Re: [Harp-L] Harps made in China

[Ken Deifik <kenneth.d@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 01:31 PM 4/23/2008, Gary the P wrote:
> This may sound a bit pessimistic but businesses all over the world are 
> often run the way you describe and construct sophisticated PR damage 
> control programs to compensate for the occasional screw up or life(s) 
> lost. China doesn't have the corner on this behavior.

Perhaps, but the guys I was working with had dealt with loads of 
manufacturers and when they first brought up their problems with the 
purifier distrib they expected absolutely no results.

They explained to me that for some companies making junk is a numbers 
game.  Get a bunch out the door and ignore the complaints.  If there's a 
profit after the returns, you're doing it right, as far as they're concerned.

They were mightily surprised at how rapidly the Chinese manufacturer 
responded, and how effectively.  Every issue they raised was dealt with in 
the next shipment, and this is with an American distrib in the middle.  For 
instance, a rubber gasket was stuck onto a replaceable part in such a way 
that someone must've been forced to make six per minute.  It was very 
gappy, seriously degrading performance.  After the complaint it was obvious 
that they took much more time installing this gasket, and improved the 
process, too.  No more gaps.

I seem to recall that there used to be a kit you could buy to test whether 
your coffee mugs had lead in the glaze.  I wonder if that kind of approach 
would be possible with harps.

As for not digging Hohners, I'm witcha buddy.  However, I bought a C# 
Marine Band due to an emergency last summer, cringing all the way.  After 
an hour of playing that thing had set up very nicely. I was 
surprised.  Still didn't compare to my Suzuki Fire Breaths, but I was 
impressed.  Back when you had two choices for harps, either buy a Hohner or 
take up guitar, I perfected a method for only buying airtight Hohners that 
played well:

I got a job in a record store that sold MB's and Blues Harps.  The trick: I 
tested every single harp that came in.  Kept all the goodies.  There 
weren't that many.

I sold all the junk to customers, saving many of them from a life at a 
harmonica player's pay grade.

I have to think that to this very day clever harmonica players who work at 
music stores are trying to do us the same favor.

K