Open House Day at Framus & Warwick
On Saturday, the long-awaited day had finally come, which saw perfect weather for an open air event. On September 7, 2013, Framus & Warwick opened its doors to the public once more. From 9:00 am to 7:00 pm, all visitors had the chance to experience the crafting techniques used by the manufacturer of beautiful guitars and basses up close. A large number of visitors made use of this opportunity, and as a result, approximately 2,000 visitors joined the event at our factory in Markneukirchen, Germany. The visitors included 84 bass students who were with us for Bass Camp – an event without equal in all of Europe – which took place during the entire preceding week. All 84 participants studied at Warwick under the guidance of 17 of the world’s best bassists and took part in a large number of workshops.
Warwick’s Open House Day saw an extremely impressive roster of superstar players. Victor Wooten, Regi Wooten, Jonas Hellborg, Stuart Hamm, Jeroen Paul Thesseling, Evan Brewer, John Patitucci, Markus Kössler, Lee Sklar, Divinity Roxx, Guy Pratt, Ryan Martinie, T.M. Stevens, Peter Sonntag, John B. Williams and many others were on hand for Meet & Greets and fan photos.
Lovers of live music were in for a treat as well. “Duff Boyz” performed their very own brand of upbeat rock’n’roll which sent the audience into a party mood within seconds. Dick Lövgren, the bass player for Meshuggah and his group “Angry Loner” delivered the goods for all lovers of sophisticated jazz. “Siyou’n’Hell” featuring Hellmut Hattler wowed the audience with their electrifying blend of soul and funk for bass guitar and voice only. Up next was Ove Bosch and “Wendrsonn”, performing rousing folk rock that spread good vibes aplenty. After that, a very special trio spontaneously took the stage: Regi and Victor Wooten got the party crowd grooving together with Victor’s son Adam on drums. The headlining spot belonged to the Rammstein Tribute band “Herzleid”, whose huge sound and dazzling pyrotechnics sent the audience wild.
In addition, a raffle for a good cause took place, and the sum raised by the sale of raffle tickets amounted to 2,223.50 Euros. This sum will be doubled by Warwick to 4,446.50 Euros, and will be donated in order to support the rehabilitation of the Rudolph-Thiele public baths in Markneukirchen. The very happy winners of prizes valued at approximately 16,000 Euros in total – such as a Warwick Artist Line Robert Trujillo bass signed by all bass greats who joined Framus & Warwick during the weekend – will be drawn in late September.
The Open House Day at Framus & Warwick has been an outstanding event. The company would like to say thank you to all guests who shared this special day with us. The preparations and the planning for our Bass Camp and Open House Day 2014 have already begun. Pre-registrations for Warwick and Gitarre & Bass Bass Camp 2014, which takes place from September 1 to 5, 2014, can be sent to [email protected]
