Klarinet Archive - Posting 000234.txt from 2007/07

From: X-BakerBotts-MailScanner-tom.henson@-----.com
Subj: RE: [kl] Re: Clarinet Manufacture - Further Ramblings
Date: Fri, 27 Jul 2007 15:05:12 -0400

I also wanted to say that after touring the facilities of Backun
Musical, I am convinced that they are producing the best wooden body
French bore clarinet today given their production scale.=20

When I found out that Backun Musical makes the wooden bodies and then
ships them to Leblanc USA in Kenosha for final assembly I understood
why. The tolerances that Backun is able to produce and maintain is
unrivaled for mass production. That's not to say that others don't do a
good job as well, but the Machinery I saw at Backun I have not seen
elsewhere. The CNC boring and cutting machines use lasers to measure the
work being done in real time and maintain the exact same tolerances,
regardless as the cutting bits wear down over the course of their short
life. I don't think another manufacturer yet uses this sophisticated of
machinery, but I am sure they will be in the future.=20

It doesn't take much to see that the fundamental way that clarinets are
produced today is not the same as it was even 40 years ago. When you can
machine the bore of a clarinet in a matter of seconds and repeat the
results time after time, you have removed one of the biggest human
factors that was error prone. On the other hand, because of the very
thing that makes wood so wonderful, it also means that each and every
one of those perfectly machined pieces of wood will still be minutely
different and I don't necessarily think that is a bad thing. It just
means that for most professionals the clarinet will still need to be set
up and modified by a highly skilled craftsman. In essence, it still
needs to be fine tuned by human hand.

I also think the day of creating new prototypes on the lathe and
refining them by making one after the other by hand is soon to pass.
With 3D CAD programs, there is no reason why much of the design could
not be accomplished on a computer and then simply sent to a computerized
prototyping machine which would crank out your new design in just a few
minutes. The automobile industry has all but changed over to this way of
design and we now see new products being turned out very quickly
compared to the past.

In addition, I think the woodwind making industry should get more
involved in research to find alternative materials to Grenadilla or at
least work harder to renew the source of this precious wood which is
getting more precious by the day. While I understand that all
manufacturing is driven by market demand, I think one of the biggest
things that has lead to the depletion of Grenadilla wood is the very
improvements made in mass production in the last 40 years which has
allowed for relatively inexpensive wooden clarinets of high quality.
Seriously, if you think that a high end clarinet is expensive, then you
should take a look at the prices on a high end Bassoon or string
instrument. If the industry would agree to change over to making all
student line clarinets and oboes of a different wood or even synthetic
material, I think that would help reduce the demand for Grenadilla wood
and allow the currently growing trees more time to mature and result
over time in a higher quality of wood.

It is also my opinion that a high end wooden clarinet should be more
expensive that it is even now, and I believe that this trend has already
started. If the makers charged more for the top of the line clarinets,
this would allow them to reduce their volume without reducing their
income and spend more time on the final setup, thus turning out an even
better product, but on a smaller scale. In this age of Wal Mart and how
cheaply we can purchase products, I think at some point people do
recognize quality and will only buy those cheap goods as long as it
meets their expectation of quality. The minute that the cheap goods
starts to fall apart is when you stop buying them, regardless of how
inexpensive they are. I have said all along that professional players
and people wanting high end clarinets are willing to pay more for them
if they get a higher level of quality in return for that higher price.
The market will bear an increase in price even now above what it is, as
long as something more is given in return to those buying them.

Backun Musical has done exactly that and the proverbial glove has been
dropped. It is going to be quite interesting to see what the
ramifications of the new Backun/Leblanc clarinet will be over the course
of the next 1-2 years in regard to new products coming out. Don't think
that Buffet has not taken notice of the success of this new line of
clarinets, but especially at the pricing structure on the top model. I
know many of us complained right here on this list when Buffet raised
their prices about a year or so ago. Not me, I was cheering them on
because I understood what the new management was trying to do. They were
trying to position themselves in the marketplace and steer the Titanic
around the iceberg.=20

Change comes slowly in a large company, but it must come. Now Backun has
matched (the Tosca) and even raised their prices on the Legacy model and
I expect that Selmer will be next. Right now, Selmer's are probably the
best value dollar for dollar in this respect, but don't expect that to
be for long. The only question in my mind is how Conn-Selmer is going to
handle the marketing between Leblanc and Selmer and at what point will a
merger be inevitable. Buffet, are you listening? That would create a
clarinet power house that could not be ignored even by Buffet. Oh what a
wonderful time we live in. There has never before been so much
innovation, selection, quality, and affordability in the entire history
of the clarinet. Hold your breath while the industry shift gears!

Tom Henson

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