[Harp-L] (no subject)

joe leone <3n037@xxxxxxxxxxx> · Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:35:55 -0500

On Jan 27, 2010, at 1:54 PM, Vern wrote:

The following is just my personal opinion, based on my observations  
and experience in buying over a hundred 12-hole chromatics over a  
20-year period.
The Hering customers are like Bill Price and Joe Leone.  They like  
the low price, are willing to wait for sporadic availability, and  
are able to deal with any problems themselves.

Well. basically, I can afford any chromo out there but I base my  
entire life on justifications. It doesn't make sense for me to use  
(say) a set of custom golf clubs. Maybe a 1 or 2 stroke advantage for  
someone like Tiger Woods would matter, but not for me. I have heard  
players who used $6,500.oo, $650.oo, and $65.oo chromos. I find that  
the players 'I' like use the $65.oo chromo. My mantra has always been  
"Shut up and learn to play". When I listen to Toots, Bernie Bray,  
Less Thompson..they are playing stock instruments. That's good enough  
for me.

The availability of their products in the US has never been  
consistent.

This may be partially due to the distributors. I don't know?
Relationships with their US dealers and service providers have been  
troubled.

My understanding is that several times the dealer wasn't in any  
position to make repairs, even tough (nor had the expertise) repairs  
were part of the deal. SO, repairs stacked up as dealers shipped  
replacement units. Then eventually, the number of units languished  
and overwhelmed the dealer. I don't know.
Harmonica warranty service has been mostly non-existent.

See my statement from some moments ago.
Their president regularly shows up at SPAH, learns nothing, then  
returns to Brazil and continues with his contemptuous disregard for  
the US market.

a... I don't know who he is? This is news to me. Perhaps we don't  
impress him? I don't know.
Their approaches to the US market have been characterized my many  
new beginnings that soon fizzle.

They may not be selective enough when choosing dealers. Maybe someone  
has snowjobbed them into thinking they CAN handle the  
distribution..when they can't. I don't know.

It seems to me that Hering has almost deliberately passed up  
opportunities to become a major harmonica provider in the US.

I wonder if they don't want to get any bigger? I mean, maybe they're  
happy with a small tight knit staff where they all know each other,  
and they're like one big happy family. Maybe this breeds security..in  
their eyes. I don't know.
They don't seem to care about competing in the US.  They may have  
decided that good customer service would be so costly that they  
would lose their price advantage.

I noticed point 1, and agree on point 2.

My opinion only.
Vern

Here's what I DO know. It was in the early 90s when I had some of my  
Hohner order replaced with Herings. The Hohners were around $65.oo  
(270) and $97.oo for a super 64 ..WITH screws ($92.oo with drift  
pins). The Herings were $55.oo for the 12 hole unit and (a mere)  
$65.oo for THEIR version of the super 64. These harps were for people  
other than myself. They all worked fine and we didn't have any  
immediate problems with them.
As time went on, I discovered that Leo Friedman was making brass,  
alum., copper, and monel combs for Hering 48s & 64s. I gave him a  
piece of Westinghouse dynamo pourous bronze and he cut me a comb. I  
still use that chromo and it is still my best one. I currently have 6  
Herings, 5 Hohners and a Seydel. If I want tone, I use a Hohner, but  
if I want carry, I use a Hering. Jury is still out on the Seydel.
I have tried just about anything that was ever available except a  
Polstadt. I feel the Hering is still the most even response, ALL the  
reeds have worked..which is more than I can say for the Hohners (at  
least the ones in C). They have the best slide in the business and  
rarely stick. The chrome jobs can't be beat. The springs are just the  
right tension. The parts all fit perfectly.
A few years ago, when I was rich, I had considered vying for the U.S.  
distributorship but was scared away due to postings on harp-l and  
slidemeister. I felt it was a thankless endeavor. All my life I have  
felt that when you bought a harmonica, that was it. It was your baby.  
The only reason I do my own fixing is that I don't want to wait 4  
days going, 4 days (or +) at the shop, and 4 days returning.
I once wanted to send a 64 away to be re-tuned. I was told that it  
was $25.oo per octave. What? The chromo had only cost me around  
$28.50 when it was new. Naah, I ride em hard and put em away wet. And  
when they drop, I toss them off the Caloosahatchee bridge.
smo-joe

On Jan 26, 2010, at 9:53 PM, joe leone wrote:

On Jan 26, 2010, at 10:54 PM, Bill Kumpe wrote:

The dark horse is Hering.  They could really shine in this market
Bill Kumpe
Tulsa, OK
_Hering already makes a superior chromo :)

smo-joe
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