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That Didn't Last Long - Stu Hamm goes to Warwick
- Thread starter Doctor J
- Start date
Heck, if they made a bass to my specs, I'd endorse Burger King!If they made me a bass to my specs I would endorse Silvertone.
Heck, I remember Stanley Clarke endorsing his very own Clarke brand basses when everyone knew he was an Alembic player!
Breaking news! Warwick releases teaser shot of prototype Ukebass!Hardly a competing product
Jon Liebman did a interview with Stu Hamm just a few days ago.
Stu says he will work on improving the ergonomics of the Warwick basses.
Jon still needs to work on his German a little.
Stu says he will work on improving the ergonomics of the Warwick basses.
Jon still needs to work on his German a little.
An uke version of the Alien would be a good idea.
That's lame, another active Bass with 2 EMG humbuckers?
The Stu Hamm interview above is very interesting. He doesn't even mention the Stu Hamm "Hammer" Model he made with Washburn. The only Stu Hamm bass model I'd ever want would be the Fender Urge Series. Just my personal preference.
I'm writing this post because I have done a little research on Washburn and learned something that might cast this discussion in a new light. I recently bought a couple of the US-Custom Shop Washburn XB Series basses and was surprised at the difference in build quality between two samples of the same instrument built in the same factory by the same people. You can read about my findings here. This is the same Chicago custom shop that was making The Hammer Bass.
Anyway, the Washburn Guitar Company (a trademark that has been around since 1886, but whose current ownership has nothing to do with the originators of the brand) is a Subsidiary of US Music Corporation, which happens to also be the parent company of, among other companies, Marshall, Eden, Hagstrom, Digitech, Jay Turser (!), and WARWICK! Check out U.S. Music Corp.
So Stu didn't really switch from Washburn to Warwick. It's more likely that he was switched by the suits who run the company(ies) because he'll be more effective advocating the more credible bass brand. Stu himself may have had very little say in this matter.
FWIW, I don't think Stu could have just left Washburn while under contract without incurring some severe penalties. If Washburn were really an independent company, Stu's contract would have included some kind universal non-competition clause, which I'm sure it does, but since Stu simply moved to another subsidiary and there really is no competition, no contractual clauses have been breached.
Now, this thread has been going on since July '14 and has 150 posts and no one brought this up until now.
The info I posted here was easily accessible to all other participants. Imagine how much useless pontificating could have been avoided if people took the time (less than one minute) to inform themselves properly. Then again, The Musical Instrument business, like so many other industries, thrive on (or indeed because of) consumer ignorance.
Sorry.
I'm writing this post because I have done a little research on Washburn and learned something that might cast this discussion in a new light. I recently bought a couple of the US-Custom Shop Washburn XB Series basses and was surprised at the difference in build quality between two samples of the same instrument built in the same factory by the same people. You can read about my findings here. This is the same Chicago custom shop that was making The Hammer Bass.
Anyway, the Washburn Guitar Company (a trademark that has been around since 1886, but whose current ownership has nothing to do with the originators of the brand) is a Subsidiary of US Music Corporation, which happens to also be the parent company of, among other companies, Marshall, Eden, Hagstrom, Digitech, Jay Turser (!), and WARWICK! Check out U.S. Music Corp.
So Stu didn't really switch from Washburn to Warwick. It's more likely that he was switched by the suits who run the company(ies) because he'll be more effective advocating the more credible bass brand. Stu himself may have had very little say in this matter.
FWIW, I don't think Stu could have just left Washburn while under contract without incurring some severe penalties. If Washburn were really an independent company, Stu's contract would have included some kind universal non-competition clause, which I'm sure it does, but since Stu simply moved to another subsidiary and there really is no competition, no contractual clauses have been breached.
Now, this thread has been going on since July '14 and has 150 posts and no one brought this up until now.
The info I posted here was easily accessible to all other participants. Imagine how much useless pontificating could have been avoided if people took the time (less than one minute) to inform themselves properly. Then again, The Musical Instrument business, like so many other industries, thrive on (or indeed because of) consumer ignorance.
Sorry.
US Music Corp is the distributor of Warwick and Framus in the US. Hans Peter Wilfer is the owner of Warwick Gmbh. They don't own Marshall either, I'd imagine it's a similar distribution deal.
Yeah, imagine
I'm not sure this is entirely correct. I don't think US Music Corp owns Warwick, do they? I thought they were the North American distributors for the brand. Also, doesn't JAM own US Music?
Even if Stu "moved from one subsidiary to another," that doesn't necessarily mean anything to any contract he may have had with Washburn. You can't really comment on that without understanding the terms of the contract.
Oh, and that was quite a nice piece of condescension that you wrote to close your post.
One can only imagine.
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US Music Corp, located in Buffalo Grove, IL, a suburb of Chicago, is the proud owner of one of the oldest stringed instrument brands in the USA – Washburn Guitars, which has been at the forefront of American music making for almost 130 years. Today, as it was in 1883 when the first Washburn acoustic guitars were produced, the same pride in craftsmanship is evident in every instrument we build.
That same pride extends to our other well known brands: Parker Guitars, Randall Amplifiers, Oscar Schmidt Musical Instruments, Jay Turser Guitars and Profile Accessories. USM also distributes marquis brands: Marshall Amplification, Eden Bass Amps, Natal Drums, Hagstrom Guitars, Warwick Basses and Quik Lok Stands.
That same pride extends to our other well known brands: Parker Guitars, Randall Amplifiers, Oscar Schmidt Musical Instruments, Jay Turser Guitars and Profile Accessories. USM also distributes marquis brands: Marshall Amplification, Eden Bass Amps, Natal Drums, Hagstrom Guitars, Warwick Basses and Quik Lok Stands.
Yeah, I admit I am not immune either. I promise I'll do better.
Doner Designs
Steve Doner
- Jun 2, 2012
- 5,784
- 6,819
- Disclosures
- Doner Designs is an alias for Steve Doner
I like to listen to Hamm and thought his Fender JPJ was one of the best things Fender ever put out. Unfortunately the cost was absurd if I remember right.
But, it inspired me to do this build which I think will be a lot nicer than the Fender or the Warwick sigs (probably cheaper too).
But, it inspired me to do this build which I think will be a lot nicer than the Fender or the Warwick sigs (probably cheaper too).
Ce Bella! drool
No need to send that to auction, just send it straight to me
and I'll donate whatever to whatever charity (preferably one benefitting Cancer research or helping Cancer patients 
).
