Mine was a 4 string Corvette, and my friend had the same one in 5 string so I played with both. This was an impressive instrument for the price, the build quality was fine and the pickups were really very good for this price range. It was far from a catastrophe ! I’d say it was a very good price/quality ratio. The only problem I had with it is that it’s an active modern bass, not my cup of tea. I sold it for very cheap (300€ if I remember ; and it was like new) to a friend, it helped a bit to buy the Precision at the time.
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Sweet, thanks for the info. I thought the one I tried was really well made.
I was thinking that if I liked the neck on a 4-string that it would make a nice BEAD bass 
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So I found a new RockBass 5-string Streamer LX for an insane outlet price. Went over to try it out tonight. Some observations:
- 5 strings feel weird
- seriously, they manage to be too big yet with the strings very close together, it’s gonna take a lot of getting used to
- build quality was quite good!
- except the electronics, holy crap they were just jammed in there, the battery shorted the pots twice because it didn’t really fit, I would be tempted to just rewire it
- seriously I should have taken a picture, even the salesman was making fun of it
- maybe a little heavier than I was wanting (the 4 string Streamers are perfect)
It actually did feel very nice to me to play, despite a 5-string Warwick being pretty much the polar opposite of a thin-necked Yamaha.
Didn’t buy it, may or may not change my mind about it.
very very nice looking though:
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you may find a used 4 strings model =)
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Yeah that’s what I am planning and have been holding out for. A 4-string in the same color sold literally the day before I could go check it out, same price too. There is a black one now, but eh.
I’m kicking myself about missing the dark red 4-string LX because the price is seriously good (about $400 new). If it had been a 4-string tonight I would have bought it on the spot, as much as I despise buying new gear.
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Any chance they weren’t the factory fittings?
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Nope it was a brand new bass, all stock. It’s just that the RockBasses are cheaper models Warwick makes in China. For the most part the quality was great but this bit looks like it missed QC.
Not implying anything bad about China there, Chinese products get a bad rap in the West but I’ve had some truly excellent Chinese gear. I had a really awesome oscilloscope once that I got for the cheap and sold for a profit. Plus I am sure most people are pretty happy with their iPhones
There’s nothing at all wrong with Chinese manufacturing; the problems happen when western companies try and use the Chinese factories to maximally lowball their costs. That’s when you get what you pay for.
I have zero fear buying a Warwick made in China. But it just looks like this one had a minor slip in quality control in the wiring finishing.
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I think you can get used to the 5-string, and I also think you will eventually like to have the option of a 5-string.
Yes, it feels weird (but so does a 4-string after playing a 5-string for a while), but it is a good training to switch between the two, and the time for adjustment gets increasingly shorter, the more you get used to playing both!
If it has a good B string, and otherwise checks all your boxes, I wouldn’t let the fact that it has five strings turn you off.
Hey, you don’t need to drop-D with a five-string 
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Have you ever heard of the “90 degree drill bit”? 
I’ve not had one, but I have had drill and router bits that have blunted on first use. Buy cheap - pay twice. goes for manufacturing almost anywhere, but obviously China is the current leading producer of ‘cheap’ goods so…
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True; in fact that’s what I was doing in the shop tonight, playing Drop D songs by going down to the B string (and shifting on the E).
Of course the same is true of BEAD 
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Oh, yeah, forgot about that option!!
That is the original reason I am looking at these (scroll a few messages up
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Yeah, it is coming back to me now, d’oh…
So, obviously, just forget what I was rambling on about the 5-string 
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Well I am pretty happy with the idea of a second bass being very different from my main bass so a 5-string is not necessarily a bad plan. It’s just not my first choice.
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… and you can drop the B to A, which must sound more or less like an earthquake … 
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Hm, yes, but you wouldn’t want that in Japan 
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You can say that again . . . 
I bought hex keys that rounded off at the first use (made in China 
)
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Man, no kidding. I’ll never forget this moment a few weeks after the Tohoku disaster, when we were still having frequent aftershocks, and some asshat on the train had set his ringtone to the NHK emergency alert sound. A whole traincar full of borderline PTSD commuters just glared the guy down.
Yeah well now I am getting non-buyers regret
The thing is at a price (new) where I could potentially turn a profit selling it used, or at least not lose anything. So now I am asking myself “do I really need a 4?” Meanwhile I found an outlet 4 for about $50 more than the 5. And it’s tempting me, despite my reluctance to ever buy new.
In other words I am violating the cardinal rule of the used market: be patient.
Also, of course, the second I buy one of these, a pristine used SR2400 will turn up and I will go insane.
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Ugh! I bet embarrassing situations like these are double embarrassing in a society like the Japanese!?!
Haha, classic conundrum… so, as soon as you have bought - stop looking at classifieds!! 
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Dammit. Talked myself into it. The 5 was just too good a deal. Only ~$400 new including shipping (for comparison it’s 621euro plus shipping on Thomann right now.) Color is discontinued for the model this year too.
It’s very different than my current bass, which is actually a positive for me, that’s what I wanted. If I hate it I can always sell it, and will probably get close to the same price at minimum.
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