audiobriefs
8:27in productionCh. 1 · 1982: A launch, not a leap/ 8:27 · ceiling 15 min
Instruments

Streamer bass

Warwick

A bass built to copy — then legally outrun — the Spector NS-Bass. It wins on ergonomics, loses on originality.

The Streamer bass is a functional, ergonomic, and legally contested instrument. It does one thing well: deliver focused low-end articulation in a comfortable, German-built package. It does nothing else — no tonal flexibility, no innovation, no independent identity in its first years. Its history is defined by imitation, negotiation, and eventual divergence — not invention.

InstrumentsThe music businessForgeryThe eightiesThe music business across the network →
Chapters & takeaways4
  1. 0:56
    1982: A launch, not a leap

    Launched in 1982, the Streamer was Warwick’s first serious entry into the professional bass market.

  2. 2:14
    Copy by design

    The first Streamers were near-exact copies of the Spector NS-Bass — down to the body shape and layout.

  3. 3:26
    The 1985 reckoning

    Warwick paid licensing fees to Spector and Steinberger after being confronted at Musikmesse 1985.

  4. 4:50
    The redesign that ended the lawsuit

    Litigation was dropped only after Warwick changed the Streamer’s design to break visual and structural parity with the NS-Bass.

Worth your time?

Yes. Use the whole thing.

3.5/ 5
What works
  • delivers tight low-mid punch
  • balances well on strap
  • offers full 24-fret access thanks to deep cutaway
What does not
  • offer tonal versatility
  • redefine bass design
  • stand apart from its origins without legal pressure
Use it if
  • players prioritising upper-fret access
  • collectors interested in post-litigation design shifts
  • historians of instrument IP disputes
Skip it if
  • players seeking tonal variety
  • those avoiding instruments with contested provenance
  • beginners needing forgiving ergonomics or intuitive controls
The written brief1 min read

What it is and what it was built for

A bass guitar launched by Warwick in 1982. Built to compete directly with the Spector NS-Bass. Designed for professional players needing stage-ready reliability and extended range.

How it works, in terms a player would use

It is a solid-body bass guitar with a bolt-on neck and passive electronics. The design follows the Spector NS-Bass layout: asymmetrical body, deep cutaway, and a long scale length. Players access all frets easily. Controls are simple — volume and tone knobs, no pickup selector.

What it does better than anything else

It delivers tight, articulate low-mid punch in a physically balanced package. The body shape improves upper-fret reach over many contemporaries. Its build quality — German workshop standards of the early 1980s — exceeds mass-market alternatives of the same era.

What it does badly

It offers little tonal variation. Passive electronics limit dynamic shaping. The early versions lack originality — they copy without reinterpretation. Later revisions avoid litigation but do not redefine the instrument’s voice.

What people made with it

No verified recordings, players, genres, or releases are stated in the sources. Nothing can be claimed about usage.

Who should use it, and who should not

Players who value physical comfort and focused low-end articulation. Not for those seeking innovation, tonal breadth, or instruments free from contested design origins.

Is it worth your time

Yes, if you need a mid-1980s German-built bass with clear low-end focus and ergonomic access. No, if you require tonal versatility, modern ergonomics, or legal clarity around its lineage.

Same bench · Instruments4 of 68
8:47
Warwick Thumb SCWarwickThe Warwick Thumb SC is a 2010 single-cut bass born from a fan forum contest. It adapts the Thumb NT shape with new tonewoods and adds coil-splitting via two mini toggles—its sole functional departure from the NT. It has no passive mode, no 6-string option, and no historical lineage beyond its 2009–2010 development cycle.
10:15
Doepfer Dark EnergyDoepferA compact, monophonic, fully analog synthesizer released in 2010 as a stand-alone version of the Doepfer A-111-5 Eurorack module. It features dual LFOs capable of audio-rate FM (~5 kHz), a 24 dB/octave low-pass VCF, and a triangle-based VCO. The VCF can function as a sine oscillator when the VCO is disengaged and resonance is maxed. All sound generation and modulation are analog; only USB/MIDI contain digital components. It has no polyphony, no patch memory, no velocity or aftertouch, and no audio input. Superseded by the Dark Energy II in 2012.
9:20
Korg PS-3300KorgThe Korg PS-3300 is a 1977 polyphonic analog synthesizer built from three PS-3100-derived units (PSU-3301), delivering 144 voices with independent oscillators, filters, envelopes, and amplifiers per note. It enables multitimbral sound creation through individual module adjustment and mixing. It omits the PS-3100's ensemble effect. It supports extensive voltage control and patching — including pitch modulation from envelopes or external sources — and uses a detachable keyboard format. It belongs to Korg’s 1970s line of large, expensive, patchable instruments, positioned as a high-end professional device.
9:57
Korg 01/WKorgThe Korg 01/W is a 1991 workstation that expands on the M1 with more polyphony, more memory, and Waveshaping—but does not deepen synthesis control. It delivers reliability and scale, not flexibility.
Up next in Audio

Warwick Thumb SC

Warwick · 8:47

Warwick’s first single-cut bass isn’t a compromise—it’s a fan-built response to market pressure, with coil-splitting as its only real innovation.

Play nextBack to Instruments
8:47