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insight from Jason...

Your purchase decisions shape our music industry...

8/18/2021

13 Comments

 
Many people tell me that I have no right to criticize those in the music industry for profiting at the expense of cheap laborers in other countries. I'm told, "this is none of your business, focus on your work and leave China and India alone."

First, yes, I do have the right to criticize what is destroying most of our industry and I feel obligated to say something. I see what happens behind the scenes that most consumers are completely oblivious to because I'm given information that is unavailable to the general public. If you want 95% of all instruments to be inexpensive crude copies of skillfully crafted high end instruments, then this post is not for you.

Second, think about the people working in the factories producing these instruments. What is the goal of the factory owners (The People's Republic of China)? To make as many trumpet looking objects (or clarinets, tubas, keyboards, etc.) as possible in as little time as possible? Why? Because China's goal is to destroy the companies that supply high quality goods throughout the world in an effort to become the greatest super power. And they are doing this at the expense of the health, wellness, and happiness of their own people. Don't believe this their goal? Look it up. It's been happening for decades and as I write this today, Amazon, Walmart, and thousands of online retailers are aiding this agenda through their own efforts to profit from cheap imports. We choose to be blind to this problem because we like to have more "stuff" rather than higher quality.

Third, how does profiting from pre-made, branded imports serve the consumer if this tactic puts the high quality competitors out of business? What you are left with is just one option, the same inexpensive products that do not perform on the level necessary to meet our definition of value. If an object costs 1/10th the price, are you going to buy 10 of them over your lifetime to meet the expectations of one high quality competing product? Probably not. You're more likely to never achieve the satisfaction, reliability, durability, quality engineering, design, materials, etc. even if you purchased 100 of the cheaper products.

Picture
One of hundreds of photos related to offers to purchase inexpensive trumpet objects over the past 20+ years.
I posted some of this content on my Facebook page to get a feel for where my audience sits on this seemingly controversial subject. Honestly, I don't know how or why there is controversy. Would you want your son or daughter to find the cheapest low quality vehicle to take to his/her first year of college? We perceive quality for very good reasons and making these decisions can have a real impact on our lives. I'm not saying you need to buy a new BMW or Cadillac for your graduating senior, but sending them to school in the car with the lowest safety ratings is another story.

Here are a few questions that may evoke a response and make us think...
  • Would you feed your dog or cat the lowest quality pet food?
  • Do you reward a birthday or celebration at Wendy's?
  • Is family night spent doing group activities or does everyone sit on their own personal electronic devices?
  • What is a quality product? What is quality time?

What we choose is what we become. I spent several years of my childhood living in a semi-truck and many more living in a low income trailer court on the outskirts of town. When I was a kid, my parents probably took me to McDonald's for my birthday more than once. I understand that many of us do not have the luxury to choose high quality options every time. Do we have the ability to choose quality over quantity where it really matters? Even on a budget?

Having made thousands of custom trumpets for individual clients, I have witnessed first hand the high percentage of low income trumpet players who choose the highest quality instrument. I have also noted a fair number of high income trumpet players purchasing the highest quality instruments. More (relatively) low income trumpet players buy custom Harrelson trumpets than any other income level. That really tells you something.

Do you know who usually asks questions, kicks the tires, but never buys a high end trumpet? The middle class! So many people are convinced that having 12 inexpensive trumpets is better than having one or two high end trumpets, yet they come back and kick the tires again and again.

I had a prospective client call me last year during the pandemic asking about a new Muse MMXX trumpet. This person had made hard inquiries on my instruments many times over the past 10+ years, but never made a purchase. He asked me if I would consider a trade towards the Muse. I asked him what he had in mind. He proceeded to tell me that over the past ten years, he has purchased a knock-off Harrelson from China, a knock-off Flumpet from China, and a knock-off Taylor, again from China, and many other inexpensive trumpets. He said, "I'm convinced none of these are as good as a Harrelson so I'd like to trade all of them for $8000 value", which is approximately what he had invested in them. In those ten years, he never spent $200 for a round trip ticket to visit our shop and try our trumpets.

