Klarinet Archive - Posting 000187.txt from 2003/01

From: notestaff@-----.de (David Glenn)
Subj: [kl] chinese instruments
Date: Wed, 8 Jan 2003 17:29:41 -0500

Mark Gresham wrote:

>
> LeliaLoban@-----.com wrote:
>
>> Bill Hausmann wrote,
>>
>>> I could go for a game with 10 Chinese-made garbage clarinets used as
>>> pins...
>>
>>
>> ...and live hand grenades for bowling balls?
>
>
> Just curious,
> Are there any inklings of improvements in Chinese made clarinets?
> I ask because in pianos, everything used to be garbage, but things
> are changing. My understabnding is there are 4 piano manufacturing
> facilities in mainland China, 2 produce junk, and 2 produce adequate
> pianos due to investments, materials and production standards brought
> in by experienced European and North American firms. None of these
> are either "middle" or "upper tier" products, but are beating out (in
> quality) some well-known brands from elsewhere in east Asia.
> Are any "western" clarinet manufacturers (the word used to
> distinguish assembly line products from the best instruments)
> investing to produce any better "beginner" instruments in China than
> at the "garbage" level?
>
> --
> Mark Gresham, composer
> mgresham@-----.com/
> Lux Nova Press http://www.luxnova.com/
> LNP Retail Webstore http://www.luxnova.com/lnpwebstore/

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Yes Virginia, there are good Chinese instruments!

Different Chinese instruments are improving slowly but steadily. Being
with my Chinese partner at the music trade fair in Frankfurt every year,
I have developed some contacts in the music instrument making business.
For instance I know a man in England who bought a Chinese violin factory
and is turning out quite good instruments. A violin playing string store
owner I know here in Germany regularly imports and sells excellent
Chinese instruments. Another German I know buys brass instruments in
large quantities from China. He's an instrument maker himself but takes
the student lines from elsewhere. He tells me that the tubas have become
excellent and the trumpets are also quite good.

As to the clarinets, they are also getting so good that I have bought
half a dozen and either sold them or I rent them out to my pupils. The
factory is in Hebei and they do excellent work. Interestingly enough,
they import German made bodies. No joke! Of course there are still other
factories which turn out crap. Unfortunately, I have not yet come across
any good Chinese saxophones. If anybody wants some names, contact me
privately and I can tell you. I don't want to spread names around
without asking first.

David

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