Klarinet Archive - Posting 000739.txt from 2000/11

From: jim & joyce <lande@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] competition
Date: Thu, 23 Nov 2000 14:22:28 -0500

Tony wrote:
< The truth is that clarinets have, to all intents and
purposes, been
> 'done'. We don't really need competition in that market

>>The marketing value of the opinion of the 'good' players
>>would counteract that

Recall auto production in the U.S. General Motors and Ford
had their greatest market shares in the 1970s. (Chrysler hit
bottom and American Motors about disappeared.) Many folks
believe that cars of that era were lower quality than those
from before or after. Certainly that was my experience.
Arguably, cars were less 'perfected' than clarinets, were
adjusting to pollution and safety regulations and were sold
more on marketing fluff than performance/quality. Still,
the large shift in demand to German and Japanese cars was a
huge spur to the industry in the 1980s and 1990s. We have
much better american made cars today because of
competition. If the Clarinet industry consolidates, makers
will sell fancy cases and stop investing in top craftsmen
who can micro adjust the instruments. The Tony's of the
world will have a good enough ear to select the best out of
a store-room and will know a good tech to get it tweaked.
The average high school student will pay more for a worse
instrument.

On the bright side, once standards slip enough, I will be
able to claim that my old metal clarinets are "pro quality".

jim lande

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