Posted by Rick Denney on March 12, 2000 at 17:10:00:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: perceptions posted by Chuck on March 10, 2000 at 13:43:25:
My point with all this bike talk? Many people buy by reputation, not by ride quality. They then tell all their friends that the ride is magical (which it must be for a 18-pound bike to be as stiff as they say). Of course, if I'd paid that much for a bike, I'd tell all my friends it was magical, too. Otherwise, I make myself out to be an idiot.
It's the same with BAT's. I may sound just as unfocused and drab on a Nirschl as I do on my Miraphone, but if I could get something that looked like it for something I could rationalize spending, I'd be tempted.
Yamaha may or may not be able to build a BAT that's any good. Their products are spotty--some are wonderful, and some mediocre. Mostly, it depends on who did the design work. If they sold a good, 6/4 BBb (not CC) that looked like an old York or a Holton, and charged a reasonable sum for it (in the new Miraphone range), they'd sell a lot of them to the guys who are bidding up the old American horns. But they don't. If they can't make them cheaply enough to sell for that price, then perhaps the market has already done its work and the high price of current offering reflects what they are worth.