Klarinet Archive - Posting 001069.txt from 2004/07

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausmann1@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Feeling like Yamaha is one stupidly run company!
Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2004 21:16:50 -0400

At 05:26 PM 7/29/2004 -0400, David Blumberg wrote:
>Lars, in general - most Music Stores cater to the "boyhood Guitar
>wonders of the world". The local music stores are the ones who out
>budget the private studio teachers with their big budget advertizing
>(yellow pages, etc) and print ads.

Unfortunately for music in general, there are a lot more guitar sales to be
made than band instrument sales! (Lowest common denominator,
etc.) Advertising is frightfully expensive, but it must be done. What
would you suggest? Does YOUR business ever advertise?

>Then they hire hack teachers who will accept $8 a lesson.
>So the experienced teachers who actually have something to teach
>instead of giving a 1/2 hr babysitting session suffer from it.

Students are free to seek better teachers anytime.

>A lot ( I say most) of the "mom and pop" music stores rip off their
>customers with the "rent forever" system of instrument purchasing.

"Rent forever" is dumb. Some still offer "rent-to-rent" as a low-cost
option because of CUSTOMER demand, but most stores prefer to offer
"rent-to-own" which, by federal law, cannot be longer than 36 months.

>Sorry, I'd much rather have a young student buy a quality instrument
>like the Wooden Buffet E-11 for $600 instead of a plastic one for $550
>locally....

Give the local guy a CHANCE! We'd rather sell them up, too!

>And as for repair technicians, I go to the private ones instead of
>sending my students to the stores which keep them for 2 weeks as they
>never have onsite staff and farm out the repairs to A PRIVATE
>TECHNICIAN.

Speaking for both my past and future employers, we have repair staff ON
SITE. At the past place, repairs from the other two locations must be
trucked in to the main store, it is true, but they do their OWN work. And
there IS no private shop to go to. Perhaps that is a luxury you have in
larger cities.

Bill Hausmann

If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is TOO LOUD!

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