Warwick (company)
| Warwick GmbH & Co Music Equipment KG
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| legal form | GmbH |
| founding | 1982 in Pretzfeld |
| Seat | Markneukirchen |
| management | Hans-Peter Wilfer |
| Branch | Musical instrument manufacturer |
| Website | Warwickbass.com |
The company Warwick GmbH & Co Music Equipment KG ( pronunciation : [ˈwɒwɪk] ) is a German manufacturer of electric basses and guitars based in Markneukirchen, Saxony . The company currently has 80 employees.
history
The company was founded in 1982 in Pretzfeld, Upper Franconia, by Hans-Peter Wilfer, the son of the Framus company founder Fred Wilfer. A first internationally significant high point in the company's history was the Buzzard bass developed with and for John Entwistle of The Who in 1985. In 1995 the production facilities in Franconia were closed and the company moved to a new location in Markneukirchen in Vogtland. After the Framus company went bankrupt in the late 1970s and stopped producing electric guitars and basses in the early 1980s, the company was revitalized by Warwick in 1995. Since then, Framus electric guitars have been produced again. The company has had an office in Shanghai since 1996 .
Technology and products
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The first bass model was the Nobby Meidel bass . The instrument was designed without a headstock ("headless") and with a straight body. This made the bass less top-heavy. For the construction of the instruments, Warwick uses wenge as the new instrument wood for the body and neck. Although new technologies and computer-aided methods are used in the development and manufacture of the instruments, many manufacturing steps are still carried out by hand. Many bass models are available without frets or with frets with 4, 5 or 6 strings.
The company's product range also includes bass amps, boxes and strings. Warwick is also active as a German distributor for companies such as Digitech, Morley, Dunlop and others. Since Warwick basses tend to be in the upper price segment, two cheaper lines called "Pro Series" ("Teambuilt - Made in Germany") and "Rockbass" ("Standard - Made in China") were introduced. These instruments are identical in design, but the fulfillment of individual customer requests in terms of hardware, wood and paintwork is limited in contrast to the “Custom Shop” product line (“Masterbuilt - Handcrafted in Germany”).
In 2015, the company became a member of the “Initiative Deutsche Manufakturen”, which, according to its self-portrayal, “has made it its task” to “confidently represent the special quality standards of German manufacturers”.
Ecological awareness
One of the special features of the company is the conversion to "green" production that began in 2005 and is now climate-neutral. Electricity and heat come entirely from the company's own energy sources. This includes a photovoltaic, a wind power and a geothermal system, a wood waste and exhaust air heating system and a company-owned, natural gas-operated combined heat and power plant.
The wood for the instruments is sourced from sustainable forestry. A specially developed painting method based on water-soluble paints replaces common, environmentally and health-damaging processes such as nitrocellulose or polyurethane paintwork in instrument making . Since 2011, the company has been working in accordance with the requirements of the Eco Management and Audit Scheme , a strict and voluntary environmental management and environmental audit system of the European Union , which aims to continuously improve operational environmental protection.
In 2012 Warwick became a member of the Saxony Environmental Alliance . In 2014, it was accepted into the “Climate Protection Companies” initiative of the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry , whose member companies, according to their self-portrayal, “voluntarily commit themselves to measurable and ambitious goals for climate protection and energy efficiency” and “already outstanding achievements in operational energy efficiency for products and services and produced ”.
Training
Since 2012, the company has hosted a so-called bass camp once a year, a week of courses in which participants from all over the world have the opportunity to take instrument courses with well-known bass players such as Victor Wooten , Alphonso Johnson , Hellmut Hattler , Stuart Hamm , John Patitucci or David Ellefson to prove.
The event is complemented by spontaneous evening concerts in the company's own "Music Hall" and a final rock and jazz festival on the company's premises. In 2015, the Saxon company took this event as an opportunity to start a campaign against racism.
Endorser
Well-known Warwick players include:
Special models
Signature models
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Limited editions
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criticism
In 2009 the company was criticized for allegedly poor working conditions (accusation: restricted employee rights due to hindrance to the establishment of a works council, low wages). Employees and the IG Metall trade union expressed this after the visit by Federal President Horst Köhler . The Saxon state authorities took a look at the pay slips and found: wage level, partly above, partly typical of medium-sized companies and Vogtland, no contract workers, annual wage increases. Since the summer of 2012, Warwick founder Hans-Peter Wilfer has disclosed the company's sales, profits and losses, as well as wages paid by the company, in some music forums and asked questions in order to refute negative rumors about the company.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Warwick - 30 Years of Basses, Amps & Rock 'n' Roll. Retrieved August 8, 2020 .
- ↑ a b c d Michael Wetzel: Video: Noble electric basses from the German provinces . Deutsche Welle , “Made in Germany” magazine, September 11, 2013.
- ↑ handmade-in-germany.org Initiative Deutsche Manufakturen, directory of members
- ↑ Andreas Schulte: Act today - harvest tomorrow. In: Handelsblatt , April 14, 2015
- ↑ Jan Hauser, Thiemo Heeg: The boys prefer to spend their money on smartphones. In: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung , April 13, 2013.
