Posted by Jay Bertolet on November 10, 1999 at 09:36:24:
In Reply to: Holton 6/4 Conspiracy Theory posted by Sam Gnagey on November 10, 1999 at 06:28:56:
The story I heard was that the guy who used to make their big tubas, a small english chap whose name I can't remember, died a few years back and he took the knowledge with him. What I heard was that, unlike most manufacturers, the large Holtons were really hand made even to the point of hand hammering out most of the parts and especially the bottom bow. Maybe you could tell us just how much work it would be to train someone else to use those mandrells and start putting out horns. I don't know enough about instrument production to hazard a guess as to whether it would be financially worthwhile to pursue starting up production again. And of course, there already are two 800 lb. gorillas waiting to compete in that market with established products and maybe even a third.
All my information is third hand at best so if anyone out there has the more complete story, maybe they'll share that info with the rest of us. Me personally, I believe that if Holton did begin producing their large tubas again and they were made as well as they were in the past, they would be instantly competitive despite the establish competition they would face. One can only hope...