Warwick has been one of Germany's top specialists in electric basses for decades, and this expertise is written all over the Warwick RB Multiscale. In fact, the name alone almost says it all: RB stands for RockBass, and everything about the Corvette is geared toward Rock in all its forms – starting with the choice of woods and extending to the pickups and electronics. When an instrument like this is designed for Rock and Metal from the ground up, the inevitable result is a combination of authentic looks, effortless playability, and maximum punch. That punch is primarily delivered by the Corvette's bolt-on maple neck and duo of passive soapbar pickups, which together with the active two-band electronics offer phenomenal flexibility in terms of sound. This tonal depth is complemented by the range of scale lengths on this multiscale bass, ensuring perfect tension for every string and every tuning. Given its range of features and reliable build quality, the Corvette Multiscale is a five-string fan-fretted bass that offers players an outstanding price-performance ratio.
The alder wood body of the five-string Warwick RockBass Corvette B5 is paired with a bolt-on maple neck – a robust construction that gives the sound plenty of attack, while the wenge fingerboard harmonises with the body to produce a midrange response that will cut through the mix with ease. True to what any bassist would expect from their modern Rock or Metal multiscale, the Corvette has 24 frets, fitted on a flat fingerboard with a nut width of 45mm and string spacing of 16.5mm at the bridge, ensuring a very comfortable playfeel. The high-quality chrome hardware includes Warwick's Single String Bridge, adjustable nut, and security locks. But the sound's the thing – of course, the dual soapbar pickups on the Corvette Multiscale are incredibly versatile: At the flick of a switch, the pickups can be run in series, parallel, or as single coils, and the active two-band electronics allow bassists to further fine-tune their sound.
The target audience for the RockBass Corvette is clear – Warwick has created a new bass for Rock and Metal players to fall in love with right here. It starts with the visuals: The Corvette's body, with its pronounced upper horn, makes no secret of its intentions, and the Solid Black finish is stylish, understated, timeless. But it's not just a pretty face: The combination of the strings' different scale length and the soapbars' three different modes of use, ably supported by the active preamp, mean the Corvette Multiscale will deliver the goods in almost any modern musical genre. Of course, its appeal is especially clear whenever the extra low end of a B string is required, or for drop tunings, where the fanned-fret layout helps optimise string tension. With its extremely attractive price tag, the Warwick RockBass Corvette Multiscale is ideal as a high-quality upgrade for progressive bassists, or for an experienced player who wants to add a specialist to their stable.
Based in Markneukirchen, Saxony, Warwick, initially a manufacturer of premium basses, is known today for providing a wide range of music equipment in all sectors of the industry. The product range extends from bass guitars, bass amplifiers and cabinets (in all price brackets), bass strings and accessories, to effects units. In addition to this core business, the Warwick Distribution sales company offers almost everything that bass players, whether of four, six or even more string instruments, could require. Among them are the instruments of the Framus brand, which are remarkable for their consistently high quality. In addition to its headquarters in Markneukirchen, Warwick also has locations in Nashville and Shanghai.
Many of the modern sub-genres of Metal and Rock place very different demands on an instrument than was the case in the '80s and '90s. Virtuoso playing, switching between techniques, and ultra-low drop tunings are the norm now, not the exception – and to rise to these challenges, bassists need an instrument that's up to the task. The Warwick RockBass Corvette Multiscale has been designed with exactly these challenges in mind, with its flat, fan-fretted fingerboard, slim nut width, and 24 frets providing the foundation for precision and speed. And its tonal capabilities tell the same story: The two soapbar pickups deliver a powerful bottom end, complemented by the low B string; at the same time, the instrument's definition is almost piano-like in its clarity, however low the drop tuning goes. Adjustments are a breeze too, with the active electronics enabling musicians not just to reduce their sound's highs and lows, but boost them as well. The Corvette's hot output and punchy mids are, finally, perfectly suited to wringing the very last drop out of a bassist's favourite overdrive or distortion pedals.
Multiscale
An important factor when bassists are trying to achieve the perfect tone is the relationship between a string's length and its thickness. In principle, the laws of physics demand that thicker strings have a longer scale length, while thinner strings benefit from a shorter one (the scale length being the entire length of the freely vibrating string.) The fret layout on multiscale instruments resembles a kind of fan, and this design is also found on the Warwick RockBass Corvette Multi 5 SBS: Instead of parallel frets with the same scale length for each string – typical, but ultimately a compromise – multiscale basses use angled frets that spread out like a fan, allowing each string its optimal scale length. Another advantage of this concept is improved intonation and the ability of the bass to maintain string tension accurately, even when tuning down for heavier styles. Conversely, the higher strings aren't under as much tension, which keeps the playing feel smooth during solo passages.