Official P.Mauriat Statement

[Al Stevens]

I guess you and Gary both are not familiar with international trading

How about if instead of challenging the questioners you answer the questions? You made a controversial and inflammatory statement about Selmer's manufacturing policies and presented it as a fact. Now, please either substantiate it or not. Simple as that.

[Hotspur]

Yes, Selmer R.54 are OEM in Taiwan, and I guess you don't think Ref.54 is a high end sax ????

I think you should send us all free samples so we can judge for ourselves.

[magical pig]

The french version of Selmer's website shows a tour of the company's industrial plant in France (they even reveal the actual address), you should check it out. From what I saw, they have the capacity to build their saxophones from scratch and the only foreign thing they could import is raw brass.

[retread]

The [URL="http://www.selmer.fr/"] the only foreign thing they could import is raw brass.

Finally ran out of shell casings?

[Martinman]

Wait, so they could be made with Tawaineese brass?

[spartacus]

“EN CONSTRUCTION”

“Up to the Mark VI, instruments were shipped unfinished to Selmer-USA (now Conn-Selmer, a division of Steimway Musical Instruments). Padding, lacquering, engraving and finishing waas done in the Elkhart factory. Only horns for the US market followed this process, balancing out a supply chain shortage in the French factory during the post-war period. From the Mark VII onwards (1973), all saxophones have been delivered 100% finished by Selmer-Paris at the Mantes factory. Today, Selmer Paris instruments have the same lacquer, engraving and high standard of finish throughout the world.”

[Tissot]

How about if instead of challenging the questioners you answer the questions? You made a controversial and inflammatory statement about Selmer's manufacturing policies and presented it as a fact. Now, please either substantiate it or not. Simple as that.

Simple as that, If people are smart enough, they should understand what I meant ....
I don't have to prove you anything, are you part of Selmer ? Or, you just spent some money on your new selmer for the christmas ? This is a "Global Village" of today's world. I am just very surprised to hear that many people are still believing some french brand are 100% made in france. Do you what I meant by "spare parts" ??

[soulysax]

I guess you and Gary both are not familiar with international trading .Taiwan and China are two countires that have large OEM market. The American cars that you are driving, the famous UK fashion brands that you are using, I am pretty sure there are tons of spare parts are all from China. There are many spare parts in Japanese electronic goods that you are buying are all from Taiwan. The expensive cell phone that you bought from Europe, are all OEM in China.

I am not going to say "Yes, I know the people who OEM what brand of saxophones", because that isn't going to help you to save the money in your pocket.

"Brand" is the biggest mask in the world. You don't see what's really going on as soon as you hear or see the brand.

Cheers.

Great, many things are made in China and Taiwan therefore Selmer must be too? Yes, I see it so clearly. The logic is overwhelming right Grumps?

[SactoPete]

OH! What BS! Man, I hate that. No way did he switch. I hung out with him not long before he passed on and he was playing a new Selmer. I'll look into Chaeles but I seriously doubt he switched. He might have switched long enough to accept a free one but I know him well and he doesn't switch easily at all. Phil

Look, I don't know squat about squat, but was amused by the observation that the endorsement photo on Cannonballs own website was of Charles McPherson with what appears to be a Super 20!

I've never played one, so they may be utterly fabulous horns, I'm not commenting on that. And, on the resonance stone thing, while I have MAJOR doubts about it, I overheard Scott Manderville, my local tech (who's work is stellar and I respect very much (and BTW, is a master tech and former president of NAPBIRT)) commenting favorably on the resonance stone thing in his shop the other day. I recall he is friends with and has consulted for them in the past, but he doesn't sell their horns, so it wasn't simply a sales tactic. So, I'll withold judgement until I get the chance to play one.... but I won't be glueing rocks to my sax anytime soon....

Pete

[SactoPete]

By the way, this ABSOLUTELY gets my vote in the "most derailed thread" award for the 2007 SOTWAs (SaxOnTheWebAwards).

[Bill Mecca]

Pete,

as for "resonance stones" I think they must've strapped on brass ones for that marketing ploy.


I offer this, if you want a really "funny" sound, put a slice of baloney in each shoe, and when you play, you will feel funny. (apologies to Steve Martin)

[Chris S]

I'm gonna side with Al on this one. Unless you have some kind of proof that the horns aren't made and assembled in France, you can't just assume that they aren't.

[LatePlayer]

“EN CONSTRUCTION”

“Up to the Mark VI, instruments were shipped unfinished to Selmer-USA (now Conn-Selmer, a division of Steimway Musical Instruments). Padding, lacquering, engraving and finishing waas done in the Elkhart factory. Only horns for the US market followed this process, balancing out a supply chain shortage in the French factory during the post-war period. From the Mark VII onwards (1973), all saxophones have been delivered 100% finished by Selmer-Paris at the Mantes factory. Today, Selmer Paris instruments have the same lacquer, engraving and high standard of finish throughout the world.”

Having spent many years in manufacturing marketing I find the phrase '100% finished' most interesting. Its a classic way of saying not everything is made here. It may of course also be a slip of translation!

[Tissot]

I'm gonna side with Al on this one. Unless you have some kind of proof that the horns aren't made and assembled in France, you can't just assume that they aren't.

Look, Chris, I am not trying to be a bad news reporter here, I am just trying to tell people what I have seen and heard. Sorry to make some of you being really upset.

Becuase of my job , I have to travel many places around the world, and deal with many types of products. But believe me, there are MANY products today are OEM either in Taiwan or China. And yes, that includes some brands in the BIG FOUR sax brand. The brand image covers all the truth behild the reality that we are seeing ( Gee.... I sound like a pastor now.. ). And as a saxophone lover, and an international businessman, I will try to figure out what is really going on behind some big brands.

Now, when I say the instruments were OEM in Taiwan or China, that OF COURSE doesn't include the vintages, so please don't get me wrong.

[Al Stevens]

Simple as that, If people are smart enough, they should understand what I meant ....

<plonk>

[Chris S]

Look, Chris, I am not trying to be a bad news reporter here, I am just trying to tell people what I have seen and heard. Sorry to make some of you being really upset.

I'm not upset, and I don't think you're a bad news reporter. All I'm saying is that if it's true that they outsource parts of their manufacturing, that's fine. I know it happens in every field of business that there is. I outsource some of my computer work to a company in India because I can get paid $30/hour for it, and it's relatively easy, so I send it to them because they'll do it for $7/hour, and I have more time to do things that are more important to me, and things that are interesting.

All I'm saying is that unless you've got some kind of proof of this happening, then I'm not sure we can assume that it's happening just because other industries do it.

FWIW, there's a great book out there that talks about a lot of this "The World Is Flat" by Thomas Friedman. It's long, but a very good read.

[gary]

Becuase of my job , I have to travel many places around the world, and deal with many types of products. But believe me, there are MANY products today are OEM either in Taiwan or China. And yes, that includes some brands in the BIG FOUR sax brand....etc,

I'm still waiting

Are you saying that-
- Selmer Paris saxophones are made in a different country other than France?
- that parts on Selmer Paris instruments are made outside of France?
- that Paris Selmers are designed in Taiwan?

[Martinman]

FWIW, there's a great book out there that talks about a lot of this "The World Is Flat" by Thomas Friedman. It's long, but a very good read.

+1, we read this in school.

[Chris S]

+1, we read this in school.

Wow, I might have to transfer. As far as I know, they don't read books like this in any of the classes at UNT. I could be wrong though.

If I move, will I have to become a Colts fan?

[Martinman]

I was talking about high school. We also read Freakonomics (spelling?) which I would also recomend.

About becoming a colts fan, it depends...on if you want to live.