Warwick (company)
The company Warwick GmbH & Co Music Equipment KG is a German manufacturer of electric bass with headquarters in Mark Neukirchen, was established in 1982 in Pretzfeld. The company currently has 80 employees.
History
The company was founded in 1982 in the Upper Franconian Pretzfeld by Hans -Peter Wilfer, the son of the Framus company founder Fred Wilfer. With and for John Entwistle of The Who developed Warwick 1985 Buzzard bass. In 1995, the old production facilities were closed in Franconia and the company Warwick founded a new location in Mark Neukirchen in Saxony. In the same year, the Framus brand of Hans -Peter Wilfer was revived. Since 1996, Warwick has an office in Shanghai.
Technology and Products
The first bass model was the Nobby Meidel bass. The instrument was designed without top plate and with a very straight-line corpus. This bass was a little top heavy. Warwick used for the construction of the instruments as a new tool Wenge wood for neck and body. Although in the development and manufacture of instruments new technologies and computer-aided methods are used, many manufacturing steps are still handmade. Many bass models are available fretless or fretted with 4, 5 or 6 strings.
The company's product range also includes bass amps, boxes and strings. In addition, Warwick operated as a German distributor for companies like Digitech, Morley, Dunlop and more. As Warwick basses are located rather in the upper price segment, two favorable lines called Pro Series and rock bass have been introduced. These instruments are identical in design, but are manufactured in Asia.
The specifics of the company include the reconstruction started in 2005 to a " green" production. The company operates a climate-neutral. Electricity and heat derived entirely from the company's own energy sources. These include photovoltaic, wind power and geothermal energy a plant, a wood waste and exhaust air heating and also a proprietary, natural gas cogeneration plant. The wood for the instruments is sourced from sustainable forests. A specially developed, based on waterborne paint paint method replaces the usual instrument, the environment and harmful processes such as nitrocellulose or polyurethane finishes. Since 2011, the company is working according to the specifications of the Eco Management and Audit Scheme, a rigorous and voluntary environmental management and audit system of the European Union, which aims at the continuous improvement of environmental performance. Since 2012, Warwick is a member of the Environmental Alliance of Saxony.
Training
Since 2012 the company has annually hosted a so-called Bass Camp, a course week, given the opportunity for participants from around the world, instrument courses to be completed for known bassists Alphonso Johnson, Hellmut Hattler, Stuart Hamm, John Patitucci and Victor Wooten.
Endorser
Known Warwick players include Jack Bruce, Steve Bailey, Adam Clayton (U2 ), Robert Trujillo ( Metallica ), Larry Graham, Leland Sklar, Jonas Hellborg, Marco Hietala ( Nightwish ), Francis Buchholz ( Scorpions ), Tom Angel Ripper ( Sodom ), TM Stevens, Bootsy Collins, Rajko Gohlke ( friends of Italian Opera, Knorkator ) and Jacki Reznicek ( Silly ).
Criticism
In 2009 the company was due to alleged poor working conditions in the criticism ( criticism: restricted workers' rights for obstructing the establishment of a works council, poor wages ). Workers and trade union IG Metall brought these after the visit of German President Horst Köhler expressed. The Saxon state authorities took insight into the payroll records and found: tariff level, partly above, partly for Mittelstand firms and vogt lands - typical, no temporary employees, annual wage increases. Since the summer of 2012 Warwick founder Hans -Peter Wilfer put the sales, profits and losses and wages paid to the company in some musicians forums open and stood questions to rebut negative rumors about the company.