Warwick Fortress Flashback

Warwick made in Germany, as usual.
Fortress Flashback One Limited Edition
(Produced very few copies for the 10 anniversary of the brand. Most of these were sold in the U.S.)

Channel 24 frets, medium frets.
Pickups Special Edition Anniversary Flashback signed MEC.
It is a combination of a simple JB to handle and a Double JB at the bridge.
The bridge is signed Tu-Tek, a Transblock4.
Passive electronics with master volume, blend, and boost the midrange combined with a bass eq / high push-pull.
Bolt in bubinga and wenge wood touches.
The body is flamed maple whose veins are enhanced, it feels to the touch.

UTILIZATION

A handle highway ...

Particularly comfortable, the handle is covered with a bubinga wenge button.
Well designed, it is nice, fast and very comfortable.
Access to treble is good, but it is not the highlight of the Flashback.

Ergonomics Warwick

We have the right not to like the design of Warwick. That was my case before you try and buy it. Finally this picture a little soft branque is justified by an impressive playing comfort. The large upper horn is absolutely not a source of embarrassment.
Very very comfortable, not overly heavy, well balanced for the game up and also agreeing to the sitting position.

A real personality

Far from the usual criteria, Warwick was able to impose its own vision of the bass sound.
If we find the very substance in the flashback, we must admit that it does not sound like the others!
This is by no means a defect in fact. This model gives a unique sound that has been little opportunity to hear. There is Jazzbass, the Plow, the Ricken ... A hybrid bass, which gives an authentic sound and without artifice by its simple pickups (bridge pickup with two copies together forming a double) and passive electronics.

Everything is live, we must look a little sound as the register of the bass is extended.
Once the correct position on the knobs, the sound is there, powerful and very well defined.
We find that the glory of the brand and sucite the strongest criticism: it is highly accurate.

SOUNDS

This bass suits what I play. And that's because it inspires me and opens new perspectives.

I use it on a small Ibanez amp training (SW20) with low are not very present in the absence of an HP small. But once the equalizer made, the sound is insane. Similarly, the test on a Trace-Elliott Commando is very satisfactory.

I am the branch most often in a preamp / DI GasCooker (tube). The resort in the warmer and full of harmonics, even if he loses a little definition and undergoes the natural compression of the lamps. We can afford on a low as "surgical".

It sounds very accurate anyway. Even with bass and treble to max down like mediums, one feels the impact of the bridge TuTek.

OVERALL OPINION

In recent weeks, I am pleased with this little monster.

As everything is on this particular copy to the limit of the custom shop, I will metionner what I seem to have an impact on the sound.

First of all the microphones. MEC has produced for this model pickups fantastic birthday.
It has the precision of single coils with the gain of a double at the bridge. No hum or parasite. The sound is consistent and clear. A slight crunch is possible by playing with the knobs.

Then the bridge is a monument TuTek alone. A rare, massive and yet very discreet face (autrechose is back!). Very famous for its mechanical TuTek delivered an example of sustain and precision. The cavity formed in the body of the instrument where the bridge provides an embedded additional resonance and gives a more natural, more wood.

The violin is also very high fly. There is no downside other than aesthetics. We like it or not. And since I play every day, I love it!

I had low amounts (Ibanez, Aria, Tobias, Sandberg, Fender, MusicMan ...).
All had their pros and cons, each personality. This sounds great, fits me perfectly and is as inimitable presence and precision are evident. The others are also very good instruments, each in their field. This is particularly Flashback me and that's why I chose it.

If I find another, I throw myself on it. It is unfortunately too rare.