MJ

Sure they can in Japan. I thought that's where they were made anyway. Or at least the parts. The Jens Lindeman video where he tours a Yamaha factory is filmed in Japan.

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Solar Bell

If I'm not mistaken...the instruments were only assembled in Michigan.

And BTW Michigan has the worst climate for industry in the country. While the US enjoys high employment, MI is at record high unemployment.

Now today The Gov, Jenny G. is trying to get a 2% tax on ALL services, in addition to more taxes in other places.

Small business gets KILLED in MI.

-cw-

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Chuck Willard
The Willard of Oz

"Don't be afraid to see what you see."
Ronald Reagan

ALLCHOPS

LOL - I'd love to break bread with you sometime!

Tony G

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Mikey

It just bothers me that more US jobs are lost. I guess that's the way it goes these days....

MJ

I'm with you on that.

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beartrumpet74

Bread?


LOL!
yeah right! with one liners like that I'm sure it's not just bread Chuck breaks!

I guess that's good as long as it's not wind.....

Didn't the University of Maine beat Michigan several times in the final four in hockey over the last few years? I thought the lights were already out!
Matt ( go black bears!!!!)

mahaberio

I was under the impression that at least all of the professional model trumpets were made in Japan anyway. At least my horns and all those that I've seen say "Made in Japan." Does anyone own a Yamaha that was made in the US?

Tootsall

And of course, Yamaha is now making their "Q" series (undoubtedly known by a different model numbers in countries other than Australia) in China! (Not that Conn-Selmer is innocent in this regard neither).

Did anyone else notice that they did not say WHICH "Asian Countries" were going to be the sources?

tpter1

Without becoming too overly political, it is the same in all of industry. Thank you free trade. The sad part for me is not only those 380 people who now have to fins some other way to feed their families opr that Yamaha will continue to sell atthe same price for lower overhead, but that we are making less and less stuff. What do we make here? Money? Is that all?

Gah. Sorry for the rant. We now continue our regularly scheduled programming.

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-Glenn
"Roses have thorns; shining waters mud. Clouds and eclipses stain the moon and the sun; and history reeks of the wrongs we have done. After today, after today, consider me gone."- Sting

rowuk

The problem is not labor costs or even the quality of the instruments. It is the consumer that accepts that a $200.00 trumpet is good enough.
Even with the compensation package, do you think that those employees or their families will ever buy Yamaha instruments again? Yamaha just lost at least 500 customers.
Remembering back into the 70's, Yamaha did exactly the same thing - came in cheap, made a reputation and raised the prices to match the rest. The Chinese are up to bat now. If I am not mistaken, they still have a most favored nation status keeping the import duties low. Great way to finance the loss of jobs in the states in the name of "free market".
My advice: there are enough great instruments out there, if you care - buy something else!

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Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.