Posted by Huh, reprise... on May 09, 2003 at 11:08:32:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Maestro or Jinbao Tuba posted by EdFirth on May 09, 2003 at 09:50:50:
Mabye you should look at and play one before pronouncing judgement
I have (I also own an echte Alexander), and hence my opinion. Your original statement:
I had one shipped down from Violinking in Houston.They are the horns formerly known as Ziess,Hamstone,The Giardinelli tuba,and there was one at Dillon,s that they said was an Alexander which is where I believe the design originated. They aren"t well put together (your words)
and I responded:
Karl Ziess horns were made by Cerveny and (a few) by Alexander, and so were Czech or German instruments. If Violinking represented the Jinbao as being the same instrument, you may have a case for fraud. If he said the Jinbao was based on an Alexander design, that's a different kettle of fish.
What I said is that the Jinbaos were never known as Ziess and any representation that they were is fraudulent. They're Jinbaos. And I do know of some shops that won't work on them. I said nothing about their playing properties or their quality of construction--that was your negative statement (see above).
The people in the strings industry have taken a big interest in using Chinese labor to produce quality instruments and they've succeeded. But it's been a difficult process with much supervision and quality control. On the other hand, the good Chinese-made strings don't go for the bargain-basement prices that the really cheap Chinese-how-many-will-fit-in-a-shipping-container ones do.
I believe that one of Custom's tubas has been made in China for quite some time and it's a respectable piece of work. But it's been done using their design and supervision. Any potiential purchaser should be careful to make sure that the goods are as represented.