Klarinet Archive - Posting 000399.txt from 1999/11

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausman@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] subject: [kl] Plastic Horns
Date: Wed, 10 Nov 1999 23:01:12 -0500

At 12:30 PM 11/10/1999 -0500, Ken Wolman wrote:
>For what THIS might be worth, I heard something similar from one of the
>NY repair guys, namely that Selmer USA instruments--clarinets, saxes,
>etc.--are either now or will be manufactured in the same four Taiwanese
>factories that produce meisterstuecken like the Winston, Jean Baptiste,
>and other instruments of that quality. Of course, Selmer will probably
>continue to charge a Selmer price for them. This does NOT apply to the
>Selmer Paris instruments, which will continue to be the real deal, or to
>the higher end Buffets, LeBlancs, and Yamahas. To take it further, to
>all intents and purposes, Selmer USA will equal Buffet E-series (at
>least the plastic horns) will equal Vito will equal low-end Yamaha: that
>is, the allegation I heard is that everything is going to come out of
>the same cookie-cutter. In other words, you may find yourself buying a
>logo, not necessarily the quality you associate with it.
>
>I hope this is BS.
>
I believe it is. The major companies are not going to destroy their
reputations with inferior products like that (UMI and their Artley
clarinets excepted). They may share product with each other, like Yamaha
and Leblanc/Holton, or Selmer and Yamaha (Bach low brasses are made by
Yamaha). But since these companies are much larger that the Taiwanese
outfits, I don't see this scenario coming to pass. It IS a scary thought,
though.

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

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

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