Warwick (company)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Warwick GmbH & Co Music Equipment KG
Type Private
Industry Musical instruments
Founded 1982
Founder(s) Hans-Peter Wilfer
Headquarters Markneukirchen, Germany
Area served Global
Products Bass guitars
Bass Amps & Cabinets
Bass strings
Owner(s) Hans-Peter Wilfer
Subsidiaries Framus
RockBass
Website warwick.de

Warwick is a Germany-based bass guitar manufacturer company. The company was founded in 1982 by Hans-Peter Wilfer. Warwick basses were originally a premium brand offering a small range of models built from high quality and exotic tonewoods with 'Neck-through' design. The company also produces Valve and FET amplifiers, speaker cabinets, bass guitar strings, and owns the Framus trademark.

Company specifics

Warwick - as the first company in the musical instruments industry - produces its instruments and amplifiers carbon-neutral.[1][2] It is purchasing its wood from sustainable sources (certified by the Forest Stewardship Council).[3] The company is operating according to the guidelines of European Unions Eco-Management and Audit Scheme, which is a demanding and voluntary environmental management instrument designed to continuously improve companies’ environmental performance.[4]

Once a year the company is hosting a so-called Bass Camp, where participants from all over the world are being given the opportunity to join training courses and learn from notable bass players like Victor Wooten, John Patitucci, Stuart Hamm or Alphonso Johnson.[5][6]

The Original Series (Germany)

Warwick produces a wide variety of different models with different woods and electronics, although MEC is standard for most Warwick basses. The original series, that are manufactured in Germany, include numerous models, Corvette, Streamer, Thumb, and Dolphin Pro I being their most popular lines. The only model in the original catalog that's being made outside of Germany is the Alien acoustic bass, which is being made in Korea with high standards. Most of Warwick's Special and Limited Edition are built using 'exotic' woods, different pickups, 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. The company produces near twenty signature basses. Some of the artists that have their signature Warwick basses are Stuart Zender, Jack Bruce, Bootsy Collins, T.M. Stevens, Robert Trujillo, P-Nut, Jonas Hellborg, Adam Clayton, John Entwistle, Steve Bailey and Jäcki Reznicek. It is also interesting to note that P-Nut of 311 has three signature basses, all Streamer models. Stuart Zender signature bass is designed by the likes of Stuart Zender, and features a body shape new to Warwick basses. In 2010, Robert Trujillo's two signature 5-string Streamer basses were first introduced. Warwick also built custom fretless 7-string Thumb NT basses for Jeroen Paul Thesseling.

Rockbass, Pro & Artist Series (China, South Korea)

Warwick Basses have two budget branches of the company, that produce the original models with less exotic woods and different finishes, which makes them more budget-friendly. The Rockbass branch of the company is located in China and it produces Streamer, Corvette, Fortress, and Vampyre models, along with Alien acoustic Rockbass models. (The Rockbass Alien is the only Rockbass model that looks notably different from the original). Pro & Artist Series are located in South Korea. Pro Series produce cheaper Thumb BO, Streamer LX, and Star Bass models, while also producing Corvette Standard models (from the original catalog), that were discontinued and replaced by Corvette $$'s in Germany. The reason for this was a high manufacturing price of the specific model in Germany. The Artist Series produced budget signature models of some Warwick endeavors.

Notable players

References

  1. ↑ "Climate Partner Database". ClimatePartner GmbH. Retrieved November 2013. 
  2. ↑ "Review: The Best of the Bass". Premier Guitar. September 2013. Retrieved November 2013. 
  3. ↑ "FSC Certificate Database". Forest Stewardship Council. Retrieved November 2013. 
  4. ↑ "EMAS Registration Database". European Union/Eco-Management and Audit Scheme. Retrieved November 2013. 
  5. ↑ "Video: German Warwick Bass Guitars". Deutsche Welle TV. September 2013. Retrieved November 2013. 
  6. ↑ "Bass Camp". Deutsche Welle. September 2013. Retrieved November 2013. 
  7. ↑ "Lee Sklar is the Latest Member of the Warwick Family". Bass Musician Magazine. October 5, 2013. Retrieved November 27, 2013. 

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike; additional terms may apply for the media files.