The deal didn't work out and, as far as I know, he still does not have a Harrelson trumpet. Why should I pay for all of his poor purchase decisions by taking them in trade. Do you know how much a second hand knock-off of a Flumpet or Harrelson sells for on the used market? Around $600 on a good day.

The quality of knock-off trumpets is extremely low in comparison to the original products they attempt to copy. It's sad to see people promote them to their students in social media groups because the dimensions, solder, solder joints, materials, and workmanship are beyond questionable. They don't come anywhere close to matching a student line Yamaha trumpet. And for that matter, a 60-year-old Olds Ambassador is 20 times better than one of these trumpet objects. Do they look nice from the outside? Usually, but it truly is what is inside that counts.

PictureAn actual quote I received from a factory in China this week. Name or logo of my choice may be engraved on these instruments.
I've posted the actual quote I received from the factory so everyone can see how easy it is to make $500 profit on them. There are many dealers having their company name (or some made up name) engraved on these and making huge profit margins at the expense of both the consumer and those working in factories. These factories are unsafe (in pretty much every way), provide very little pay for their effort, and do not care about their employees. Supporting cheap Chinese junk is exactly why it exists along with all the associated humanitarian problems.

Picture
My rant is far from over. I started this discussion with my friends and family when I was in 6th grade. This is when I first discovered the vast differences between cheap and great. I vowed to be an inventor and had over 50 inventions scratched into my notebook by the time I was 12 years old. I built Harrelson Trumpets out of my passion for great engineering innovations and I will continue my quest as this work is extremely satisfying.

If you need an inexpensive trumpet, think first about who made it and why? Was it made by someone who loves their work? If not, are you encouraging the opposite by supporting a company with different values than yourself? Would a second hand instrument made with great skill, care, and shared values be a better option? There are millions of high quality used trumpets (and other musical instruments) available on the market that will play easier, last longer, and bring more joy than a brand new knock-off import.

Try an Olds Ambassador or a Getzen. Kanstul made a great number of French Besson trumpets. There are so many great used options. Or have a repair tech improve, repair, upgrade a pro instrument that has seen better days.

The more we support something, the more it will exist in our lives. And to be clear, I have nothing against imports! There are so many great options available in this world and most of them come from outside of North America. I'm 100% invested in tools, machinery, and equipment made in other countries. It's all about choosing what aligns with our values regardless of the "normal sized" price tag. If you want to jump on every low priced item, you are racing to the bottom of the barrel and you will eventually win along with everyone who chooses quantity over quality.

Instagram
13 Comments
Randy
8/24/2021 10:55:26 am

Interesting piece. I made the same decision years ago, choosing a few high quality pieces over a larger number of medium/low quality ones. Not just in trumpets, either. Firearms, motorcycles, anything I choose to get involved with. I bought the top line, content with the fact I could have bought more, but I couldn't have bought better. Currently, I'm 61, been playing since age 9, and have three horns: A Bach Strad 37 I've had since 1974, a Holton Al Hirt Special (T 500) my patents bought for me in 1973, and an Olds Superstar purchased on eBay after Rich Ita did the refurb.

Reply
JH
8/27/2021 03:13:52 pm

Very nice collection!

Reply
Greg Z link
8/24/2021 10:55:30 am

I could not agree more.

Reply
Eric Ottem
8/24/2021 11:07:33 am

Fortunately I am one of the middle class customers who bought a custom Harrelson Summit as my mid-life crisis horn for my 50th. While in the Harrelson Shop, though, I became more than a little obsessed about Jason's craft and found myself wishing I, too, had studied metals and sonic physics instead of literature and mathematics. As a high school administrator I've also bought a ton of used student horns from a previous era to sell cheaply to 6th graders, in lieu of the product they'd get new from China or India, and in lieu of the decent rental horns that cost twice as much as the Olds Ambassador or three times as much as the medium bore King 600, which ALWAYS has killer valves... etc.

