Hi Ron.
Boy do I hear you. This kind of thing saturates just about every market
and industry. The two instruments you brought the the US had of course
nothing to do with Samick design. The same thing can be said about
Boston instruments... but folks just call them a variation on a Kawaii.
And oddly enough everyone seems to largely ignore all the <<european>>
and <<american>> makes coming out from China and other asian companies
that are pure stamp instruments with different names being pasted on.
The industry is in a sick condition to be sure, and the politics of
business just plain disgust me in just about any industry.
I personally don't possibility of things changing fundamentally...
indeed I see this kind of basic human behavior trait as being
fundamental to the inevitable demise of our kind unless we do change.
All the more refreshing that there are those who simply try and do the
best they can with their creativity. Tho to be sure.... frustration with
things outside the way they are is hard to avoid. Takes one heck of a
strong <<Buddhist>> mind set I suppose. Anyways...
Cheers
RicB
Its amazing how many critics have talked down our pianos by claiming
that I've just fiddled with a Samick. Steinway was getting their
plates from Kelly long before they purchased the plant, but no-one
would claim that their piano wasn't a Steinway. One of the leading
German manufacturers is getting rims pressed by Samick (I'm not
going to say who it is, so don't ask), but that manufacturer claims
to be making an all-German piano. One of the Japanese makers is
getting plates poured in China, but there's nothing in their
brochure and no-one's talking about it. But the piano is still
regarded as all Japanese. This whole 'country of origin' matter is
in my opinion just more hogwash from some in the industry who like
to feed on prejudice for marketing advantage.
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