Klarinet Archive - Posting 000181.txt from 1994/09

From: "Jay Heiser, Business Development" <jayh@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: African blackwood vs Pl
Date: Fri, 23 Sep 1994 01:32:48 -0400

-->From: Fred McKenzie <Frederick.M.McKenzie.1@-----.GOV>
-->RE>>African blackwood vs Plastic
-->Gerald Evoniuk at Arizona State University, stated:
-->
-->"Many people at the design level have told me they believe it is entirely
-->posssible to build an acceptable artist level clarinet out of plastic but
-->marketing keeps telling them the world is not ready."
-->----------------------
-->
-->I'm sure that the marketing problem is related to the reputation of existing
-->plastic clarinets. If the cheap student model instruments worked nearly as
-->well, and sounded nearly as good, as the professional models, then there
should
-->be little hesitation for a professional to try one that claims to be a "pro"
-->model, and sells for less than the wooden one. The marketplace changes
slowly,
-->but the product has to be available, before the change can occur!

I've got no problem with this. The guitar industry is going thru the
same problem. The makers have experimented with artist quality
laminates and feel that they not only play as well or better than solid
wood, but are more durable. Cheapie guitars are already laminate (plywood),
so of course nobody wants the same material once they've outgrown it.

Does Bundy still call their plastic bass clarinet 'Resonite?' Sounds
like plastic to me.
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