Fortunately, too, my collector itch has subsided almost completely, and I'm spending my time trying to compose and practice. I don't scour the market every hour as in the past. But I trust there are still great old horns to be had for $600 and very, very good ones for $400. Of course 99% of the neophyte trumpeters have no one to find them a good deal... and so they want shiny.

I confess I DID buy a new flugelhorn from China for $200 just to see what it played like. It plays, and as a pretty good player I can make it sound pretty good... but it's a fight to play it, compared to my Lawler, compared to my old Reynolds, to the several flugels that have come and gone in the past 8 years. It's black lacquer and looks cool with gold lacquer caps. I also bought 3 cheap "hard" (styrofoam/nylon) cases for the used student trumpets I was passing along. Zippers failed within a couple months in all 3 cases.

And I knew Jason had made it big when China began offering horns that looked similar to my Summit and bore a name that would almost pass scrutiny on a hand-written name tag at a Harrelson family gathering!

I'm not beating China down for wanting a slice of the American Pie. I'm bummed that the global climate must suffer their industrial revolution... and India's. The world can't really afford for both poor, overpopulated countries to follow in America's rust belt glory days.

There are small, independent American trumpet companies who go through 20 Chinese-made valve blocks, etc to find a decent one to finish as a "custom" horn.

If you want a horn from the smoggy air, go with something from the Elkhart, IN 60's or Fullerton, CA 60's. Put your best air through it in middle school band and you'll be a lot happier.

When you can afford one, Jason's horns are terrific, and way sexier than the ones you'd pay twice as much for in Portland, OR!!

Reply
John
8/24/2021 11:16:52 am

All true!

Reply
Shimon Sowinski link
8/24/2021 11:34:34 am

Jason,

Great post. I remember being in fourth grade and knowing that playing trumpet was what I wanted to do for a living. I hounded my dad for a long time for a professional "silver" trumpet, a step up from my Conn "Shooting Star" Constellation.
He worked hard and sacrificed to get me a Getzen Severinsen Eterna, and my playing reached a higher level because of that instrument.
Years later I not only switched to a Schilke, I ended up working for the company scraping horns.
My playing once again vastly improved.
My final upgrade in horns are my trumpets hand made for me by Paul Jennings, which refined my playing even more.
Throughout this progression of custom instruments, my love of playing grew because it became easier to express myself with superior trumpets. Although I do not own one of your horns, I know that the smartest thing a serious player can do is to work with someone like you to create an instrument that increases their expressive ability.

Reply
Stephen Caldwell
8/24/2021 12:33:30 pm

I agree with so much of what you stated. I know plenty of people that pay far more than a Harrelson trumpet costs for a boat motor that is used less than a dozen time a year for recreation! And these are't rich people. As a scientist, I can attest to the value of fine craftsmanship, whether it is a trumpet or a spectrometer. Even as a music hobbyist I see the value of a fine instrument as maximizing the enjoyment I get from playing, even if I am not great. Thanks for your innovations and contributions. I really appreciate your attention to the physics (science!) of trumpets.

Reply
Chris
8/24/2021 04:05:38 pm

Hi Jason,

I agree with a lot of what you've said but at the same time not all imported instruments are bad.

I mean, some of your car and some of the furniture in your house, and most of your computer's etc where manufactured in China.

Most boutique trumpet manufacturers use CarolBrass valve blocks. If the reason there is 'they make the best valves' then that says a lot that a company in Taiwan makes better valves than anyone in America etc. Also, pretty sure most student model trumpets including the Yamaha ones are made in China.

I agree that buying cheap instruments is a poor choice for a serious player, and it's a risk for everyone else as to whether they get something actually decent or not.

That said, I don't think your prediction of cheap instruments destroying the market for boutique instruments is accurate unless the cheap instruments are genuinely holding their own in terms of how they play and how they last. When that happens, yes, it's going to be a problem to some extent. Look at Carol trumpets. Very fine instruments. Have they ruined the sales of Bach and Yamaha? I doubt it. High end trumpets compete for different buyers than low end horns.
You know, the existence of more affordable cars hasn't led to fewer people buying luxury vehicles. Some people just need a car to get to work and will probably never own a BMW or Mercedes. I don't think the two groups of buyers are in competition.

Professionals, however, will always be willing to spend money for any advantage they can get.

Reply
JH
8/27/2021 03:19:54 pm

There's a huge difference between "cheap" and "great". Either of these realities can be sourced from the USA or China. There's also a huge difference between "cheap" and "inexpensive". I'm certainly not saying everyone should be buying luxury. A BMW is really no better than a GM product if the quality control is in place. The price may be higher for a BMW in the USA, but a Cadillac is also a prized import in Germany. Yet both companies make less expensive, high quality vehicles.

Reply
Dave
8/24/2021 04:13:38 pm

How do low income people afford your custom horns?

Reply
JH
8/27/2021 03:29:01 pm

We offer zero percent financing, trade options, and our trumpets start at $2870, which is far less than a new Bach Stradivarius or Yamaha pro model.

Reply
Gordon HUdson
8/25/2021 02:15:00 am

Hello Jason,

Here is another obvious thought.
In 1989 I bought a Yamaha trumpet for £700.
I sold it in 2002 for £750.
So it effectively cost me nothing to own that instrument other than any inflation above the £50 "profit".
Parents need to take this into account when making buying decisions.

Teachers can also be helpful as they have good networks of player and suppliers and can often get a good used trumpet. I remember one music shop that had a Selmer Paris trumpet that had the usual lacquer issues and was £195. They couldn't sell it because everyone was buying the £199 Chinese trumpets. Thsi was at the beginning of the current round of Chinese imports. "Shiny, shiny" seems to be part of the problem.

And another point: When Bach Strads were £900 student trumpets were £150. Now Bach Strads are £2700 and student trumpets are still £150. But the current £150 student trumpet is of quite poor quality.

Reply
JH
8/27/2021 03:30:18 pm

Great advice! Buying high quality usually leads to appreciation or at least retained value after the trumpet has been used for many years.

Reply

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  • Performance
    • VIP Private Offers
    • SpectraTone
    • Build My Mouthpiece >
      • Intro to Mouthpieces
      • Artist Series >
        • Artist Bodies
        • Artist Rims
    • Mouthpiece Components >
      • Rim Sizes
      • Cup Sizes
      • Throat Sizes
      • Body Sizes
      • Backbore Sizes
      • Nut Sizes
    • Increase Efficiency >
      • Mod Kits
      • Finger Button Options
    • Adjustable Performance
    • Adjustable Peformance Tools
  • Advantage
    • Clinics & Tours
    • The Harrelson Story
    • Technology
    • News >
      • Jason's Blog >
        • Jason Harrelson
      • Jen's Blog
      • Company History
      • Lessons Link >
        • Teacher Information
      • Get Social
    • Clients >
      • Our Clients >
        • Client Features
      • Trumpet Components >
        • Leadpipes & Bells
        • Tuning Slides & Bell Crooks
        • Receivers
        • Bottom Cap options
        • Water Keys
      • Contact Us
      • Shipping
      • Instrument Registry
      • Acclimation
      • Maintenance
    • Trumpet Momentum >
      • Trumpet Momentum Level 1 >
        • TM 1 - Blog
        • TM 1 - Assessments
        • TM 1 - Exercises
      • Trumpet Momentum Level 2 >
        • TM 2 - Blog
        • TM 2 - Assessments
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      • Trumpet Momentum Level 3 >
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    • We have Your size
    • 100% Guarantee
  • Store
  • Instruments
    • Rumors & Dreams
    • Model Comparison
    • Buy A Harrelson
    • Muse Modular MMXX
    • 2023 VPS Summit G-Series
    • "X" Series
    • Trumpet Gallery