I love Thumb basses. I have now owned two, with this being the second one. There are a few differences between the 1990 version and the newer versions - this one was handmade, it has 2-band as opposed to three-band electronics, and it has strap buttons instead of straploks.

Minor differences aside, this bass has been well-constructed and has lasted well - no significant problems with the finish - you gotta love that tasty natural oil look! My keyboard player loves seeing me play this thing, just because of how great it looks. Also, the feel of the bass is very pleasant - it fits into your body nicely with the shape, the strings have a nice 'soft but springy' feel to them, and the action can be set up nice and low. There's some fret wear on this bass but no problems with buzzes.

As to the sound, it is fantastic. It is very easy to dial in tasty funk sounds, woody jazz-type sounds, and upfront zingy rock sounds on this bass - very flexible and easy to use. Slapping is easy too. I have plugged in to many rehearsal amps and been consistently able to achieve 'my' sound. The overall flavour to it is kind of woody, dark, and warm, with lots of natural attack (can be a bit trebly but easy to cut back) and a pronounced peak in the low mids (which is kind of a Warwick attribute - maybe it's how they voice the EQ or something, I don't know.) You can't quite get that P-bass low end oomph out of it, but it's close. This is definitely a high-end Jazz bass (but with a very different take).

However, as with any bass, there are a few problems. First: this bass is heavy (9 lbs, I reckon). Not a problem with a very good strap, but padding in the strap is vital! Second: This bass has a long neck - 26 frets. This in and of itself is not a problem, but I am only 5 ft 10, and my arms aren't that long. Consequently, (as the bass is a tad neck heavy), I have to wear the bass just over my stomach - and this means the lowest three frets (on all 4 strings) are a bit uncomfortable to play at. In songs where I have to play down there a lot, I do get some pain and occasionally a tad numb. These symptoms mean I will probably have to sell this tasty bass, as I do not desire to get carpal tunnel syndrome. However, on somebody a bit taller and/or with slightly longer arms, this bass wouldn't cause any problems I don't think.

I love this bass. It sounds great, it looks great, it plays great. Sadly, due to the ergonomics problems, though, I'll have to move onto a Streamer-type shape. No neck dive/length problems there.

Construction	100%
Playability	95%
Appearance	100%
Sound	100%
Value	100%
Overall	100%