Quote:
|
Originally Posted by hazmat They better be making profits. They own so many music companies now: Armstrong, Artley, Bach, Benge, Buescher, Conn, Emerson, Glaesel, King, Ludwig, Musser, Scherl & Roth, Selmer, and W.M. Lewis and Son. Plus their own instruments.
From what I hear, the quality of all the instruments at Bach and such has gone up since they were bought. Can anyone vouch for this? |
Under Steinway, it seems the Bach quality has gone up. The Conn Vintage One has been produced, etc. But some of the lines have been moved to Taiwan.
Conn Director
King Tempo
Selmer Aristocrat
Bach Aristocrat
The jury is out about the quality of these instruments. Taiwan seems to make decent beginner horns (Jupiter) but this remains to be seen (or heard).
The Bach Prestige line is made in China. I have heard two teachers complain loudly that these are typical crappy Chinese horns. Bach name or not, they are awful. Now Steinway has not made money by selling junk. If the horns don't measure up, they may not sell them. THAT remains to be seen too.
It is the overseas production that gets to me. If quality horns were coming from overseas for less, maybe. If China wasn't a Communist government, maybe. They don't play on an open market fair playing field. And if they were not set on taking Taiwan at all costs (pride, not practicality) it might be OK. Or if their workers got paid a reasonable wage. But the horns are crappy, the communist system is capable of flooding a market, and they are taking our jobs, paying their people crap, and using some of the profits to build a large submarine fleet (to take on a US carrier battle groups).
I personally avoid anything Chinese when possible. That means I have to completely avoid Wal-Mart. So be it.
Jim