BRASS AND WOODWIND SECTOR SPOTLIGHT
To those not keeping a close eye on things, the brass and woodwind sector might seem pretty dormant, but in reality there is as much going on as in any other MI category. Andy Barrett reckons you just need to know where to look…
Wind of change I
t is a truth universally acknowledged that not much happens in the world of brass and woodwind… and that’s a lie.
“
If you want to sell brass and
woodwind, make sure you have someone who knows their stuff. There are
technicians in
every region of the UK.
Just ask anyone in this turned, welded, keyed and valved world and you will find that there is more going on now than (arguably) at any other time in the long and illustrious history of wind instruments. A lot of it comes down to the ‘taming’
of Far Eastern manufacture (for want of a better word), in the shape of vigorous quality control, allowing many brands to significantly increase their product ranges and bring in a trickle down (or sometimes a trickle up) effect. This means that not only has good quality manufacture been achieved in the vast halls of mass manufacturing on the western edge of the Pacific Rim, but that quality is growing and cheaper products are benefiting from the techniques and technologies. Add to that the daring and precision of UK makers, such as Peter Pollard and Andy Taylor and you have a product and brand world as dynamic as anything you could hope to find in the small world that is MI.
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For the retailer it remains, however, a bit of a minefield and a lot of homework needs to be done before taking on brass and/or woodwind ranges. For all the exceptional quality that is now available for intermediate and entry-level ranges, there are still just as many cheap and nasty instruments popping up at trade fairs around the world that should be kept as far as possible from the hands of beginners and students. For the uninitiated it can be difficult to
tell, although a couple of rules of thumb do exist. Use a reputable supplier and look for products designed by recognised technicians, for a start. What sort of back- up is offered by the manufacturer or supplier? How do they ‘feel’ in your hands? How do the mechanisms respond? Even with these sorts of questions
answered, there are still more subtle pitfalls. Thus, once again, MI Pro’s top tip is: if you want to sell brass and woodwind, make sure you have someone who knows their stuff. There are technicians in every region of the UK. Forge a relationship with
one if you don’t have the resources to bring one on to your staff. The good news is that there is a lot out there that retailers can trust implicitly.
Quick off the blocks There is one benchmark the uncertain can turn to anytime, because wherever there is brass and woodwind, there is Yamaha. Consistent – and persistently pushing up the bar for quality – the Japanese giant covers this market from top to entry level and across the whole breadth of the product offering. And it has never been easier to buy (or sell) a Yamaha instrument. Following the success of last year's part-exchange and zero per cent financing for acoustic pianos, Yamaha has now extended the offer to its wind instruments, coinciding with the 'back-to- school' season. The scheme, developed in association with Duet Finance, offers interest-free finance over ten to 36 months on any new Yamaha brass or woodwind instrument. For added dealer value, Duet
miPRO OCTOBER 2010 51
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