Italian leather couches. An expresso machine steaming away. And a room full of some of the most incredible basses and amplifiers. Sound like heaven? Actually, it's a slice of it, brought to you by H.P. Wilfer and Warwick. In a bold move, Warwick opened a storefront in Manhattan in September. The Warwick Showroom is a dream of HP's for many years. But his Showroom is a LOT more than meets the eye.

Think about this. If you wanted to have Warwick's Custom Shop build you a dream bass, you would have to do a lot of the decision making about styles, woods, and options, from pictures and descriptions - not necessarily the best way to spend $5K+ on an heirloom. That's because Warwick Custom Shop instruments are not stocked anywhere in the world for you to try. Even regular Warwick models are getting harder to find in US showrooms. Add to this the scarcity of finding the fabulous Hellborg amplifiers in any store, and you've got a hole waiting to be filled.

Enter the new NYC showroom. Its main reason for existence is to showcase Custom Shop models and amps that are hard to find in the flesh, like the new Stuart Zender Signature. Stop in, check out the options on real basses, and put together your dream. Don't know if you want French Flamed Ash versus standard Flamed Ash? Considering yellow, red or blue LED's? Or how about Green and White? Or an LED headstock logo? Or seagulls, spirals, or dolphins? They are all there, waiting to be seen and played. Hmmm, how about finishes. I'd like to see Airbrushed, chromed, high-polished, Burgundy Red, Nirvana Black, Honey Violin, Amber Oil, and the natural colored finishes, please. Just step right up! An 8-string 'octave' bass? We got it. A 7-string Steamer LX? Over there to the left. The showroom has nearly 100 instruments, the vast majority being basses (there are Framus guitars too). From a $1,499 Corvette Standard to a fully loaded Stage 1 6-string in Buckeye Burl, for $11,500.

All Warwick amps are there too - the Hellborg's, Pro-fets, Tube Path and Extreme. From a Blue Cab 15 at $199 to a monster Hellborg stack at $14,000. Every single one.

The big question we had was, can you try AND buy? YES! Although this is mostly a playground for seeing and testing, you can BUY anything. All items are on the floor, with some back stock of amps. And all is for sale. You will pay full retail price, which is about 20% above what a typical store will sell for. But you can be assured that anything that's here is setup RIGHT. There's a full tech shop in the basement for setups and repairs. Tyler Krupsky and Freddie Villano, a pair of Warwick's best staffers, run the showroom. Tyler was the Service Manager at Warwick's importer for years, then went to Germany to build basses in the factory. It's safe to say that no one knows Warwick basses better than Tyler. Wouldn't you want him to do your setup? Freddie has been with Warwick for about 2 years in Artist Support. If you want an instrument in your hands as if it just left the factory in Germany, you might want to consider buying it at the Showroom.

OK - we got a great selection, and killer setups on instruments you buy in the shop. That's not all. The Warwick Showroom serves as a Warwick artist retreat - so you might just see a famous player or two hanging out. And, it also serves as a repair and setup center for all Warwick products. Warwick has a network of service shops, but if you want THE factory service and setup shop, this is the place. They can do just about anything that can be done in Germany, without shipping overseas. If it is under warranty, the work is free. Out-of warranty work is very competitively priced. Call ahead for wait times. Soon, the Showroom will feature clinics, and a weekly open jam for all players, from beginners to pros. Gifts and accessories, from wax to strings, t-shirts to key fobs, will be in stock by the end of the month. Hours are 10-7 Mon-Fri and 10-3 Saturday. Warwick Custom Shop, 76 East 7th Street, New York, NY 10003. (212) 777-6990.