Klarinet Archive - Posting 000330.txt from 2004/06

From: "Lelia Loban" <lelialoban@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Costco and First Act
Date: Mon, 21 Jun 2004 08:57:22 -0400


Bill Hausmann wrote,
>It is interesting to note that band instruments in
>Wal-Mart are primarily managed by the Optics
>department.

Nancy Buckman wrote,
>>Is that because they are too near-sighted to
>>see the future of this junk or too far-sighted
>>to realize that it is junk?

LOL! Maybe they should let the department that sells ear plugs and hearing
aid batteries hawk the band instruments. Glad to hear that Costo has given
up on selling those alleged clarinets. My local Costco (Pentagon City)
hasn't sold them for several months. By now, I hope the parental grapevine
is circulating warnings that no musical instrument dealer around here will
take these clarinet-shaped objects in trade. Any money spent on them is a
dead loss. I've seen a few at flea markets and yard sales, but so far the
prices have looked too "optimistic" for me to be willing to waste the money
to satisfy my curiosity or to buy one for a horror show. (I don't have a
clarinet horror show yet, but my incense burner collection includes some
dandy examples of fire hazards and their equally worthless opposite
numbers, burners constructed in such a way that incense won't stay lit in
them.) Let these junk clarinets sit around unplayed for a decade or so and
people will be trying to get rid of them at $5 a pop.

I expect Chinese band instruments to become serious rivals for the student
trade, however. Interesting what's happened with the Chinese violins. The
early ones were every bit as bad as the worst clarinets are today. The
early fiddles have a particularly nasty, thick, extra-shiny, orange-colored
polymer varnish. The Chinese violins improved slowly. Then, about four
years ago, a Chinese company contracted with a major American violin
dealer, a third-generation luthier who had been varnishing German-made
student violins shipped "in the white" (constructed but without final
finishing, varnish or set-up with tailpiece, pegs, soundpost, etc.) and
selling them by the hundreds. They're midpriced among the new student
instruments, and an excellent value for the money. The Chinese company
hired this American dealer to take on student luthiers from China, and
teach them how to properly varnish and set up an instrument. He also goes
to China to teach classes there.

(This isn't hearsay, incidentally. I can't name the American dealer, a
friend of my husband's. The dealer told us this story himself and
introduced us to some of his Chinese students. To protect his reputation
as a high-profile dealer in antique Italian instruments, he keeps his side
business of varnishing German student fiddles quiet, and doesn't want it
generally known that he's helping Chinese luthiers, because rivals would
almost certainly punish him as a "traitor" by trashing the reputation of
his antique violins.)

He has qualms about helping the overseas competition, but the junk violins
offended his sensibilities and he doesn't want to see that type of garbage
dragging down the low end of the marketplace. The improvement in Chinese
violins since then has been dramatic. My guess is that it's only a matter
of time (unless it's already happening) before Chinese clarinet
manufacturers make a similar arrangement. Some of the saxophones already
look pretty good. Sooner or later, the clarinets will be competing with
Vito and American Selmer.

Lelia Loban
http://members.sibeliusmusic.com/LeliaLoban
Re-defeat Bush in 2004!

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