off the top of my head think of about 7 basses that I said "will definitely be the one"  I still have 2 of them, so obviously at least 5 of them were not "the one"

Peace,

James

Lots of truth in that post lol......but I also agree with everything that James said.  I had a bad case of "Warwickitious" in my early years of playing but never could justify the purchase bc of a) the $$$, b) the bass I loved so much just didn't balance well while standing and c) I had no consistent gig(s).

Over your musical career, your needs (and wants) will probably change alot so try to be patient...unless you can get the bass for the same amount of $ you put in.


(PS - I still eventually got my warwick, thank ya Jesus lol)


Be Blessed,
J

[malthumb]

Here is my personal advice for you, treat it like a cup of coffee, meaning it might "wake you up" or you might not like it, but you can always get another one.

If the Warwick Streamer you are looking at is NEW.  Do yourself a favor and let it pass.  If you buy it and then find out later that your preferences are moving you in a different direction, then you will encounter a HUGE $ loss to move it.  Which brings me to my 2nd point.....

If the Warwick Streamer you are looking at is USED, do some research on what the used prices are for them (items sold on eBay is a great start.  Items listed on bassgear.com or talkbass.com are other good places to price).  Do not pay more than what the going rate is regardless of how mint the seller tells you it is.  We all think our basses are the best example of their respective brands or have that additional "mojo".

The key here is don't pay more than you can turn around and sell the bass for next month if it turns out that you absolutely hate it.

After you've gotten a good feel for what the USED prices are, if it turns out that the one you're interested is NEW, but heavily discounted (lowered cost to slightly above USED, no interest financing, "no payments until" financing) then maybe the NEW would be worth considering.  Until then, focus on finding a nice, fairly priced used one.

I offer this advice to ANYONE looking to buy a high end bass.  That's 'cause they take the hardest hit on the used market.  Especially for beginners who don't yet really know all that's available in the high end market.  I mentioned that I had played Streamers but never owned one.  Well, at the same time I tried some Streamers I also tried a couple Warwick Thumb 5 and 6 string basses.  I thought I would absolutely die if I did not get a Thumb 5 fretless with the quickness.  They were then going about $1,900 new, $1,200 used.  Then I tried a Lakland 55-02 fretless.  Not quite as nice as the Thumb, but at $725 or $825 used (can't remember exactly)......SOLD!  I kept it for a couple years and sold it for $800 which I applied to buying my next fretless.

Peace,

James

[dhagler]

Excellent post, James.  GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome, for those who may not be familiar) is a part of life but you must be mindful of the bottom line and the fact that used is nearly always a better bargain than new.

My first bass was a Silvertone 4-string. Bought it for $175, sold it for $200 to a young lady who just had to have a red bass for her boyfriend for Valentine's Day.  Used that money towards my 2002 Fender MIM fretless Jazz, which I paid $325 for (and as of this writing I will never sell although I might mod it a little).

My second bass was an SX Jazz 5 from Rondo. Paid $150 new and sold it three years later for $150. Used that money toward my 2006 Fender MIM Jazz V, which I paid $375 for on eBay (I will eventually sell this bass but not in the foreseeable future).

Do your research. Don't jump at the first bass you fall in love with, for another will surely come along.

[momuzik]

Do your research. Don't jump at the first bass you fall in love with, for another will surely come along.

Think of it like women; you may feel like I got to have her, but after a couple of years with her...

[dremy2006]

I have not played one yet.. but I agree with every post here.. I thought that my MTD was the one!! Nope..  did not work out for me.. I do not like active basses.. changing out batteries.. don?t like.. Now I have 2 squires, 1 fender (P Bass), and 1 SX and I?m happy with them all.. of course all of them are modified, but happy never the less? 

[dhagler]

Think of it like women; you may feel like I got to have her, but after a couple of years with her...

See, I wasn't going to go there....

[praiseHisname]

Thank you you all for you prompt responses! If nothing else, I'm definetly not feeling as hasty as before - I mean, I have all ready received a "Congradulations" email from the Guitar Center on my approval for their credit card; it said the card is on the way! However, after reading all of you all's posts, again, I'm not feeling so hasty. In fact, I know now I will hold off and explore better options from a financial and "best-buy-for the buck" perspective. I have confidence, in the words spoken [written] here by all you more experienced bassis, you know what your talking about... Thanks again everyone for the valuble input.