Text: Martín Sequeros

The company's first step was taken by Fred Wilfer, a native of Walthersgrün (in Germany) who, after the end of World War II and with the help of the Americans, improved the manufacture of the violins being made in Schönbach. In those postwar times it was not easy to find the right materials to do so, but from Munich he fought not only to achieve that goal, but even had the guts to found the FRAMUS guitar factory in 1946 (an acronym combining FRANCONIA, the region where he made them, and MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, which is what he produced).

Its growth was spectacular in those years and demand rose steadily, even for its exports to the U.S., so in 1955 Fred Wilfer opened a huge factory in Bubenreuth, where more than 300 employees were already working, also creating, among other things, new models of zithers, banjos and double basses.

In 1966 he expanded the business by building a new factory in Pretzfeld (in addition to the previous one), and by 1971 FRAMUS celebrated its 25th anniversary with great success, although at that time other competing factories appeared that nearly drove FRAMUS into bankruptcy in 1975.

WARWICK gets started
His son Hans Peter joined the business at that point to lift his father's spirits, rising like a phoenix, and so, in 1982, Hans established the WARWICK company, though with its own identity. From then on, the success of this new company eased the "moral slump" his father, Alfred Andreas Wilfer, had suffered at FRAMUS; he finally passed away in December 1996 at the age of 79.

From Bavaria, WARWICK achieved unprecedented success in Germany with its musical instruments, which were soon exported all over the world to great demand. It made not only extraordinary electric basses, but also the amplifiers needed to project their sound most effectively. We should not forget its production of magnificent strings for those basses, as well as those WARWICK itself distributed, such as the ROTOSOUND, RICKENBACKER, SEYMOUR DUNCAN and HERITAGE brands. I often use them on my bass guitars and I'm delighted with them.

In 1995 WARWICK gained new momentum by opening a new factory in Markneukirchen (Saxony) with the latest technological advances, which greatly helped achieve a better, more refined selection of the work, which was truly very laborious and handcrafted (selecting and drying woods for five years, carefully cutting them from the corresponding tree trunks, electronic processes, etc.). Today its products are sold in more than 50 countries, and it has even opened offices for the Chinese market in Shanghai.

Its bass guitars enjoy impressive worldwide prestige and absolute respect in the U.S., where they are also in demand.

WARWICK's current amplifier lineup
I would love to say more about some of its other products, for example its excellent bass guitars, but for reasons of space, in this article I will stick to its current amplifiers.

· PRO FET SERIES.- These are semi-professional "heads" (without the speaker cabinets they are later connected to) that feature four tone controls acting as an equalizer, plus a DEEP switch and a BRIGHT switch to adjust their strength to the desired sound, from our musical instrument to the end of the chain (almost always the speakers). They also have a built-in compressor for a better "compact" sound. They come in two models: the ProFet 3.2 and a larger one called the ProFet 5.1.

· TubePath SERIES.- WARWICK is very proud of this product, which it considers professional heads, whose main feature is a tube-built preamp that gives them a very special, mature warmth and depth of sound. This tube preamp is paired with an efficient MOSFET section that amplifies the signal with authority. This series also comes in two models: the TubePath 5.1, designed for large stages, and the TubePath 10.1, with even more power available. They are two genuine powerhouses of amplification.


· X-TREME SERIES.- These are also professional solid-state heads with a three-band EQ, a built-in compressor, a boost function and the ability to set up specific, varied sounds that the musician can trigger with a footswitch. It comes in two versions: the X-TREME 5.1 and the X-TREME 10.1, each with a different amount of power.

· There are also different types of SPEAKER CABINETS to connect the amplifiers described so far to, of course with different capacities and types of speakers in each.


· THE COMBOS.- These are cabinets of different sizes that combine the speakers and the amplifier head, with its corresponding preamp, at the top of the cabinet. Depending on the components built into each of these combinations and the purpose they are intended for (rehearsals, stage monitoring, recording studio, etc.), they are offered in different models under the BLUE CAB series (models 15, 30 and 60), TAKE 12, the SWEET series (models 15.2 and 25.1) and the more professional series corresponding to the CL DL 4, CCL ND 4, CCL ND 8 and CCL 210 ND 8 models. Each option or model is equipped with different types and numbers of speakers, in enclosures of larger or smaller dimensions, according to their possible configurations in terms of equipment, wattage and various controls.

We could analyze every one of these models, which no doubt have their own personality and possible uses (if they didn't, they wouldn't make them...), but so as not to be boring, and because only two very specific COMBO models have reached my hands at the moment, I will focus on them. Both are very reliable products, with excellent features and ease of use, although one, the BLUE CAB 15, is much smaller than the other, called the SWEET 25.1. Both arrive in sealed boxes, each with an attached sheet that, like a "birth certificate," lists several lines corresponding to the specific checks performed on each product, with the date and SIGNATURE of each technician, noting every quality control each unit leaving the factory has individually undergone. I count up to FOURTEEN different quality controls, for example for possible "background noise when amplifying sound," possible faults in the functions of the circuit controls or the built-in pots and switches, etc. That's how the Germans are... and that way they have no doubt they can offer you a good guarantee on their product.

