LeftyBassist.com

I already posted it in my thread in the Lefty Bass Photo Gallery forum, but I thought I'd post it here as well

I had been looking for a modern and agressive sounding 5-string for some time and I've always had a thing for that Spector / Warwick Streamer look and for Warwick in general. I had been watching this Streamer LX5 on a Dutch escrow site already over a year ago but the asking price was about 800-900 euros back then and I couldn't really afford it, and didn't want it badly enough. One month ago, that same seller relisted the bass at a mere 500 euros! I immediately gave him a call and I happened to be the first! I asked him to ship it to me because I was unable to go pick it up myself, and it arrived about three weeks ago. It was unplayable, the action at the 12th fret was almost half an inch! Overall it was in good condition though, and after a quick setup (a few twists of the truss rod and lowering the bridge a little) it was perfect.

It's a 2003 ovangkol baseball bat era model, but being 6' 6" tall and having pretty big hands I'm having no trouble wielding it and getting my hands around the neck. I love it, and have already gigged with it. It suits me and the style of music my band plays perfectly. It's supertight, has really agressive high mids and treble, and the B string is the tightest (and loudest!) of all 4 fivestrings I own. It even surpasses my Stingray 5 with ease! Because of the tightness and the high mid emphasis, it takes a bit of overdrive really well without getting muddy. I play it through an Ampeg SVP PRO with some added dirt and the Warwick almost appears like it was made for that tone! My Ellio Martina Forza has too much subharmonics and notes on the B-string come out muddy and almost undefinable when you don't play absolutely clean.

I love the looks of the Streamer too, and I even don't mind the gold hardware (which I generally don't like). Somehow it's fitting, it looks really good with the transparent Nirvana Black lacquer finish.











The only thing I don't understand is why these basses have to be so expensive new. A new German made Streamer LX5 will cost you 3000 euros here! (and probably even more in the USA). Don't get me wrong, this is a terrific bass, but for 3000 euros you can get a whole lot more from many great luthiers. Exotic wood tops, neck through body, you name it. But at the price I paid, this is an amazing instrument and I couldn't be happier!

BEAUTIFUL BASS!!!!

Have you opened up a Warwick Magaz... er... I mean Bass Player magazine lately?

I'm guessing that the amount of marketing dollars these guys sink into paid endorsements, advertising, DVDs, bus tours, product videos (complete with computer animation), etc., doesn't help keep their costs down.

Not to say that they don't also make a great bass that deserves a substantial pricepoint... but part of their price tag is definitely coming from their marketing budget, which must be HUGE.

Very sexy finish, I dig it!

my personal take on the Warwick pricing scheme is that Warwick is single-handedly trying to keep the Eurozone afloat

There's a guy selling one of those for $1500 on CL Bay Area.

Beautiful Streamer! I love that body style I almost hate playing flat plank basses anymore. They feel wrong to me now. The contour on the front is great to dig in and the contour in the back makes it feel so comfortable against my body. Warwick basses were expensive from Germany long before they started the crazy push of marketing and plastering ads all over.

I have found the instruments I think are exceptional and the basses I’m personally drawn to are almost all expensive. In my opinion they should be for what goes into them. Killer bass they are not for everyone and the tight string spacing can take a little to get used to but they feel like home to me. What year is it?

I would suggest a newer adjust-a-nut III they are about $32 on ebay or from the custom shop in NYC those older nuts with the sharp edges gave me boo boos.

Thanks!

It's a 2003 model, with a chunky baseball bat neck, but somehow it feels comfortable. The back is almost flat and just feels good. I have no trouble with the plastic Just-a-nut II that's on my bass. It does what it's supposed to do, and open strings sound just as great as fretted notes: powerful, tight, and with an impressive sustain. It does look like one of the ends of the bottom part, that act like a sort of guide rail on which the top part travels up and down, has broken off as described in the tutorial video by Warwick below. Also, the nut is not placed straight against the fingerboard. But the height adjustment screws and the other end of the nut still hold the adjustable part firmly in place so there's no effect to the intonation of the bass. I may replace it at some point though, but so far it doesn't bother me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjCuHGLB-1I

Very nice bass Jeroen!