TangneyK

These people you refer to are high caliber artists who have sacrificed over the years to provide a unique touch on this art we call music. To cheapen their gifts and contribution buy equating music as strictly business is, well... deplorable. I would think as a fellow artist, you would know this. You are a musician, aren't you?

--Kevin

MUSICandCHARACTER

Kevin,

I'm really not sure what point you are trying to make. Are you saying that musicians cheapen their gift by equating it to business? OK, perhaps. But that is not what Mr. Zachary said. In fact, he was saying that some artists want to be the artists they are and continue to give their "gift." But financial concerns are a reality. Instead of cheapening their gift they can sell instruments to augment their income.

As Mr. Zachary said, musicians have long taken endorsements. Does that discount their gift? Did Haydn write hundreds of symphonies at the pleasure of a benefactor cheapen his gift? Did Mozart cheapen his gift by going to Vienna to try and make money?

Composers often made money on the side by playing. Did that cheapen their "composition" gift. I am a mental health therapist, who has a music degree. I am an "amateur musician" -- I do not make my living as a musician (I probably could, but chose a different route being married to a pastor).

Does this mean that my performances have been cheapened? That my gift is nothing? I have said this before, I am going to say it again. I could sell any instrument line. I sell ZeuS by choice.

Now, Mr. Zachary is very devoted to his craft. He is the most knowledgeable person I have ever met when it comes to trumpets. He is one of the most principled people I have met. He believes strongly in his line of horns, he also believes that players should get a great instrument at a fair price. He believes this strongly -- so strongly that he makes great horns and sacrifices some potential profit to it make it affordable. He sells it player to player, not business to unsuspecting musicians as some stores may do (not all by any means).

Player to players. I love selling ZeuS for this reason.

M&C

__________________
Dr. Jim Fox
Licensed Mental Health Therapist
Mouthpiece chart: www.ibowtie.com/tmptmpccharts.html

bugler16

Well lets see you listed bith Bud Herseth and Phil Smith and said that they are endorsed by big companies such as Yamaha. I know a couple of "brand artists", when you get sponsored by a company you are expected to play that companies horns. Like the Canadian Brass who are sponsored by Yamaha and play all Yamaha horns. However both Bud Herseth and Phil Smith own several different horns of different brands and play all of them. Phil Smith for instance has a Bach Bb and C and a Schilke Picc and I believe a Schilke Eb as well, a Getzen Cornet, and I'm sure a rotary C probably Monke. With all of these horns they are not sponosred by a company they simply have bought the ones that do the job best for them. Taking an endorsment at that level would limit them to one brand of horn and as a true artist they don't wish to compromise there playing by playing anything less than the best and there favorite. I'm not sure you thought that comment about the greats being sponsored through. I'm sorry that I have rambled a little but to think that simply because they are great that they wish to be or are sponsored is ignorant.

Ash

How 'bout we kill this thread by agreeing that all Zeus horns are good, all Kanstuls are good, and all horns in general are good. With the exception of Bessons. This thread has taken a particularly nasty turn.

__________________
1974 Raw Brass 37
1933 King Cornet

MUSICandCHARACTER

Do we have to dad?

M&C

__________________
Dr. Jim Fox
Licensed Mental Health Therapist
Mouthpiece chart: www.ibowtie.com/tmptmpccharts.html

Ash

Of course. Just don't get too uppity, or I might have to give ye a spankin.

__________________
1974 Raw Brass 37
1933 King Cornet

trickg

I doubt if you are even a blip on Selmer/Bach's radar screen. You probably don't sell enough horns to effectively bite into their market any more than any other company.

Point of fact is this: Bach's have been around for generations and still have a reputation for making a solid, fine sounding, well built horn, even though that reputation got tarnished somewhat by some quality control issues in the 80s. Even still, pretty much any High School kid worth his salt as a player knows what a Silver Bach Stradivarius is.

Alex, the ZeuS G plays very well. I'll even admit that I've played one that plays on par with my Bach. But given the choice between the two, if I HAD to buy a new horn today, I'd probably still go with the Bach. Why? It's very hard to compete with decades of tradition and reputation. Besides, if I ever needed to unload it in a hurry, I know that I wouldn't have to go very far to find a high school kid willing to shell out some pretty decent cash for a good used Bach Strad. Heck, when I was in High school, a Silver Strad was the Holy Grail of trumpets. But, I would venture to guess that the largest percentage of high school kids probably have never even heard of the ZueS line of horns.

If you really can break into that field and put a sizeable dent in Bach's market share, more power to you.

__________________
Patrick Gleason
email me at: trickg1@hotmail.com

"What we do in life echoes in eternity"
"At my signal, unleash hell."
- Maximus Decimus Meridius

Cornet

Patrick,

Have you seen the prices used ZeuS instruments are going for on Ebay? I'd say they are holding their value pretty well!

As for making a dent in the market, everyone has to start somewhere and as Alex has only been doing this for a short time, I'd say he's doing pretty well. As you said, Bachs have been around for generations. There are a lot more manufacturers around these days and players have much more to choose from when looking for a high quality instrument.

Rome wasn't built in a day!

__________________
Where words fail, music speaks
- Hans Christian Anderson

Ash

I hope this one is in mint condition
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...category=16214

__________________
1974 Raw Brass 37
1933 King Cornet

Tootsall

It better be "mint" .... it's available in many different finishes, all new, and all from Alex. About the only thing he didn't do is indicate the quantity available at the "buy it now" price of $1,500!

:)