 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: oca
Date: 2011-12-31 19:30
Why does Conn Selmer own so many brands?
On the website they said they simplify the overwhelming amount choices a clarientist has to choose from, yet they have a redundant amount of brands including Leblanc, Selmer, Selmer Paris, Noblet*, Vito*, and others. They have more than one flute brand too! I count 23 brands.
http://www.conn-selmer.com/content/brands.php
"Conn-Selmer, Inc. holds leading market share in a majority of instrument categories. With brands that are the overwhelming choice of professional musicians, the Conn-Selmer recognizes its responsibility to maintain the highest quality of manufacture using proven designs that satisfy the most critical of professional players. Unwilling to sit on its current designs, however, the Company continues to develop new instruments that help musicians reach greater performance."
It doesn't stop there. Conn Selmer is a part of a bigger company called Steinway Musical Instruments.
"Conn-Selmer, Inc. is a subsidiary of Steinway Musical Instruments, Inc. (NYSE: LVB)."
Steinway makes Pianos in addition to Conn Selmer band instruments.
So... why is this? This is similar to Yamaha's making of motors and other various things, except Yamaha sells only Yamaha.
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2011-12-31 19:36
Yamaha's music/motors is something completely different. They started out with music, and one of the family members liked motorcycles and asked for money from the family to help start that. hence the two VERY different products run by the same company.
I would think it's just plain business. You build a business, and make money. If you have the money to buy another brand that you think would expand your profits, why not?
Much like UPS going into contracts with Staples, FedEx buying kinkos, it's all just about expanding your markets.
Look at how often Indian motorcycles have passed hands. A company thinks it can make money from a brand, so it buys it. Didn't boosey and hawkes own Buffet for a while? Just business.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2011-12-31 20:08
And how many former East German makes were all part of the B&S empire back in the day? Loads.
This whole Conn-Selmer/Steinway thing isn't new.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: SteveG_CT
Date: 2011-12-31 21:08
As has been mentioned this scenario is not uncommon in the music world. Companies will often buy up competitors and even the names of defunct former competitors to prevent them from being revived. This can actually be viewed as a good thing. The fact that Conn-Selmer owns the rights to all of those brand names means that you won't be seeing junk-quality instruments being produced under those names in an attempt to live off the brand's former glory.
Sadly this has already happened with some brands. Kohlert used to make good clarinets and saxophones but the name is now being put on garbage instruments coming out of Vietnam.
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2011-12-31 22:15
Does it really matter? You pick out the instrument you like, and don't worry about the rest. End of story.
Jeff
“Everyone discovers their own way of destroying themselves, and some people choose the clarinet.” Kalman Opperman, 1919-2010
"A drummer is a musician's best friend."
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2012-01-01 02:28
"The fact that Conn-Selmer owns the rights to all of those brand names means that you won't be seeing junk-quality instruments being produced under those names in an attempt to live off the brand's former glory."
They did launch the Selmer Prelude line of Chinese instruments, but that's not new either as Selmer London were importing questionable and variable quality instruments from Italy, Czechoslovakia and China back in the '50s and '60s with their Console, Gold Seal and Sterling instruments which bore the name Selmer, so the Prelude thing is only doing what they've done previously. B&H did it as well, what added insult to injury was they bought old and respected names like Rudall-Carte (for example) and put that name on flutes made in Taiwan when Taiwanese instruments at the time were pretty dire.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Conn Selmer Strike
Date: 2012-01-02 01:20
"The fact that Conn-Selmer owns the rights to all of those brand names means that you won't be seeing junk-quality instruments being produced under those names in an attempt to live off the brand's former glory."
I used to work at Vincent Bach when in 2006 after the great strike most of the older quality craftsman were let go. Only a handful of skill are left with years of experience. Same for the strike at King in Eastlake Ohio of 2011.
Conn Selmer actually bought out Steinway and made them the parent company. buying out the and shutting down other companies only hurt the quality as those craftspeople were let go. So much skill is lost in America even Yamaha left Michigan when they realized Conn Selmer lost all their quality personal in the strike.
Musicians suffered a great lose with Messina and Stoner played their cards much of what was is forever lost and musicians will never know anything but the spin Conn Selmer puts on their story.
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