ped

We’re about to leave the office of Jason How, CEO of Rotosound, when I ask, on the off chance, if he’s interested in cars. Jason sits bolt upright and reaches for his iMac screen, a signal that he’s about to spin it around and show me some pictures from his archives. I knew this was as good as an affirmative answer so I sat back down, putting all thoughts of the usual questions asked earlier in the day to one side. Jason @ Rotosound by chiscocks, on Flickr I’m not very experienced at interviewing people, much less with asking questions that people might be interested in. What I was trying to achieve with this visit, and my aim with the Basschat visits of the future, isn’t to hear the ‘party line’, the sort of information you can gleam from the companies website or marketing bumf. I want to dig beneath the surface a bit. As Jason showed me some pictures of his other passion, a selection of vintage Saabs sourced from all over the country and starting with a chance encounter at a scrapyard as a teenager, I felt I had built up a really good picture of the kind of man that runs a business as central to the music industry as tyres are to the car industry. Hands up who uses strings? Strings laid out by chiscocks, on Flickr I wasn’t sure what to expect on this visit. I honestly didn’t know whether there would be masses of machinery, robot controlled laser canons or chimps running up and down a coal shaft with bass guitars. Well, perhaps the last two were slightly fanciful but I’m trying to put across the fact that I hadn’t really seen a factory before, but in a more interesting way. Upon our arrival (I brought BC bookie David with me; partly for company, partly to handle the video and partly to witness and ledger our Harvester meal on the way home) we were shown upstairs into a hallway with two offices, one of which was lined with guitars of all shapes and sizes. After a nose around, flipping through a diary, calling people on the phone and leaving rude post-it notes around said office, a cheerful little geezer marched in, introduced himself to us as Jason, and immediately ordered a cup of tea for everyone. I had heard that Jason was a musician himself – he later corrected me and said he’s ‘not a widdler’ – judging by the weird and wonderful instruments here and the tracks he later sent by email I should say he’s got a good ear for song writing. I even found a vintage Casio DG-10 somewhere. Upon hearing my excitement he looked around. “How does it sound?” he said, clearly having forgotten he had it stowed away. “sh*t” I replied. Instantly we felt very welcome and we started to ask the usual sorts of questions – how did Rotosound begin? Who were your first customers? (As I mentioned, most of this can be found on the website) What really intrigued me were the machines which built the strings. Jason designed and built many of them himself, and very impressive they are too. As a fan of mechanical engineering I was keen to see them in operation (see video) and impressed that everything was manufactured ‘in house’ but also using machinery built in the same building. How many companies can claim to be that British? Winding wrap by chiscocks, on Flickr In many ways, that ‘Britishness’ is Rotosound’s USP (Unique Selling Point, for those who don’t watch The Apprentice). Jason is quick to suggest how it’s a relatively important factor in foreign markets and the history of the brand is something many other manufacturers simply can’t compete with. As anyone ever caught behind a coach load of Americans in Blenheim will agree, foreign customers see this particular aspect as a key ingredient of a quality British product. The heritage of the brand is a big factor, then. But what about it’s future? Should the company permanently be looking at it’s past? Jason explains that whilst they have tried various innovations, their bread and butter really is the traditional roundwound string which remains largely unchanged since production began. I should imagine it’s a safe but slightly frustrating position to be in for someone like Jason who seems to enjoy inventing and finding solutions to things. When you see the machines, though, you can see that the focus for his efforts needn’t be in changing a winning product but in changing how they’re made – faster, better, safer, cheaper… all require innovation and attention to detail. Around 40 employees and a few million quid’s worth of stock and material sit in one building and that’s a lot to sink your teeth into (N.B Jason is not a vampire, least we saw no evidence to suggest this to be the case) Tension by chiscocks, on Flickr In the 80’s Jason reckons they would have needed 3 times the workforce they have now. Having built 25 machines himself exclusively for Rotosound his passion comes across as he highlights the many features and innovations which have come to the fore over the years. Rather than just copying his father’s work, he’s adapted and improved it. Maybe that’s why we wound up talking about old Saabs. Perhaps Jason feels a certain sadness that a company once successful like Saab went under. Perhaps it puts things into perspective and urges him on to keep Rotosound at the top of the game – or perhaps it’s a fascination of mechanics. He even sounded semi interested when I started going on about the Citroen SM I drove recently. Shelving by chiscocks, on Flickr I