Posted by Klaus on March 16, 2003 at 20:54:15:
In Reply to: Re: Why do we put up with it! posted by C(G) on March 16, 2003 at 18:17:09:
Germany has just about the most rigid vocational education system imaginable (only the GDR was more rigid). Not on state level, but common to the union of states.
The master level school is in Hannover when it comes to brass instruments' repair and production. It offers towards German brass designers, that they can have their designs recalculated. However there is one crucial factor that not even the Germans can calculate precisely: the one of the human placed a the mouthpiece end of the equation.
Around 1980 I attended a seminar with the then production manager of the Boosey & Hawkes production plant. He highlighted the B&H hydraulic/pneumatic method of bending bows, which he reported to ensure quality control of the employed tubing (it would blow out if there were weak spot) and it equally should ensure consistency.
Where every single instrument previously had to be handpicked from several specimens from several makers, B&H now could ensure consistency from sample to sample. This of course represents the same level of BS as does the German trade school approach.
There can be taken several different counter approaches by dealers and musicians.
The late Marno Sørensen, the son Poul of whom carries on the family instrument shop at the probably most prominent downtown address worldwide (for a brass shop), once told me of an old fashion narrow tenor bone ordered for the lead bone of our RSO. This solo player tested it and rejected it, because it could not carry a true ppp. Marno accepted the critic and sold that bone to a Swedish military boner.
"They never play ppp anyway!" (With the implied critic more directed against military bands than against Swedes).
Klaus