- ↑ Dana Heide, Dirk Lindemann, Martin Neumeyer u. a .: How a catastrophe improves the world. In: Handelsblatt . March 11, 2014.
- ↑ Dana Heide: Green electricity reform: "You really have to be afraid of Berlin". In: Handelsblatt , June 25, 2014.
- ↑ January Hromadka: German Companies Take Back the Power. In: The Wall Street Journal , March 2, 2014.
- ↑ Martin Greive, Daniel Wetzel: In the waiting loop. In: Die Welt , March 29, 2014.
- ↑ Sarah Sommer: Prepared for the Blackout. In: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung , October 8, 2013.
- ↑ SMWA. Video: Markneukirchen music industry produces climate-neutrally. Saxon State Ministry for Economy, Labor and Transport; Retrieved April 26, 2015
- ↑ agitano.com In: Wirtschaftsforum Mittelstand , May 23, 2013.
- ↑ info.fsc.org Forest Stewardship Council , certificate database
- ↑ nachhaltige-produktion.de In: Sustainable Production , February 12, 2013.
- ↑ Susanne Ladopoulos: Video: Instrument makers looking over the shoulder . ( Memento from March 3, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) MDR television , magazine “Einfach genial”, January 28, 2014.
- ↑ ec.europa.eu European Union / Eco Management and Audit Scheme, certificate database
- ↑ Umwelt.sachsen.de ( Memento from December 3, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Umweltallianz Sachsen, list of participants
- ↑ klimaschutz-unternehmen.de ( Memento of December 9, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Klimaschutz-Firmen, member directory
- ↑ Jens Falkowski: Audio: Basscamp im Vogtland - Warwick company celebrates their instruments ( Memento from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) In: Bayern 2 , "Kulturleben" (from min. 32:36) from September 3, 2015.
- ^ Teresa Nehm: Audio: Next Generation - The Bass Camp in Markneukirchen . ( Memento from January 28, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) MDR Figaro , “The interactive magazine”, September 7, 2013.
- ↑ Olli Bär, Thoralf Lange: In the temple of the woofers . In: Frankenpost , September 8, 2014.
- ^ Jens Falkowski: Bass Camp . Deutsche Welle, September 13, 2013.
- ↑ Bernd Gürtler: Audio: Warwick BassCamp - Between Bratwurst and Bouncy Castle . Deutschlandradio Kultur , “Tonart” magazine, September 10, 2014.
- ↑ Christian Schubert: We wanted to show edge . In: Free Press , September 6, 2016.
- ↑ Martin Pirkl: The economy is polishing Saxony's image again . In: Die Welt , September 11, 2015.
- ↑ Tim Hoffmann: Bass manufacturer creates atmosphere against xenophobia with world stars In: Free Press of September 7, 2015.
- ↑ Christian Schubert: Fans come very close to the rock elite in Markneukirchen . In: Free Press , September 7, 2015.
- ^ A b John Entwistle: Bass Culture: The John Entwistle Guitar Collection . Sanctuary Publishing Ltd., 2004. ISBN 978-1-86074-593-5 .
- ↑ a b Heinz Rebellius : Masterpiece: Warwick Original Jack Bruce Rio Rosewood Thumb Bass. In: Guitar & Bass , 4/2011, pp. 160–162.
- ^ A b Norbert Zucker: Warwick Robert Trujillo Streamer Signature Bass. In: Guitar & Bass , 3/2011, pp. 148–150.
- ↑ a b Dirk Groll: Warwick Adam Clayton Reverso Signature. In: Guitar & Bass , 9/2010, pp. 146–148.
- ↑ a b Stefan Braunschmidt: The workhorse. (PDF) In: Guitar & Bass , 1/2016, pp. 124/125.
- ↑ Norbert Zucker: Warwick TM Stevens Signature Zooloo Warrior. In: Guitar & Bass , 7/2010, pp. 158–160.
- ↑ Dirk Groll: The test of courage. (PDF) In: Guitar & Bass , 6/2016, pp. 118/119.
- ↑ Norbert Zucker: Warwick Bootsy Collins Infinity Signature Bass Orange Star. In: Guitar & Bass , 2/2011, pp. 162–164.
- ↑ News In: Guitar & Bass , 6, 2011, p. 14.
- ↑ nmz.de In: Neue Musikzeitung , July 16, 2007.
- ^ Matthias Mineur: Mr. Rauschebass: Lee Sklar. In: Guitar & Bass , 8/2011, pp. 51–54.
- ↑ Michael Kneip: Masterpiece: Warwick Star Bass SC Doubleneck. In: Guitar & Bass , 9/2011, pp. 144/145.
- ↑ Horst Köhler and the exploiters on stern.de from October 8, 2009; accessed: August 12, 2013.
- ↑ And it went bang. In: Tagesspiegel. November 6, 2012, accessed October 29, 2013.