hope this visit has given you all an insight into the way Rotosound works. Hopefully now you will see a pack of Rotos on the shelf and think of the relatively small company behind this global icon which underpins some of the biggest developments in our musical history and the instruments which were used to write it. Long live Rotosound and thanks for having us for the day. (now all please stand for the national anthem!) Shipping room by chiscocks, on Flickr String machine by chiscocks, on Flickr Making strings by chiscocks, on Flickr Working at machine by chiscocks, on Flickr Machinery by chiscocks, on Flickr String hopper by chiscocks, on Flickr Busy factory by chiscocks, on Flickr Silent operation by chiscocks, on Flickr Finished strings by chiscocks, on Flickr Ball ends by chiscocks, on Flickr Monel by chiscocks, on Flickr Warehouse by chiscocks, on Flickr

I’m sitting in a Turkish food establishment in East Germany with a Californian and a South African. How has this happened? To unravel the unusual situation I found myself in, as I tried to eat my kebab without its contents falling all over my aforementioned friends, we have to rewind a few months to my desk in leafy Berkshire where Californians are scarce and kebabs are frankly better packaged. Warwick Factory visit - Hand finishing by chiscocks, on Flickr Garey Noble (Warwick Social Media and Artist Support) and I have been in contact via Basschat about a potential visit to the company’s headquarters and manufacturing base in Germany. Garey is as Californian as they come. Big white teeth, casual ‘strolling along the beach’ gait and healthy looking sun blushed skin. As he came down to meet me and David, my South African friend, he smiled and welcomed us into the dazzling Warwick office/showroom. The building itself sits at the top of the sleepy town of Markneukirchen which itself is nestled close to the Czech border in Saxony. We were here to check out the process of making a Warwick bass. I have played a few in my time and had heard about some innovative processes coming out of the shop floor which I was keen to look at. Dave was mainly there for the free food. The first day started with dinner at the hotel with Garey who brought along a few friends from the company. We had arrived a few days before the famous ‘Bass Camp’ event where players from around the world stay with the company and have masterclasses, jams and hangs with some great players (Lee Sklar, Steve Bailey, Ralphe Armstrong, Alphonso Johnson, Guy Pratt, TM Stevens, Jonas Hellborg, Jacki Reznicek, Antonella Mazza, Andy Irvine, John B Williams, Regi Wooten, Gunther Gebauer, and Wolfgang Schmid). It’s obviously a busy time for everyone concerned. The meal was extremely tasty; our hotel, the Alpenhof, had an extensive menu of traditional German dishes and although it was impossible to have a normal cup of tea we were made to feel extremely welcome. At dinner we spoke to Chris Kunitz who runs the custom shop in NYC. He handles Artist Relations and later introduced me to a band called ‘Ghost’ who you need to check out. Warwick Factory visit - Garey Noble by chiscocks, on Flickr Accompanying him was Andy Irvine, a bassist who has played with so many people I have lost count. Now, Andy is a supporting artist and product specialist. Judging by the fact he had to ‘make room’ for me to join his facebook I should say he makes friends as easily as he lays down a tight bassline. It’s no surprise – he’s one of the most humble and down to earth people I’ve had the pleasure to share a pilsner with and I’m fascinated by his stories of session playing and his time playing for house bands as a youngster. We return to our rooms to find a kitten playing outside. He comes in and we let him attack my camera strap until he’s so tired that he falls into a deep sleep. He’s so tired, in fact, that we have to literally scoop him up and put him in the hallway. Had we killed him? Find out next week. Only joking, we didn’t. He looked so much like Dave’s cat, Pebbles, that we called him ‘Keisel’, which my phone says is German for Pebbles. The next day we arose to a wonderful sunny day and went to the factory to start our tour. It seems that quite a few people come here to tour the factory and it’s a well-rehearsed fully featured walkthrough showcasing all the amazing stages of production. Warwick Factory visit - Chopping by chiscocks, on Flickr As you’d expect, a company who use the tagline ‘The Sound of Wood’ is meticulous in its choice of material when it comes to building a bass. This was the single most impressive thing we saw on the tour. There’s a wood store outside where various woods are piled high to dry for years and years before they are dried out and suitable for use. The smell in there is incredible. Some of the wood is labelled FSC, which is testament to their innovation in producing guitars efficiently and with maximum care. FSC is the Forest Stewardship Council, and there are just a few manufactures in the entire world who are certified. It ensures an un-broken chain of custody for sustainably managed wood. They currently have FSC Wenge, Ebony, Maple, Ash, and Rosewood.In fact, the whole facility is built with sustainability in mind; the solar panels and woodchip recycling produce enough electricity to benefit the town as well as the facility itself. Warwick stock over 45 species of