Klarinet Archive - Posting 000821.txt from 1999/02
From: reedman@-----.com
Subj: [kl] Mouthpiece prices, Roger Garrett
Date: Sat, 20 Feb 1999 13:12:22 -0500
Roger,
By stating that your mouthpiece is the same blank that Jim Pyme uses
and that your mouthpiece is $35 and his is $170 you made an implicit
comparison of your product to Jim's. Jim has clearly and politely pointed
out that your comparison is really inaccurate.
I don't believe that you meant to say that your mouthpiece is of the
same quality as a Pyne, did you? There are many factors in pricing
mouthpieces that go beyond the mere time alloted to "facing". When you
first approached me about tips for working on mouthpieces you assured me
that you had no intent of becoming a mouthpiece maker. Perhaps in less than
a year you feel that you have achieved enough experience to go into the
mouthpiece refacing business. That's fine, but please don't try to define
what Jim Pyne or anyone else should charge for mouthpieces based on your
limited experience.
Alsmost anyone can learn to reface a mouthpiece with occasional
success. To consistently put out a useful, artisitic product requires many,
many years of practice and experience. The price of a mouthpiece reflects
many things other than the mere time required for refacing (in your case).
Like Jim Pyne, most of my time is devoted to hand boring and working the
chamber. Also, I have spent thousands of dollars on molds, carbide reamers,
and special tools. I have devoted a good portion of the last 15 years
researching, handcrafting and developing my mouthpieces. I suspect that
Jim's work may have started well over 30 years ago. I also run a business
(as does Mr Pyne) and that requires a lot of time that is not directly paid
for. There are many costs in running a small business; supplies, time
devoted to inventory, hours of phone calls with customers, TAXES, time
devoted to accounting and advertising which in my case includes a fair
amount of travelling.
I suspect that you really do not intend to make a living from
refacing mouthpieces or you would have done even the smallest amount of
research in the area of marketing. This is the area that truly determines
the price of a mouthpiece. Prices of mouthpieces are in great part
determined by market standards as well as the maker's popularity. You have
not even considered that "list prices" need to reflect dealer margins.
Mouthpieces at the highest level are not just pieces of rubber, they
fall in that sublime region that is a mixture of craft, science and art.
Does anyone believe that a mouthpiece stamped "KASPAR" is inherently worth
$300-600 ?. Those prices are market driven, supply and demand. If you,
Roger, ever managed to get an artist of the level of Ricardo Morales to use
one of your mouthpieces would you continue to sell them for $35?
I am glad that you still play my bass clarinet mouthpiece even though
you expressed to me that $195 was too much. Obviously it was not too much
because you are very happy with the product and are using it with success.
I have sold every bass clarinet mouthpiece I have ever made, thus my
success is part of your success. Frankly, I have been encouraged by
several people to raise my bass clarinet mouthpiece prices substantially.
I hope this all helps to broaden you view in the area of mouthpiece
pricing.
And , Roger, go to Babbitt and watch the mouthpiece process unfold.
Rubber mouthpieces are not poured.
Clark W Fobes
Clark W Fobes
Web Page http://www.sneezy.org/clark_fobes
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