Warwick (company)

Warwick GmbH & Co Music Equipment KG
Private
Industry Musical instruments
Founded Erlangen, Bavaria, Germany (1982 (1982))
Founder Hans-Peter Wilfer
Headquarters Markneukirchen, Germany
Area served
 Global
Products Acoustic & electric basses
Electric upright bass
Amplifiers
Owner Hans-Peter Wilfer
Divisions Framus
Subsidiaries Rockbass
Website warwick.de

Warwick is a Germany-based bass guitar manufacturer company. Warwick basses were originally a premium brand offering a small range of models built from high quality and exotic tonewoods. The company also produces Valve and FET amplifiers, speaker cabinets, bass guitar strings, and is the division of the Framus trademark. Their headquarters and custom shops are located in Markneukirchen, Shanghai, and Nashville.

History

Warwick was founded in 1982 in Erlangen, in the German state of Bavaria, by Hans-Peter Wilfer. In 1995 the company moved to Markneukirchen in the Saxon Vogtland to capitalize on the centuries-old tradition of instrument building in the region and to reopen the Framus trademark. In addition, the company has developed an extensive distribution network throughout Germany and Austria to represent and distribute products from musical instruments and equipment companies from Europe and the United States.

Company specifics

Environmental protection

Warwick produces its instruments and amplifiers using carbon-neutral principles, any other manufacturing process is carbon-neutral as well.[1][2][3] The company is purchasing its wood from sustainable sources (certified by the Forest Stewardship Council)[4] and produces all the electricity it needs through its own natural-gas-powered plant, solar roof-mounted facilities, a boiler fueled by wood waste from its guitars and wind power.[2][5]

Warwick is operating according to the guidelines of European Unions Eco-Management and Audit Scheme, which is a voluntary environmental management instrument designed to continuously improve companies’ environmental performance.[6]

Training courses

Once a year the company hosts a "Warwick Bass Camp", where participants from all over the world are given the opportunity to join training courses and learn from notable bass players such as Victor Wooten, John Patitucci, Lee Sklar, Stuart Hamm, Alphonso Johnson, Dave Ellefson, Hellmut Hattler or Gary Willis.[3][7][8][9]

Basses

Custom Shop/Masterbuilt – Handcrafted In Germany

Warwick produces a variety of different models with different woods and electronics. The original series, which are manufactured in Germany, include the models (listed below) as their most popular lines. The only model in the original catalog that is being made outside of Germany is the Alien acoustic bass, which is being made in Korea.

  • Warwick Star Bass II
  • Warwick Star Bass II SC
  • Warwick Katana
  • Warwick Vampyre
  • Warwick Triumph

Limited Editions

Warwick Infinity model

Beneath of that there are Warwick Limited Edition instruments that Warwick began making in 2001, and it is characterized by the fact that every year distinctive features are added to a production model and therefore built only in limited quantities, starting with the Thumb BO Bass.[10] They are built using 'exotic' woods, different pickups and electronic configurations and custom finishes. There are around forty Special Edition basses currently in production, while the company offer a special-run Limited Edition bass annually. These basses are usually upgraded versions of existing models that have features otherwise unavailable.

  • Warwick Thumb BO Ovangkol Limited Edition 2001
  • Warwick FNA Jazzman Walnut/Swirly Bubinga Limited Edition 2002 (200 built)
  • Warwick Thumb Bolt-On Bleached Blond Limited Edition 2003 (350 built)
  • Warwick FNA Jazzman Limited Edition 2004 (250 built)
  • Warwick Corvette "Hot Rod" LTD 2005 (250 built)
  • Warwick Thumb BO Dirty Blonde LTD 2006 (320 built)
  • Warwick Thumb BO Flamin' Blonde LTD 2007 (80 4-strings built and 70 5-strings built)
  • Warwick Streamer LX LTD 2008 (220 built)
  • Warwick Corvette $$2009 LTD Edition (300 4-strings and 300 5 strings built)
  • Warwick Corvette NT LTD 2010
  • Warwick Streamer LX LTD 2011
  • Warwick Streamer LTD 2012 30th Anniversary
  • Warwick Thumb BO LTD 2013
  • Warwick Fortress LTD 2014
  • Warwick Streamer LX LTD 2015

Signature Series

Jack Bruce playing a Warwick Thumb bass model, Frankfurt, Germany, October 2006

Warwick produces near twenty signature basses. Some of the artists that have their signature Warwick basses are Stuart Zender (Jamiroquai), Jack Bruce (Cream),[11][12][13] Bootsy Collins, T.M. Stevens, Robert Trujillo (Metallica), P-Nut (311), Jonas Hellborg,[14] Adam Clayton (U2), John Entwistle (The Who)[7][15] and Jäcki Reznicek (Silly). P-Nut of 311 has three signature basses, all Streamer models. The Stuart Zender signature bass is designed by Zender, and features a body shape new to Warwick basses. Warwick also built custom fretless 7-string Thumb basses for Jeroen Paul Thesseling.

Pro Series/Teambuilt – Made in Germany

Warwick Star Bass model
  • Warwick Corvette
  • Warwick Streamer
  • Warwick Thumb
  • Warwick Star Bass

Rockbass/Standard – Made in China

Warwick Basses has a budget branch of the company, which produce the original models with less exotic woods and different finishes, which makes them less expensive. The Rockbass branch of the company is located in China and produces

  • Streamer
  • Corvette
  • Fortress
  • Vampyre
  • Star Bass
  • Triumph
  • Alien Acoustic (The Rockbass Alien is the only Rockbass model that looks different from the original).

