Klarinet Archive - Posting 000825.txt from 1999/02

From: Roger Garrett <rgarrett@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] Mouthpiece prices, Roger Garrett
Date: Sat, 20 Feb 1999 18:53:46 -0500

>
> > > 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'm not sure I can continue to sell them for $35 even now. As Clark
mentioned earlier, dealer markup is a big thing. I have been told in the
last few days by the dealers who are considering them that 40-50% above an
asking price is considered standard in the business - that it is the "list
price." Dealers then discount from there.

For example, Let's say a dealer for dingbats made one of the best dingbats
on the market and wanted a dealer who specialized in dingbats to carry his
dingbat. The maker pays $30 for the parts to make the dingbat and wants
the fully functional, completed dingbats made available to the public for
$60. However, that would put the price of the dingbat at $60 list with
the dealer discounting from there. In order for the dealer to make his
40% then, the dingbat would be sold by the maker to the dealer for $36 (if
the dingbat was sold at list), which is only a $6 profit - then there is
shipping, taxes, etc.......by the time all is said and done, the dingbat
has LOST money to the maker. The only choice? Raise the list price of
the dingbat - this allows the dingbat to be widely available to the
public. This begins, in a small way to approach what Clark was
discussing.

To answer the question then - and I hope it is my last time on this issue
- my goal with my mouthpieces was to provide good quality mouthpieces to
students - at low prices. I don't envision it ever becoming a major point
of my life or a business that I substitute for what I already do - there
are other people much more highly qualified and skilled to make
mouthpieces from the ground up - Clark and Jim Pyne are two of them. I
would be honored if someone the quality of Morales played on a mouthpiece
I made, but frankly, that has never been a goal, and those aren't the
folks I see benefiting from a lower priced hard rubber mouthpiece that
plays well. Regardless of who plays it, my goal remains the same.
Whatever small amount of secondary income happens my way because of the
very small difference between what I buy the blank for and what I sell the
mouthpiece for, it will be nice to have the '41 Chevy repainted sometime.
I guess I would say - if the price had to be raised to allow for the same
hourly rate I charge for lessons ($20 for students and $30 for college
through adults) on the clarinet, I would do it. Without the dealer costs,
I can do that now without raising a price. With a dealer, the cost would
have to go up - but it wouldn't go up any more than it had to in order to
accomodate maker and dealer goals - and my goals are clearly stated.

To be honest, I was a dingbat for ever discussing the mouthpiece issue to
begin with!!! Regarding future discussions of them, please email me off
the list for any additional questions you might have.
Roger Garrett
Professor of Clarinet
Director - Concert Band, Symphonic Winds & Titan Band
Advisor - Recording Studio
Illinois Wesleyan University

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