Sure been quiet today...something this bass isn't :P
I've been struggling to get my hand around the Cort B5 5 stringer's neck, so I've been looking around for a four string that could handle the b.e.a.d tuning and I think I might have found it.
March 2003, a really early model. 34in scale & real active pups (the pups need 9V, instead of just the preamp ). This thing sounds allright- far more suited to the style I'm playing in the band than the Cort. The Cort had a P bass sounding neck pup and a musicman-esque bridge pup. The Vampyre has a bit of growl, but has a very active sound - kinda tough to explain - doesn't sound much like any of my other basses. I did compare it to a Corvette Rockbass (same preamp, just had a single jazz pup in the bridge though) and this Vampyre sounds much better with the bridge humbucker, it's fat where the Corvette sounded thin.
The neck plays beautifully, which is what convinced me to twist Graham's arm @ The Gear Junkie and trade me for the 5 stringer. It's flat-ish, narrow at the nut but widens enough to feel comfortable slapping the lower strings.
Has a few dings, scratches and missing a little paint (no chips) on the bottom horns & the electronics were a bit sick when I got it - neck pup dead and the blend knob needed replacing. I've been struggling to sort it out - still can't find a 25k dual rail centre-dent pot for the blend pot (Any suggestions? I did jury rig something I got from mantech, it works, but I do need to replace it in the long term. Oh and those knobs are from a Pioneer stereo.... :sorry:
I admit, it's properly Fugly. But then, I think the same of pretty much every Warwick (it's that top horn, it looks like a sex toy). To my eye this is less offensive than the rest of the Warwick shapes, so in that way it's a win.
The shape is kinda growing on me, especially since someone pointed out that it does kinda look like the batwing. With a batman logo slapped on it and a re-shaped headstock, this could actually look okay?
Got a jam on tonite, so we'll see how it sits in the mix. I have hopes!