wood, and if you include the varieties (flame, curly, etc) its about 65 different woods. All wood is air-dried a minimum of 3-5 years, and some of the pallets have been drying for 12-25 years. There’s a custom wood store around the corner containing some fascinatingly rare and valuable woods. We’re not allowed to take pictures in there. These will be selected by a customer who wants to design a bass from the ground up. There are many options a customer can choose, adding to the exacting standards of the company and their commitment to quality and customer satisfaction. Warwick Factory visit - Fret Wire by chiscocks, on Flickr I love innovation and know that the ‘best way’ is often not the ‘cheapest way’, or the most profitable. Warwick know this too, and after years in the making and customization of a machine used by BMW they have perfected a new system which lays frets into pre-cut grooves on the fretboard, but not quite to the edges, leaving a strip of wood down each side of the neck. These grooves allow the fret to sit without pushing the fingerboard wood away and also because they are cut in there’s no ‘overhang’ along the edge of the neck, normally cut and sanded off by other companies. You wouldn’t notice it at first glance. Some players wouldn’t notice it at all, however it’s attention to detail like this which is really nice to see from a company you might have assumed were producing thousands of basses a week. They actually produce around 25, between Warwick and Framus. What used to take 8-10 hours now gets 30+ hours of attention. Next the necks are joined by hand to their bodies, cut by a 5 axis CNC machine. The fit is so tight that you barely need bolts to hold the bass together. It now goes for finishing by hand before it’s sent for painting. Here, innovation leads the way again. The basses are painted using a huge range of colours and finishes of which there is no limit – we even saw a bass being airbrushed with a picture of a cat for a Japanese customer. Once painted, the bass is exposed to a UV lacquer process. The finish is water-based and non-toxic, which is then exposed to UV light inside an Oxygen-free, nitrogen charged chamber. It’s the thinnest on the market today, and because it cures in an oxygen free environment with no chemical reaction it’s about 92-95% clear, like a diamond. Traditional finishes are only 85% clarity. After that we follow some muffled slaps – we end up in the area where the basses going through their quality control and electronics stage. Racks of basses of all colours are waiting for their setups and it strikes me just how many different shapes and finishes are available. We also see the presses used for making the hollow body instruments and end up passing through into the final part of the tour, the showroom. Here’s customers can try a range of instruments ranging from off the shelf models to one off chrome coloured customs with inlays of all shapes and sizes. We also had time the following day to have a tour of the Warwick and Framus museum in the town. We were fascinated to find out how much history is behind the brand. It was well worth a visit and cemented the ‘family’ aspect of the company. Here’s a video they took of us taking the tour. They MADE me say something at the end, and I look like a right tit.. On the final day, our hosts had invited us to a big BBQ event where the employees were invited to have a drink and some amazing food before the impending ‘Bass Camp’. I sat next to Jonas Hellborg and funnily enough all we talked about was paintballing. Company President, Hans Peter Wilfer, had been with his son recently and was describing how he cowered behind the little wooden buildings screaming like a little girl. It was great to meet Hans Peter, a man I had heard so much about – described as a gadget mad young-at-heart guy with a sense of adventure, I found him to be hilarious, warm and friendly. His employees hold him in great esteem, and I can see why. He’s deeply passionate about design (even his glasses have Warwick bass necks along the arms) and his enthusiasm is infectious. Our hosts were extremely welcoming; from the minute we were picked up at Nuremberg airport by the ominously named ‘Mr. Brown’ to the hasty pretzel munching on our departure we had a great time. Dave managed to buy lots of cakes, I managed to buy some cat dropping shaped chocolate from the local Netto (Katzenzungen, look out for them – gave them to my granddad) and we also enjoyed the massage chairs at the airport with our remaining Euros. Overall we were massively impressed by Warwick. They say as of Summer 2012 they are producing the best instruments they have ever made. If you want to see the factory for yourselves, you can try the ‘Virtual Tour’ – Warwick have tons of pictures and info on their website, because they have a lot to be proud of. Warwick Factory visit - Neck Sander by chiscocks, on Flickr Warwick Factory visit - Factory Floor by chiscocks, on Flickr Warwick Factory visit - Ready To Ship by chiscocks, on Flickr Warwick Factory visit - Final Inspection by chiscocks, on Flickr Warwick Factory visit - Polish by chiscocks, on Flickr Warwick Factory visit - Painting Stage by chiscocks, on Flickr Warwick Factory visit - Sanding by chiscocks, on Flickr Warwick Factory visit - Neck Sanding by chiscocks, on Flickr Warwick Factory visit - Adjustment by chiscocks, on Flickr Warwick Factory visit - Fret System by chiscocks, on Flickr Warwick Factory visit - Wood by chiscocks, on Flickr Warwick Factory visit - Showroom by chiscocks, on Flickr

