Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2016-02-09 23:58
@Chris (CEC): Clark Fobes distributes Pilgenstorfer reeds in the US, and through him I was able to order some of their bass clarinet reeds (German-system reeds admittedly, much smaller than the Boehm/French reeds we're used to). Perhaps he can get you some French-type Pil reeds (if they even make them).
Back to topic: May I propose a possible reason the new Selmer mouthpieces are so expensive? It's psychology. People often value a product based on what they PAID for it, rather than what the product IS or DOES intrinsically. It is often easier, believe it or not, to sell a 'boutique' product (like a musical instrument) at a higher price point rather than at a lower price. I have learned this the hard way. Over the years I've had a great deal of difficulty selling instruments and mouthpieces at low prices (because I have a sense of fairness and have tried to sell them for my cost plus a too-small amount for my labor), rather than selling them for prices closer to typical retail. I have actually done better by pricing my items higher than I felt justified in asking for them, as bizarre as that may sound.
"Build it, and they will come." Price it high, and they will not only buy it, they'll rave about it, and brag about how much it cost them. Seriously. Besides, there is a lot of self-delusion and rationalization involved in expensive purchases -- once a person has paid a lot of money for something, he/she convinces himself that it's a great item and was worth the expense, and will disseminate that thought verbally and in writing. This causes others to go out and buy the item (especially if the original purchaser was well known/respected in the field). This mentality is rampant in the musical instrument world (e.g. Buffet R-13 clarinets, Selmer Mark VI saxes, Loree oboes, etc.).
I'll bet that once a few 'name' players have bought the new Selmer mouthpieces and tell others how great they are, they will sell (relatively) like hotcakes. And Selmer will laugh all the way to the bank. Just like Buffet does with their clarinets.
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The Clarinet BBoard
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