 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: ron b
Date: 2002-07-31 23:25
My wife just returned from shopping at Sam's Club, a warehouse (huge) discount store; the kind of place you go to buy disaster preparedness stuff like gallon cans of shelled peanuts and 50lb. sacks of cereal, etc. -- the kind of place bodybuilders and frugal people frequent. She noticed right away, near the entrance, an attractive display of trumpets(brass), flutes(silver) and clarinets(black), "made in America", by AMC (American Muscial Conference [she thinks] - amc.com -or, maybe- amc.org ...not sure which - didn't write it down. The store price is $179(USD) ea. with hardshell case. Frugal people appeal :]
I can find nothing on the 'Net re: musical instruments by that name but many references to Sesame Street and how music enhances your quality of life.
A couple of years ago, around Christmastime, Sam's Club was displaying 'full' percussion sets for about the same price, I think - "made in Mexico". Recycled produce crates and Anybody's Guess sheet metal.
Am going back tomorrow to pick up photo prints so, will get as much additional info as possible. In the meantime I thought someone might like to know... though I have no idea why.
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Author: jbutler
Date: 2002-08-01 01:40
There sure is a lot of junk floating about right now. Most shops are putting up the "We will not work on the following brands: (list)". I can't blame them and there are some that I refuse also. I know Gordon came name quite a few, but Lark, Parrot, Huang, and Libretta are just a few that are on my "I refuse" list. As the expression goes, you can't make chicken salad out of chicken s*$t! It sometimes peeves people, but I tell them to send 'em back to the factory for service.....if they can find out where it is ;~)
jbutler
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Author: diz
Date: 2002-08-01 01:56
Fancy naming a clarinet brand "Parrot" anyway, the mind positively boggles.
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Author: jenna
Date: 2002-08-01 04:17
They're selling them at BJ's as well. My friend and I were gawking over them while we were waiting to purchase my laptop. The boxes they come in are HUGE.
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Author: Willie
Date: 2002-08-01 04:58
I've never seen those before. Gotta zip over to Sams next time I'm in town and check it out. I did have a '76 AMC Hornet once.
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Author: ron b
Date: 2002-08-01 07:22
John and Gordon, you're among a growing number of "I Refuse"-rs I've encountered recently.
The one really ugly case I saw recently, a soprano sax, was at a shop I like to visit. Sopranos are tricky enough anyway and as I peered through the blue haze of frothy language surrounding the tech's bench as he struggled with a bad Brass Pivot screw, trying to regulate the flimsy mechanism, I felt sadness - as when things are awry and you can't do anything. He said he should've (as you two already have) told the customer to send it back to the factory. He got it to work but wouldn't... Couldn't - guarantee the repair. I know that really bothered him - he has a fourty year reputation of doing good work. I think his "We REFUSE to Work On ...." list is going up soon. I'm a 'hobbyist', not a business, so I don't have to work on anything I don't like. If I ever do phase into that (business) arena I'll for sure have a list - because of what I've seen recently. It's too bad to think ahead that way.
I'd never seen or heard of the brand, AMC, but from what my wife said I know it would be on my 'List' :|
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Author: Dan Borlawsky
Date: 2002-08-01 12:18
Maybe this is what happens when an automobile company (American Motors Corp) liquidates and has a bunch of leftover parts! (Similar quality, too.)
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Author: David Spiegelthal
Date: 2002-08-01 14:35
Maybe it's UMI (United Musical Instruments), that pathetic conglomerate formed out of the dilapidated hulks of the formerly reputable Conn, King, Armstrong, etc. brands (and UMI did, and perhaps still does) have a factory in Mexico.
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Author: ClarinetQween
Date: 2002-08-01 14:37
www.amc.net ?????
What do you think??
-ClarinetQween
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Author: jbutler
Date: 2002-08-01 22:19
Steinway now owns UMI as well as Selmer. I thought when the merger took place, about two years this month, that some of the duplicate lines would be discontinued. (I suppose that is not the correct terminolgy, but Conn, Armstrong, King, Artley, Selmer all producing instruments, seems like they have competition amongst themselves.) It hasn't...but a lot of UMI products are now stencils made in countries other than the USA. Nothing wrong with that so long as it has <b>QUALITY</b>. However, the bottom line is profit. The new Conn saxophones are really getting a bad reputation for arriving at dealers with crushed pads and other problems. Selmer's quality control has gone down the pooper also, in my <b>OPINION</b>. Others of you may not agree and that is your right.
<a href="http://www.cork-and-pad.woodwind.org">jbutler</a>
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Author: ron b
Date: 2002-08-02 20:54
I went to Sam's today to pick up some photo prints and a gallon of salted peanuts (how's That for an excuse?, and to check out the 'instruments'. The 'brand', from what I could gather by the carton graphics is - Mark II Concert Series. The web address on the cartons is:
http://www.amc-music.com/
I don't find references to specific instruments there. Oh, well....
Pictures on the carton are very nice :
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