where are they made ?

trumpetpaul822

~are the(trumpets) conn horns still made in usa -think many are made in china now or the pieces are .

administrator

@trumpetpaul822
I don't know of many brands made in the USA, other than boutique brands. Bach Stradivarius, which is owned by Conn-Selmer, is still made here.

OldSchoolEuph

Conn-Selmer still builds trumpets at the King Eastlake and Bach Elkhart plants. These include (appropriately enough) those sold under the Bach and King names. Those sold under the Aristocrat and Prelude names on the other hand are stencilled Asian imports.

In past years, the Bach TR-200, TR-500, TR-501, TR-600 and TR-711 and similar horns were Bach-branded imports. The TR-300 was for all of about 9 months in 2009, all other TR-300s are now, as they were previously, made at Eastlake with Bach Elkhart bells. Conn-Selmer came to their senses a couple years ago and started segmenting the imports into the other brand names to halt the damage they were doing to the Bach and King names.

Newell Post

@oldschooleuph It is very strange that Bach would make the TR300 (student model) in the USA, but import the TR200 (intermediate model). However, I believe you are correct.

grune

Bach has an office in China, specifically for quality control inspection of the TR500 made in China by one factory.

GeorgeB

@oldschooleuph

When I made my comeback in 2016 I bought the Bach TR3002H student horn from one of Canada's largest music instrument dealers of Bach and other top brands and the TR3002H was definitely made in the USA for sure. But I do believe that has changed since then.

Newell Post

The Bach website still says "Made in the USA." But that might mean the parts are made all over the world and a little final soldering is done in Ohio.

administrator

@newell-post said in where are they made ?:

The Bach website still says "Made in the USA." But that might mean the parts are made all over the world and a little final soldering is done in Ohio.

Yeah, that doesn't mean much anymore I'm afraid.

grune

@administrator You should note, upon reading the ad for the TR5000, no claims for made in USA. The TR3000 has a seamless bell. As far as I know, the seamless bells are made in China. Indeed, when I held a TR3000 in my hands, it was identical to the OEM trumpet produced by the same factory that makes the TR5000. This is not to denigrate the TR line; they are fine trumpets in all respects and more than sufficient for a serious student. But it is to say Bach does have an OEM manufacturer.

administrator

@grune

Do we differentiate between Chinese and Taiwanese manufacturers? My experience with Taiwanese makers has been fairly positive.

ROWUK

My experience with Chinese instruments has been very good. We just have to understand that they do not decide on the quality, they just build to order.

When I last visited, I saw the production lines. If some customer wants a $50 trumpet, they will build it. For $51, you get some nickel silver trim, for $52, a bit thicker metal. $55 gets you a couple of mu more Monel on the valves... And so it goes up to their most expensive instruments that cost maybe $650 each (including mouthpiece, case and white gloves) when a container full is ordered. The realistically purchased instruments are VERY, VERY good!

The bad guy is not the manufacturer, rather the customer that is willing to pawn off cheap on their customers.

grune

@rowuk You are 100% correct. The very definition of OEM is made-to-order. For self-label, the Chinese will build to what sells. This is purest form of capitalism: supply to demand. The Chinese are more than capable of producing the finest quality in just about everything. They don't often, because they know to go against top brands means to carve into a very entrenched, consumer psyche. When I visited the OEM manufacturer for Bach, I trialled a self-branded horn that was equal, if not better, to my Strad. Such a horn will never be sold in NA, due to cost and price; who would pay a near-Bach price for a near Bach, when for a bit more you could have the real Bach? Such 'commercialism' is not confined to instruments. Mercedes-Benz tried to compete with Rolls Royce, by offering the Maybach. Maybach was an excellent vehicle, technically superior to the Rolls in all aspects. Rolls continued to sell, while the Maybach did not. Toyota can make the finest automobile too, and created a new brand to sell them. The Chinese have learned this lesson well.

GeorgeB

Well even though Bach claimed on the bell the TR3002H I purchased in 2016 is made in the U.S.A. .Some here feel that Bach is not telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so I will say this: if the TR300 I owned was made in China, then it was well made indeed.

That horn served me well that first year back after a 50 year break. I was especially amazed at the nice tone and how great the valves were. I sold it to a student 2 years ago and that student still uses it and loves it.
The only complaint I had was that it was not that great above the staff.

OldSchoolEuph

@georgeb said in where are they made ?:

Well even though Bach claimed on the bell the TR3002H I purchased in 2016 is made in the U.S.A. .Some here feel that Bach is not telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth, ...

I have stood next to the annealing furnace controls watching through the glass as TR-300 bell seams were flattened in the power hammer cell at Bach Elkhart prior to shipment to Eastlake. That was 2017.

grune

@georgeb My experience with the unbranded OEM model was exactly the same: a very nice horn in all respects, except above the staff.

Allchops

SCHILKE!!

HaveTrumpet

Bach doesn't make the same claim for their 500 and 600, but I don't know if there's a price difference between those and the 300.