Posted by perceptions on November 28, 2003 at 22:18:37:
Dale didn't buy into my "perceptions = reality" response when someone was asking "what happens to all of the unsold crappy tubas?"... (my response, basically: They are sold to folks who are delighted with them.)
Here's an example of something kind of similar (in the perceptions/reality line of thinking): Couesnon in France had been making flugelhorns for the better part of a century - and before them the company's name predecessor, Gautrot. Not many folks cared, because not many folks were interested in buying flugelhorns, and the Gautrot/Couesnon flugelhorn wasn't all that great.
Sort of suddenly, in the 1950's/'60's, three things happened:
- The flugelhorn became a popular jazz instrument.
- Couesnon started making the bell throats of their flugelhorns VERY large, changing the sound of these instruments without really hurting the intonation.
- The Gretch guitar and drum company started importing Couesnon brass, offering it to their (rock band oriented) combo shop dealers.
Though the workmanship was a bit on-and-off, it was difficult to deny that these instruments were often extraordinary. It didn't take very long (even though they generally were not offered for sale in "mainstream" band instrument outlets) for trumpet players to recognize the outstanding playing characteristics of Couesnon flugel horns, and indeed today old Couesnon flugel horns in good condition often command higher prices than far better-made Yamaha (and other respected brands) flugelhorns.
another: The "hate St. Pete" threads seem to have about died down, but frankly (admittedly I've only examined six or seven of these up close) I've never come across a "bad" St. Pete BBb tuba (U.S. import version)...but because it's not popular on this board to "like" the seller of these instruments, the instruments themselves are not deemed to be a good choice.
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OK, here's the hypothetical question:
If some CC (or whatever) tuba began appearing on ebay from China/India/wherever that - in high percentages - played extraordinarily well, how long would it take for tuba players to stop poo-pooing this new "piece of junk" tuba and start buying it?...or would tuba players generally wait (like the sudden rush to the Gronitz tent) for someone to win a job playing one?
oh, and btw, I'm staying out of the rest if this thread...even though the premise for of the thread will probably be attacked, among other things.