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Doublereed Archive - Posting 000035.txt from 2003/07
From: Rhondda May <rmay@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [DR-L] Music on the 4th--patriotic instruments?
Date: Wed, 9 Jul 2003 06:38:55 -0400
Hi Ed,
You are correct about the current lousy state of chinese instruments.
But in case you didn't know, there are now very, very good stringed
instruments coming out of China (selling for large amounts of money in
Europe, I don't know about in the US).
What would be needed is non-Chinese expertise in the tonehole placement
and mechanical work.
It is going to require someone with the money to put into product
development, the contacts in China, and the understanding of what the
market (school-kids in Europe and America) demands are.
Remember, we didn't have decent instruments out of eastern europe until
the last few years.
(although i guess that might be debatable;))
Best all,
Rhondda
"Lacy, Edwin" wrote:
>
> The question would be, what constitutes "significant loss in quality,"
> and exactly how much loss of quality would be acceptable. Among
> American and European oboe manufacturers who make plastic oboes of
> reasonable quality, the attributes of the instrument have much less to
> do with the material itself than with designing and manufacturing the
> bore and tone holes in such a way as to produce adequate intonation and
> acceptable tone quality (to say nothing of the mechanical and material
> problems with the keywork on Chinese instruments). As far as I know,
> such instruments have not yet come out of China. It might be possible
> for them to build competitive instruments, but thus far, they seemingly
> are not interested in doing what would be required to make instruments
> that serious musicians could use. They aren't operating on the basis of
> the needs and desires of musicians, but rather are basing everything on
> what will achieve the lowest possible cost.
>
> Ed Lacy
> University of Evansville
>
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> DOUBLEREED-L@-----.edu
> http://lists.washburn.edu/mailman/listinfo/doublereed-l