The buzz of my alarm sounded for just a second before I smartly switched it off. I was already awake, I had to catch a 6am flight and I can never sleep before midnight. Kim and Morten by chiscocks, on Flickr I had been invited to see the home of the TC Electronic operation in Aarhus, Denmark. TC have been one of the longest running sponsors on Basschat and I really like Denmark, so I was keen to snap up the chance before the school holidays ran out. My fist trip to Scandinavia was when I was about 12. I went to legoland and it was literally the best week of my life as Lego was the centre of my universe at that age. But since then I’ve grown to admire Denmark for lots of other things, whilst still being thankful for the small plastic bricks which got stuck in various orrifices (and still do). Design. That’s what I like about This country. The Danish design museum in Copenhagen. The art museum in Aarhus, even if it would be better if they told you how much the paintings were worth. Even the way the streets are laid out to accommodate cyclists and drivers alike. It’s fair to say my knowledge of TC Electronic was minimal before my visit. Quite new to the scene, first releasing their bass range with the RH450 bass head, RS210 bass cab and RS212 bass cab, launched at Winter NAMM 2009 (January) in Los Angeles. they have approached the bass amplifier in a Danish way. Innovative, tactile, loud… It’s difficult to use the right superlatives to describe the gear TC produce. From the super light combos and heads to the top of the line Blacksmith range there’s now something for every budget and plans for more in the future. Shipping by chiscocks, on Flickr I was shown around the ‘R&D’ centre (where there is also a limited amount of manufacturing) by my contact Kim Bang, TC PR Manager. Kim is a bassist. I immediately identified with him when he explained how he bought 9 P basses looking for the right one -one from 74, one from 72 and the rest from 77-79. He finally decided on a sunburst ’79 with rosewood board and an A-neck. Ask him if he plays a five string and there’s a similar story finishing with a Fodera Emperor with 70′s Jazz pickups and spacing. Most of the manufacturing is done abroad, with only the ‘Blacksmith’ amplifier being produced on site. The facility in Aarhus is home to the team who design and test the products so this fairly small building is responsible for what hits the shelves. When I arrived with Kim we had a general walk around and saw the various elements that make up the building. Eventually a set of stairs led ominously underground into the darkness. Nestled among some mad Frankenstein creations, huddled in the corner like some product engineer gollum was a chap named Morten. Morten and speakers by chiscocks, on Flickr Product Specialist, Morten Ehlers, is a larger than life character. He’s an energetic player with a sense of humour and a no compromise approach to his craft. I love the way TC employs players like Morten, who describe the sound in their heads with words like ‘ping’ and ‘butter’ (albeit in Danish) and spend time turning it into an amplifier. One of his main responsibilities is to develop the range and find artists to ‘toneprint’. If you’ve never heard of this feature you can read about it on the TC site. It’s been so successful that artists are now approaching him to be ‘toneprinted’, to invent a noun. The development areas of TC are split into three; guitar, bass and ‘pro’, which is also referred to as ‘HD’ and covers high-end studio and not least broadcast equipment. They are actually quite secret and I was only allowed through once all the secret meetings had finished. I’m pretty sure I saw spider man leaving with an RH450. Kenneth Wandall, the Electronic hardware engineer (Bs.Sc.E.E) has the responsibility of testing the equipment. He’s got a special pair of gloves that he wears to isolate him from the energy in the capacitors and is every bit like my friend in technology class at school. After telling numerous visitors to hold their ankles as he slips on the said gloves he gets what he deserves when people clap and shout BANG behind him whilst he’s elbow deep in an electronic device. Manufacturing with R&D by chiscocks, on Flickr So to the torture chamber. There’s a shipping container in the car park from which you can just about hear a repeating bass groove. Had they finally given Morten his own ‘office’? No, it’s just a whole bunch of Amps and speakers rigged up to a CD player for months on end in intense heat to see how they perform. Two BG250 combos have done 6 months so far. Nobody knows what TC stands for, apparently. There are legends and myths, most of which sound un-printable on a civilised website like Basschat. But that doesn’t matter because I saw what TC really stands for on my visit, and you can refer to the earlier superlatives or try one yourself. Just make sure you’re wearing brown trousers. Project Room by chiscocks, on Flickr Fiskergade on the canal at night by chiscocks, on Flickr Your Rainbow Panorama (ARoS) by chiscocks, on Flickr Den Gamle By old town bench by chiscocks, on Flickr Mehari side by chiscocks, on Flickr ARos Terrace BW by chiscocks, on Flickr