UMI bought out!!!


[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ TubeNet BBS ] [ FAQ ]

Posted by Mark on July 25, 2000 at 22:45:15:

Just an FYI for Tubists everywhere:

Last weekend it was officially announced that Selmer has bought-up UMI (to us, that's Conn & King).

The official party line from Selmer is that "Nothing will change." We'll see......

UMI dumped some Conn AND King stuff when they consolidated. For example, (with the exception of the 20K sousaphone), the budget-line Conn sousa (can't remember the current model name) IS the King Sousa with a different stamp (or ugly sticker on the fiberglass model) on the bell. The little King 1135 tuba IS the former Conn 14J. It's a label game.

This wouldn't be such a tragedy, were it not for the fact the the respected Conn & King models that 'players' sought are all gone- out of production, maybe for good. It seems too bizarre that the short-stroke offset valves are still in production for the 20K sousa, but they haven't used them on any Tubas in decades. Yes, things are looking up with their recent moves back into actual pro-level brass & even CC tubas. Why not a revival of the big 20/24J? Heck, half the parts are still in production (bell collar, valves, tuning slide(s))!

Maybe they could 'cut' one to CC and put it into production too, and thereby STOP the Monster Conn Mangler Madness!

When Selmer bought up Bundy (and others), they silverplated Bundy's student-line trumpet, stamped 'Bach' on the bell, and promptly marketed it as an intermediate or "step-up" trumpet (model TR300S). Lotsa uniformed parents of wide-eyed youngsters have been buying them up because they think it's a BACH. It ain't! Meanwhile, King makes some genuine high-quality intermediate trumpets that retail for LESS than this so-called Bach.

Anyhoo, I didn't post this in order to start a panic, to badmouth Selmer or UMI, or to ask you to call your congressman. It's just good to be an informed consumer.

Pray that Selmer doesn't see the Conn 52/56J as an expendable model just cuz you can't crank out a thousand per week for school sales.

Mark Mazak
in Northeast Ohio


Follow Ups: