Posted by Chuck(G) on April 10, 2003 at 16:29:57:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Awesome CDs and Yorkbrunner for Sale! posted by Matt G on April 10, 2003 at 15:04:14:
I'm not entire sure about some of your statements.
The US has a lower federal income tax rate, but leaves it to workers to provide their own health care, pensions, etc. Even the employer-participation 401(k) looks like it'll be history in a few years. Unions are going the way of the dinosaur, unless you're a member of certain occupational areas.
Switzerland DOES have an advantage that they maintain a minimal military force and don't spend a lot on pork-barrel defense contracts. OTOH, they've got some really tough occupational and environmental legislation that can complicate doing business.
True, Switzerland has their "Gastarbeiter", but so do we--we just don't call them that, nor do we recognize their presence.
I think the bottom line lies not in the infrastructure, but rather in the people and the investment climate.
How long has Willi Kurath and his family been making instruments? Most of the bigger names, Hirsbrunner, Meinl, etc. are not the first of their family to build instruments. Weril's even been doing their thing in Brazil, for what, 70 or 80 years? In Europe, instrument technology is done more by the apprenticeship system than by technical college or informal OJT. These guys really know how to make instruments and do so because it's an art and love to them. I was amazed at how many manufacturers there were in the Musikmesse list who build horns in a back room of their store.
On the other hand, the US take is "bigger is better" and there's a definite tendency to industrialize the process. ROI is a big thing--it'd better be substantial and quick; the US investment community isn't interested a return over 30-50 years. Reminds me of a venture capital conference I attended some years ago--one scout for an investment house told me as he munched his asparagus, "If you can't get me a 50% return on my investment in 2 years, I don't want to talk to you."
I don't disagree with you on the basic premise that making tubas in the US isn't a viable proposition; just that my reasons are different.
And while Matt Walters, Bob Rusk, Robb Stewart and others do wonderful work putting existing parts together, they don't make tubas. I don't know one of them that, for instance, spins bells or builds bows from sheet metal or manufactures their own valve sets. That takes big investment. And I suspect that tubas are largely viewed as a contracting, rather than an expanding market.