Groups
Valley City Community Band
Valley City State University Concert Band
2024 North Dakota Intercollegiate Band (you're never too old!)
Larry Herzog Jr.
All things EUPHONIUM! Guilded server
The government purchasing process takes time to adapt to change.
Many government horns are on a 10+ year replacement cycle (mine are 25 and 10 years old)
I’m pretty sure the landscape will look very different in another decade.
Likewise representation of college studios.
I think another consideration for government procurement is country of origin. I don't know if your experience doing the military band thing has been similar to my own, but (at least in my experience) there's never been any directive or pressure to buy American. With that said, I would have hesitation buying a Q series Shires or any horn with most of the manufacturing done in China. That's not a knock on the quality of the instrument (I own and happily play a Q41 and think it's great!) but rather abundant caution when talking to folks that come to a concert. I'm probably a little too sensitive to the politics and policy of the day, but it's not a purchase I would want to have to explain in small town America or to a general officer that might have some stronger opinions about who we're giving tax dollars to.
To be fair, I would also rule out anything that comes with a tuning trigger (or requires a trigger to play in tune) for fear of the hardware snagging on a uniform during a parade or marching ceremony. Same for anything with a thin bell - after a bad incident about 11 years ago with a young bass drummer incorrectly executing a counter march into my face, I'm a little distrusting.
Andrew Easley
Principal Euphonium, 35th Infantry Division Band of the Kansas Army National Guard
I do think it's interesting that Eastman would make this acquisition. I'll admit that I don't know much about Willson outside of the euphoniums. I've never seen a player using their tubas, and I don't know if they make other brass instruments.
If anything, this would give the parent company a potential flagship brand in the tuba world?
I would be curious to see if they do anything to thin the product offerings across the various brands. Willson makes 3 different compensating horns at a premium price point along with the Shires Custom horns. Below that you have the Shires Q series and the Eastman branded horns just below that. That's about 8 different models of euphoniums - granted, they're across a fairly wide pricing spectrum, but that seems like a lot of product overlap for a relatively obscure instrument. In the same way that Conn and King no longer produce a full line of trombones (you can buy the other brand or Bach in the same parent company), I guess I wouldn't be surprised to see some consolidation of offerings.
Andrew Easley
Principal Euphonium, 35th Infantry Division Band of the Kansas Army National Guard
I was recently at the US Army band event (was able to attend on friday as I was in town for training in DC). Anyways, saw more than one powerpoint presentation driven by an Apple computer and NUMEROUS military musicians with smartphones (all manufactured in China). I'd be MUCH more concerned by China-manufactured electronics being used by the military than with brass instruments.
Shires is probably the most "American" horn currently available...Chinese relationship not withstanding.
Groups
Valley City Community Band
Valley City State University Concert Band
2024 North Dakota Intercollegiate Band (you're never too old!)
Larry Herzog Jr.
All things EUPHONIUM! Guilded server
Andrew Easley
Principal Euphonium, 35th Infantry Division Band of the Kansas Army National Guard
pre-acquisition, Steve Shires went to China and helped them with their design and manufacturing process. Shires was doing QA on some of the Eastman models at one point when they were imported. Now that Shires is a subsidiary of Eastman, some of the Shires entry-level models are actually made to Shires specifications in the Eastman factory. This is Shires utilizing the resources of Eastman (i.e. Chinese manufacturing) to expand, not Eastman telling Shires how to design their instruments and run their business.
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Barry