Posted by Lee Stofer on March 17, 2004 at 08:30:53:
In Reply to: I Wonder If? posted by Jim on March 13, 2004 at 10:59:51:
American instrument makers are just fighting for suvival at this point, and I doubt that they would try something as risky as tooling-up and making 6/4 BBb tubas again. It is a whale of a lot of work, and much less profitable than making student trumpets, trombones, flutes and clarinets. I have played professionally on a Conn 25J and a Conn 34J, and there is no doubt in my mind that they are wonderful tubas. My understanding, though, is that if Conn-Selmer did re-introduce the 2XJ or 3XJ series, they'd have to have them priced in the Hirsbrunner/Rudolf Meinl price range to be successful. How many people are willing to pay over $10,000 for a Conn BAT? My understanding is, that they'd have to make and sell 250-300 of those high-dollar tubas to make the tooling and production pay for itself. If the money and demand were there, I think they'd do it. At $12,000.00 apiece, it would cost Jacksonville State University in Alabama, for example, approximately a quarter of a million Dollars to replace their aged fleet of 20J's. I just don't think the money, or rather the willingness to spend the money, is out there.
Lee Stofer