Klarinet Archive - Posting 000935.txt from 1998/09

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausman@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] The Best Clarinets
Date: Thu, 24 Sep 1998 21:12:27 -0400

At 09:07 AM 9/24/98 -0400, Kenneth Wolman wrote:
>I've called several of the big mail order places like WW&BW and yes, they
>do indeed carry Selmer clarinets. They deep-discount them as they do with
>other brands. The Selmer "Signature" series seems to be competing
>price-wise with the Prestige and Opus: it's VERY expensive, but you can get
>a 10G or Recital (the latter is a magnificent-sounding but real heavy horn)
>for slightly more than a standard R-13. If you request catalogues from
>Selmer and nag them enough, eventually they WILL send you some beautifully
>printed, high quality brochures, along with a Suggested Retail Price
>booklet which is really the funniest document on earth, unless you're
>looking at LeBlanc's price booklet too.
>
Like I said, Selmer does not allow catalogues to ADVERTISE them. Of course
the carry them. And yes, the list price catalogues for instruments are
very much like those for automobiles.

>IMHO there are two big problems in dealing with Selmer.
>
>One is the lack of publicity. They just have this problem about
>publicizing their clarinets and saxophones: not to mention the fact that
>make flutes, oboes, and bassoons. Catalogue stores can and do list their
>sax necks, bocals, etc., but that's where the publicity ends.
>
See above. They do advertise heavily in musician magazines, like the
Instrumentalist. But it's not like TV advertising makes sense for
instrument manufacturers. The market, while wildly enthusiastic, is small,
and most potential customers buy only one, or maybe two, in a lifetime
(yes, some of us are exceptions). If being listed in catalogues counts as
advertising, OK. And it's CHEAP, too! But dealers don't like having to
compete with catalogues who advertise instruments often at LESS THAN DEALER
WHOLESALE! Some manufacturers like to give the local retailers a break, so
that our services will continue to exist.

>The other big problem, and this is far more grievous, is how absolutely
>unforthcoming they are about their own instruments, especially the models
>that have been superceded. If there is a Selmer/Paris equivalent to
>Francois Kloc, he must be in hiding with Salman Rushdie. Everything I
>learned about the dimensions and design characteristics of the Centered
>Tone I learned from people HERE, not from a Selmer technician.
>
No argument here. I asked a them question about a month ago that remains
unanswered. It is bad business as far as I am concerned, and your
complaint is proof of that.

>As an afterthought: on the website they list the various trumpet and sax
>players who use their instruments. They do NOT list the clarinetists. Is
>this because nobody since Gigliotti retired plays a Selmer in a
>professional orchestra?
>
Maybe just nobody they figure is worth listing by comparison.

Bill Hausmann bhausman@-----.com
451 Old Orchard Drive http://www.concentric.net/~bhausman
Essexville, MI 48732 http://members.wbs.net/homepages/z/o/o/zoot14.html
ICQ UIN 4862265

If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is too loud.

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