BLUE CAB 15 COMBO
This is a useful, easy-to-carry, "almost pocket-sized" amp, and we are sure to be able to use it on countless occasions with our bass guitar.

It delivers just 15 watts of power and is equipped, among other things, with an 8-inch speaker, but it also has a 3-band EQ, effects send and return connections, two rear "reflex" ports to improve low-frequency sound and an effective retractable rear stand that lets you tilt the whole cabinet up to 45 degrees from its normal position, which will help us hear its sound when it is sitting on the floor at our feet.

It has a headphone output (which mutes the speaker when we use them) and a handle on the top panel that makes it easy to carry. It weighs only 10 kg (22 lb) and its dimensions are 300 x 250 x 405 mm.
There are other similar models, but somewhat larger: the BLUE CAB 30 (30 watts and a 10-inch speaker) and the BLUE CAB 60 (60 watts, a 12-inch speaker and an added auxiliary signal input, in case, in addition to the bass guitar, we also want to amplify another signal through the same COMBO at the same time).

The BLUE CAB 15 is the smallest in its series, but also the most portable and the least loud, with enough power to amplify our bass guitar's signal in small venues, for our own practice as players, for recording in a sound studio, even a professional one, or as a stage monitor so we can hear ourselves under reasonable conditions. From this same COMBO, the house engineer will pick up our signal and send it to the main desk and from there to the venue's main speakers; that way we won't have to "beg" the technicians at "the event" to turn up our bass in the rest of the monitors they have placed on stage, and even if they did, this COMBO would complement the sound of our instrument around us, just the way we like it. Those of us who often get up on stage know very well that it is extremely important to hear yourself well when you are playing, especially if you are surrounded by other musicians trying to do the same thing in the same place with their own instruments. In that situation, the difference between hearing yourself well or badly is the difference between enjoying yourself and making a fool of yourself and ending up too nervous ("putting your foot in it even more...").

With just these 15 watts you can get a good sound, enough even for the neighbors to complain "before that sound distorts..." Of course, if that unpleasant moment comes, you plug your headphones into this amp and carry on calmly with your practice or recording, while those neighbors think you've switched it off.

It has a compensated electronic compressor, so it will keep the sound from distorting even if you try to turn the volume control "all the way up." With my bass I get an excellent result with the volume at about "halfway," the bass "all the way up," and the mids and treble at about halfway.

All in all, for the price of this model, it can be, in countless cases, one of the most useful tools for musicians who need to amplify the signal of their electric instrument, which besides the bass could be a regular 6-string electric guitar, an electronic keyboard, etc.

SWEET 25.1 COMBO
At first glance it looks like a "big brother" to the WARWICK model I have just described. Both are covered in a pleasant, fairly sturdy black cloth with an attractive appearance, although for my taste they lack corner protectors on the edges, which will no doubt show the effects of time and suffer the inevitable knocks from being moved around.

This model measures 54 x 34 x 70 cm and houses two speakers: a 15-inch one (which gives our bass guitar's sound "good punch"), a 6-inch one (which adds a pleasant "brightness" to that sound) and also a (switchable) high-frequency tweeter that further "colors" our sound to our liking whenever we need it.

Its 250 watts RMS give it a different presence, whether in a recording or rehearsal studio or on stage. On its own it can already fill larger rooms with sound, although for big venues it is always advisable to send our signal from this COMBO to the venue's main desk so that the engineer can better distribute our sound to the corners we can't control from our position as performers. On the back it has a special balanced output for that professional connection to the house desk, although it also has an unbalanced line output. With a switch, we can choose the type of signal output we want to deliver: line output pre or post the effects we add to the preamp.

It has a special LED that visually monitors our "gain" in order to avoid distortion, as well as special Deep and Bright controls, in addition to the general bass, mid and treble controls (with a 4-band EQ); it also has an effects loop for adding external effects, and a special output so we can tune our bass guitar properly without anyone around us noticing that we are doing so.

Its internal compressor seems very important; it is adjustable to taste, giving us a very "compact" sound. It also has a special "Contour" switch that further defines the "color" of our sound. The end result with my bass did not disappoint me at all...

It also has "reflex" ports that improve the quality of our low frequencies. Cooling is handled by a pair of very quiet fans that push the hot air out the back of the amp and switch on automatically by themselves when needed.
As with the model described above, a retractable rear stand lets you tilt the whole unit up to 45 degrees from vertical relative to the floor it sits on.
The total weight of this COMBO is 32 kilos (about 70 lb). It has a ground switch to compensate for any background noise that might be caused by grounding issues.
There is another model below this one called the SWEET 15.2, with a 15" speaker and tweeter, just 150 watts but with an 8-band EQ, weighing 28 kg and measuring 53 x 33 x 63.
Clearly, "for a little more," I prefer the features of the 25.1 model I tested, which has impressive roundness for my bass guitar. It is a bit heavy for one person to lift, but with the help of another it is very easy to move, thanks to a pair of large handles recessed on each side of the big wooden cabinet that makes up the combo.
With this COMBO we will no doubt feel more than comfortable on stage, or it can be left installed in a recording or rehearsal studio. You should try it before deciding on other options on the market. The price is somewhat high, but given the quality and features it offers, it seems like something to keep very much in mind.

11/21/2006

To see the spec sheet and rating table, download the magazine in PDF