Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: BBb versus CC


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Posted by Jay Bertolet on June 28, 2000 at 09:29:57:

In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: BBb versus CC posted by Klaus on June 27, 2000 at 22:11:28:

The short answer is I don't think so.

Those who have known me for a few years know that I have mocked those instruments with the hefty price tag. My stock response has always been "is it really worth all the extra money?". Yet, I recently bought a Nirschl York Copy, an instrument that is certainly in that price range even though I got mine used. The bottom line for me, and almost all of my colleagues, is that you buy a horn because of how it plays and not because of how much it costs. Any other approach for the professional player leads to disaster.

Free market economics dictate that the premium product, with premium demand, will command a premium price. Good quality instruments will always be expensive as long as there is demand for them. Think of cigars. Not everyone likes a Cuban Cohiba but they are pretty damn expensive all the same. Because they are excellent cigars and there is a demand. With the numbers of other great cigars out there, Cohiba couldn't hold its value unless the quality was excellent. And that is the crux of the issue with tubas as well. Deciding on what constitutes "quality" is somewhat subjective from player to player as it is from smoker to smoker. But once quality is established, and demand is established, the price soars.

I think the best thing we can do as consumers in this market is to demand a high standard of quality from the instruments we buy and not "worship the high-price-low-volume-producers" you mention. Voting with our dollars after careful and thorough evaluation will force manufacturers to produce high quality instruments if they want our business. In my situation, I would not have paid the kind of money I did for my Nirschl unless I really felt it was worth it.

My opinion for what its worth...


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