Rockbass Artist Line

Furthermore, they have a Rockbass Artist Line, which produces budget signature models made in China.

Strings

Warwick produces strings for electric, Acoustic and their own Triumph model.
Electric Bass

Acoustic Bass
For Acoustic basses they only produce 2 kind of strings.

Triumph Bass

For their own Reissue of the Triumph bass they have their own strings to match it.

Amps & cabinets

Warwick produces a variety of bass-combos, ampheads and cabinets, including a signature Jonas Hellborg ampsystem.

In 2014, the Amps and Cabinets where this:[16]

Combos:

  • BC 10 Combo 8
  • BC 20 Combo 8
  • BC 40 Combo 10
  • BC 80 Combo 12
  • BC 150 Combo 15
  • BC 300 Combo 15

Ampheads:

  • WA 300 (with and without sleeve)
  • WA 600 (with and without sleeve)
  • LWA 1000 (with silver and black surface)
  • Hellborg Mono Power 500W
  • Hellborg Stereo Power 2x250W
  • Hellborg Preamp

Cabinets:

  • 2x10" Cabinet
  • 8x10" Cabinet
  • WCA 115 (with wheels or without/in 4Ω or 8Ω)
  • WCA 410 (with wheels or without/in 4Ω or 8Ω)
  • WCA 610 (with wheels in 4Ω or 6Ω)
  • JH Club Cab 1×15"
  • JH Lo Cab 1×15"
  • JH HC 2×12"
  • JH BC 2×15"

Discontinued amps:

  • Warwick ProFet 3.x
  • Warwick ProFet 5.x
  • Warwick Tupepath 5.x
  • Warwick Tupepath 10.x
  • Warwick X-Treme 5.x
  • Warwick X-Treme 10.x
  • Warwick Blue Cab series
  • Warwick Sweet series
  • Warwick CCL series

Warwick players

Signature Artists:[17]

Adam Clayton with Warwick Star Bass, 2010

Artists:[18]

References

  1. ↑ "Climate Partner Database". ClimatePartner GmbH. Retrieved November 2013. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  2. 1 2 Wacker, Dirk (January 16, 2014). "Musicon Valley: The Home of German Lutherie". Premier Guitar. Retrieved February 2015. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  3. 1 2 Herrera, Jonathan (September 30, 2013). "Warwick Bass Camp 2013: The Best of the Bass". Premier Guitar. Retrieved November 2013. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  4. ↑ "FSC Certificate Database". Forest Stewardship Council. Retrieved November 2013. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  5. ↑ Hromadko, Jan (March 2, 2014). "German Companies Take Back the Power". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 31, 2014.
  6. ↑ "EMAS Registration Database". European Union/Eco-Management and Audit Scheme. Retrieved November 2013. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Wetzel, Michael (September 11, 2013). "Video: German Warwick Bass Guitars". Deutsche Welle TV. Retrieved November 2013. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  8. ↑ Falkowski, Jens (September 20, 2013). "Bass Camp". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved November 2013. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  9. ↑ Linn, Robin (September 22, 2014). "Desert Rock Chronicles: Bassist/Producer Scott Reeder Helps Spread Desert Rock Around the World". Coachella Valley Independent. Retrieved January 2015. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  10. ↑ http://warwick.de/en/Warwick---Company--Model-History-Warwick.html#D0471648001365002475A123 – The beginning of Warwick Limited Edition – Retrieved August 2014
  11. ↑ Abdo, David (April 6, 2012). "Warwick Jack Bruce Survivor Bass Review". Premier Guitar. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  12. ↑ D'Auria, Jon (May 5, 2014). "Jack Bruce: The Silver Lining". Premier Guitar. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  13. ↑ Osweiler, Rich/Rotondi, James (June 8, 2012). "Spectrum Road – Fusing Muses". Premier Guitar. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  14. ↑ Friedland, Ed (June 2008). "Jonas Hellborg: Take the Reins". JazzTimes. Retrieved August 2, 2014.
  15. ↑ Entwistle, John. Bass Culture: The John Entwistle Guitar Collection. Sanctuary Publishing, London 2004, ISBN 978-1-86074-593-5.
  16. ↑ http://shop.warwick.de/?&c=35352310012&lang=en&smk=1&modul=shop&site=shop_overview_2&filter=new&nm=D0180252001321517448A52803 – retrieved August 5, 2014
  17. ↑ http://www.warwick.de/en/Warwick---Artists--Warwick-Artists--Warwick-Signature-Artists.html - Retrieved August 2014
  18. ↑ http://www.warwick.de/en/Warwick---Artists--Warwick-Artists--Warwick-Artists.html - Retrieved August 2014
  19. ↑ "Lee Sklar is the Latest Member of the Warwick Family". Bass Musician Magazine. October 5, 2013. Retrieved November 27, 2013.
  20. ↑ Jisi, Chris (May 7, 2015). "Tony Garnier: The Song Whisperer". Bass Player. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
  21. ↑ Villano, Freddy (January 22, 2015). "Troy Sanders Keeps it Low & Rocking with Mastodon". Bass Player. Retrieved May 25, 2015.

External links

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