rowuk

So getting back to the original reason for the post: the strike and does that warrant a boycott? It seems that for some the boycott started years ago, not because of sympathy with the "artisans", rather because of the quality of the product.
If we think that Bach is a brand worth "saving" what do we need to do? What do we expect and what are we willing to pay?

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cornetguy

Let's see, how about decent quality control, valves that fit in the casings right and aligned right, slides that fit right and move freely. Build them without the stress on them so the lo c isn't so sharp, maybe take advantage of Schilke's research to improve the intonation without affecting the "Bach" sound. No globs of solder left, I have seen horns at shows and from students that Vincent Bach would have put into the "do over" pile. To take the time to bulid the instruments right. I had an interesting experience yesterday, I have a 37 Bach from 1975 that sounds really good for me, I played on a student's that was made in 2005 yesterday that sounded like a tin can. They do that and they might be worth what they are listing for now or maybe a bit closer to the Schilke, since it would be closer to what Schilke has done and Bach's original vision of the company. Also how about accurate mouthpiece specs and a return to Bach's original specs for the different models and consistancy so that the 3C that I have a student buy this year will be the same as the one I bought 20 years ago and that the student next year will buy. In the age of the CNC lathe that is inexcusable.

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tom turner

Selmer-Bach's glory days ended, really, a long, long time ago . . . and lots of folks have discovered this too, as we stumbled upon better horns through the years.

Frankly, few businesses survive 45 years at all, so for Selmer-Bach to keep Vincent Bach's old company's label alive, and at the front so long is/was quite an accomplishment in itself . . . especially since they sat still for decade after decade, choosing simply to bang out the same old stuff with no new horn innovations!

May Selmer-Bach continue to make quality student-marketed Strads where ever they can make 'em the cheapest. The Bach glory days are over anyway . . . and now it is all about maximizing the profits on what's left.

T.

tpter1

How about this...I think we can thank the CHinese government for creating an unbalanced playing field in which to do business.

We cannot export our products there; including grain, automobiles, trumpets, etc. due to massive tarriffs. They have cheap labor, working in unsafe conditions, unsafe child labor, unsafe products, poor environmental controls (hah...none).

Our Western-Eurpean and American countries seem to not have these issues. We import goods from China, tarriff free (or almost), have lots of protections i place for workers and the environment. All that costs overhead. Well, I'll pay for that, thank you. But not from a company involved in union-busting.

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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

Scooter01

So why treat it any differently? It's still US jobs being lost.

Scooter01

I think you missed my point. Yamaha and Conn-Selmer are moving US jobs overseas. Makes no difference that Yamaha is a Japanese company. They built plants here to make instruments, hired US workers, and now closed them and moved out. The end result is the same: US workers out of work. Put up some tariffs and the US can compete more fairly. If you're willing to boycott one you must boycott the other. It's the student horns that are the real problem, not the pro horns. The pros are a very small part of the market. It will in the end hardly make a dent.

Mikey

The student horns demand will steadily decrease, as more and more schools dump their music programs and pour more money into athletics. Then the Chinese will have to figure out another way to make money off us Americans..

"Hey, Bubba. Is that a Chinese-made jockstrap you are wearing?"

Brekelefuw

But Yamaha, not being from Japan, has much more justification to leave if they aren't as profitable as they hoped. They aren't abandoning their country.

gregc

Get ready to pay your fee to read & post here!

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Greg Condemi

Brekelefuw

I have paid to join another forum, and the quality of posts and posters exponentially increases once you have made a financial investment in it.


Although I wouldn't pay to read TM