Robert Rowe

Would be nice to interview the actual "marketing people" that were involved in the Martin "family tree" of instruments.

"Marketing people" in general, seldom know a great deal about the product or services they are hired to promote, whatever it might be.

Since most (or all) of these people are dead, it is a moot point to debate all this. Kinda like regurgitating your own vomit ... (sorry for the graphic analogy).

I have a couple vintage Martin brochures from the era in question. Along with the actual examples of some of these horns, one can speculate as to where each horn-model may have been placed ... and I suppose the retail pricing may be of some assistance.

The "best" ... the "finest" ... the "top-of-the-line" referencing is somewhat subjective.

We horn-players are extremely judgemental. Today's (2006 AD) standards are biased toward horns that excel in the jazz idiom of tonal spectrum.

Sometimes overlooked, is the concept that many horns of the "Golden Era" were designed (engineered?) toward orchestral, "big-band", and symphonic applications ... not as "jazz horns".

Think about it -- if you were at the top-level of the corporate end of the horn business, would you set your sights on selling horns to the rather small segment of the market called "jazz"? Many emerging jazz-artists were not well paid, and struggled to get by on whatever "decent" horn they could get their hands on. Give them much credit for perservering and getting a lot out of mediocre instruments.

Anyhow -- I think I'm getting off on a "tangent" (nice 50-cent word from those trigonometry-classes). I enjoy this friendly discourse with my fellow horn afficionados and colleagues here.

Interesting stuff ....

Robt

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