>> At best, I do not expect them >> ever to exceed student grade
> Precisely the sort of thing that, as a kid in the > early '60s, I heard my father's friends say about > Japanese cars, cameras, electronics, etc. Well, there are some parallels to be drawn, but there are also other considerations. In the overall scheme of things, I expect Korea to emerge as "the next Japan" before China does. Japan has already turned to Korea and China to produce certain components of "quality Japanese-made" goods to keep the costs down, thereby protecting their market share by closing the back door. For instance, in the motorcycle world, several of the Japanese bikes have components and systems made in China. Often the Chinese parts are of the cast variety (molten metal poured into a mold) as the rough Chinese finish can be cleaned-up by cheap (for now) Chinese labor. However, the Koreans (of the Southern persuasion) are on the move, and have apparently done so well producing some of the more precision parts that a few ENTIRE Japanese motorcycles are COMPLETELY made there in South Korea. So, based on the above, I would expect Yamaha, having emerged as a "quality brand," to protect its market share by having raw parts made all over the world, each country contributing what it does best and cheapest. One might think that rough valve sets and certain formed tubing might be made in China, finished in Korea, and assembled in major market areas... such as (in my case) the USA. Then you have the cheapness of foreign labor allied with the "perceived precision" of Japanese-manufactured consumer goods, all gathered-up behind the banner of a major brand "Made In The USA" (again, in my case). If history is a good teacher (and it is), no Yamaha assembly line horn will ever knock off the best craftsman-built horns; Yamaha will either 1) endeavor to keep the small maker "small," or 2) buy him out. And you may fill-in your favorite niche-maker here. What science and industry can do is to, eventually, help an assembly line horn APPROACH the best custom horns at around 1/2 the price. And is this not what's happening now? If we were to stick the Lawsons, Dan Rauch, Patterson, etc., on a time clock, how long do you think they could stay interested in giving their best? <spoken with thunder from on high> "Alright Walter, you've been fitting that 1st valve slide for 5-minutes now! Just stick the thing together and MOVE ON!" <bellowed by Neanderthanlesqe union goon into cramped work cubicle> "Hey Rauch, you'se only got deese heah five bells made? You'se is s'posed to have TEN. Get 'em done by day's end or GO FIND YUHSELF ANUDDAH JOB, CHUMP!" Private experimentation drives the state-of-the-art, and mass production institutionalizes it. We need both. Pretty soon, all of China will be Wal-Mart's shill, but only until the lion grows teeth big enough to eat the guy with the whip & chair. jrc in SC _______________________________________________ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
