Warwick RB Fortress 4 BRTS
Electric Bass
- Body: Ash
- Bolt-on laminate maple neck with ekanga veneer stringers
- Fingerboard: Wenge
- 24 jumbo frets, titanium-brass alloy (W: 2.9 mm x H: 1.4mm)
- Ball-end frets with IFT (Invisible Fretwork Technology)
- Scale length: 864 mm (34" Long Scale)
- Nut width: 38.5 mm
- Pickups: 2 Active MEC P / J
- Active 2-band electronics
- Controls for Volume, Balance, Treble, Bass
- Electronics compartment with copper shielding
- Shielding paint in the pickup routings
- Warwick machine heads
- Just-a-Nut III tedur nut
- Warwick bridge and tailpiece
- String spacing: 16.5 mm
- Warwick security locks
- Chrome hardware
- Factory stringing: Warwick RED (42200 M) .045–.105
- Weight: Approx. 4.2 kg
- Colour: Burgundy Red Transparent Satin
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Available since October 2018
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Item number 450544
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Sales Unit 1 piece(s)
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Colour Red
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Body Ash
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Neck Maple, Ekanga
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Fingerboard Wenge
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Frets 24
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Scale Long Scale
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Pickups JP
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Electronics Active
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Including Case No
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Incl. Bag No
Born to rock
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Warwick has been one of Germany's top electric bass specialists for decades – and that expertise really comes through in the Warwick RockBass Fortress 4 Burgundy Transparent. This four-string classic has a full 34" scale length (864mm) and is part of Warwick's RockBass series, which offers quality instruments with real Warwick DNA at an affordable price. The most instantly recognisable feature of the Fortress is its body shape – the unique upper horn keeps things balanced on a strap, while the shorter lower horn gives bassists easy access to the fingerboard all the way up the neck. Other classic Warwick touches include the two-piece bridge and the four sealed tuning machines. The Burgundy Red Transparent Satin finish is both visually very appealing – dark and mysterious, while still complementing the wood's natural grain – and feels incredibly smooth to the touch.
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A Fortress built on Rock
This Fortress is ready to rock: It's two-piece body is made from ash – a tried-and-tested tonewood, and not one usually found at this price point. The rest of the wood selection is just as impressive, with a multi-laminate neck that combines roasted maple with ekanga veneer stringers, and a fingerboard made from wenge. Musically, the bass offers phenomenal flexibility thanks to two its active MEC pickups – a single coil at the bridge and a split coil at the neck. This gives the Fortress both the definition needed in styles like Funk and Jazz, and the aggressive bite that makes Rock and Metal basslines so crucial to the mix. The specific blend between the two pickups mix can be dialled in with the balance control, and the 2-band EQ allows bass and treble to be boosted or cut as needed. A master volume dial rounds out the setup.
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It's easy to access this Fortress
The slim neck of the Warwick Fortress is bolted to the body and has a smooth satin finish that feels pleasantly sleek. The Just-a-Nut III nut, made from tedur (a very durable PPS synthetic), can be height-adjusted with the two hex screws. Combined with the sturdy neck construction and the two-piece Warwick bridge, the Fortress gives bassists a really comfortable, buzz-free string action across the entire fingerboard. The truss rod is accessible via the headstock and protected by a handy snap-on cover. The electronics compartment also features a similar cover, making battery changes especially easy: With its active electronics and pickups, it's always wise to have a spare battery stowed away somewhere, although the 9V cells do last a while. Warwick security locks round off the Fortress's practical feature set.
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About Warwick
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.
A wolf in sheep's clothing?
The Warwick RockBass Fortress 4 is actually something of a chameleon in wolf's clothing: While Warwick has built its reputation in heavier genres like Rock and Metal, the aggressively-styled Fortress can do a lot more than just growl. Thanks to its flexible electronics and high-end tonewoods, it's just as happy laying down classic Blues grooves as it is purring through vintage Soul lines. This isn't to say it's not capable of more modern tones, because the active 2-band EQ lets players shape their sound with precision – be it for punchy slap lines or tight funky grooves. All in all, this Fortress is a rock-solid workhorse, flexible and powerful enough for all kinds of musical settings.
In the Spotlight
Titanium-brass frets
This Warwick bass is among the many that now feature frets made from an entirely new alloy: titanium-brass. This hard-wearing material doesn't alter the classic warm sound of a Warwick fingerboard, or its precise playability. The golden colour is eye-catching, too. The titanium is primarily intended to prevent tarnishing: Basically, the frets will look good, sound good, and feel good for longer. The ball-end frets are inserted into the tonewood via Warwick’s proprietary Invisible Fretwork Technology, with the fret slots stopping just before the edge of the fingerboard, improving resonance and comfort. Style, sound, and smooth playability: Even the smallest parts of a Warwick bass reflect their entire philosophy.
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