Beginner Saxes Conn-Selmer plant closing

[PigSquealer]

I wonder how long it has been since Conn-Selmers were Taiwanese tho (beginner and intermediates).

I am familiar w/the Taiwan saxes you speak of, the 300, 500, 600 models, but I have worked on ones which I THOUGHT were later, the Preludes, 700, 711...and those are significantly inferior to the aforementioned models stamped Taiwan (although in their time, Conn-Selmer marketed 7XX as intermediates, the Taiwan-made 'base model' 300, as well as the 500, were far better saxes).

I had assumed that the Prelude 7XX series was a more recent instrument than the 300's, 500's, 600's.

Maybe I have the timeline backwards ? If the 7XX models were superceded by the 300-600 models, then indeed Conn-Selmer moved their production to Taiwan and the result was a much better horn. If the opposite, then they went Taiwan to China and the quality declined.

I gotta admit I do not spend much attention on Conn-Selmer. They seem to sell pretty well, new, even their student lines...but used, they are a pretty hard sell compared to a Jupiter, for example.

Their current student is a 201 and 301 and the intermediate is a 411 and 511. But I dunno where those are made, with certitude....do you ?

*edit...just saw a 301 used on eFlay, it is stamped Vietnam...

I do not know the exact timeline or models. Also there’s always the chance that CS buys from different sources.

 

[JayeNM]

I do not know the exact timeline or models. Also there’s always the chance that CS buys from different sources.

I suppose the info is out there, whether it's worth the time or not. My 'default' assumption always tends to be if a company has switched production facilities a number of times, especially on their non-pro lines, they are cutting costs and dropping quality as opposed to finding a source which improves quality.

I also generalize that as following a pattern of "started in Taiwan, moved to China, then moved to Vietnam/Indonesia/etc" as paralleling the drop in quality. The primary objective of the corporation is to cut production costs, not increase or even maintain quality, necessarily. But admittedly that is a broad generalization, as we know some China produced horns are excellent (but not cheap).

The Taiwan student/intermediate C-S's are respectable. That C-S would have actually moved production from China to Taiwan because the former was having QC issues...would be logical and laudable from a normal player's/consumer's perspective, but sorta contrary to what industry generally has been doing for the past several decades.

 

[PigSquealer]

My 'default' assumption always tends to be if a company has switched production facilities a number of times, especially on their non-pro lines, they are cutting costs and dropping quality as opposed to finding a source which improves quality.

Yamaha moved their student lines to China and Indonesia, one time to the US. Zero difference in quality.
Global economics, shipping, labor/operational costs, duties/taxes/ exchange rates. All make for necessary changes to stay competitive with the exact same quality.
40 hours to produce a quality tenor. In Vietnam with skilled labor that’s around a $75 expense. Add ten pounds of yellow brass, rent etc. By Friday you have a ready to ship tenor for under $200.

The biggest problem I see coming is identifying a make of the last 20 years or so. “Who made this ?” threads of the future.
Common horns made after mid 1960’s to 2000 are already challenging to ID. You’re working on current ones and can’t tell who the actual maker is.

 

[Ghr9204]

to 2000 are already challenging to ID. You’re working on current ones and can’t tell who the actual maker is.

Perhaps some of the obfuscation is to hide how much the marketer actually paid wholesale for the contracted work to be done?

 

[thomsax]

Yamaha moved their student lines to China and Indonesia, one time to the US. Zero difference in quality.

It's easier for big company with enough money to work close to a manufacturer . Sax, trumpets, tools, white goods ..... . To order 500 barisaxes made by the specification is differnt than buying 10 blanks from the shelf.

 

[PigSquealer]

It's easier for big company with enough money to work close to a manufacturer . Sax, trumpets, tools, white goods ..... . To order 500 barisaxes made by the specification is differnt than buying 10 blanks from the shelf.

Chateau has an 100 unit minimum order on custom label spec orders. Ask me how I know….

 

[LostCircuits]

The epitaph by the Washington Post:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/08/01/conn-selmer-factory-closes-ohio-despite-trumps-manufacturing-push/?utm_campaign=wp_post_most&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_content=&utm_term=

 

[Jimmymack]

I guess that’s it for the Connfirmation although it was said to be a limited edition anyway, supposedly made in America. But goodbye to any hopes for a tenor. Not that I had any at that price.

 

[Jimmymack]

The epitaph by the Washington Post:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/08/01/conn-selmer-factory-closes-ohio-despite-trumps-manufacturing-push/?utm_campaign=wp_post_most&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_content=&utm_term=

Interesting, and sad, article, if a bit long, and it confirms that they didn’t makes saxophones there. Although they did make french horns.

 

[LostCircuits]

I guess that’s it for the Connfirmation although it was said to be a limited edition anyway, supposedly made in America. But goodbye to any hopes for a tenor. Not that I had any at that price.

That was one of my thoughts a few months ago when I posted the first announcement on that other site....

 

[Pete Thomas]

I guess that’s it for the Connfirmation although it was said to be a limited edition anyway, supposedly made in America

I didn’t think it was ever supposedly made in America.

Interesting, and sad, article, if a bit long,

as long and winding as a sousaphone. I gave up a third of the way through, but appreciated all the popup ads for pile ointment

 

[Jimmymack]

Best sort of ad for pile ointment.

 

[Tuppertn]

The epitaph by the Washington Post:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/08/01/conn-selmer-factory-closes-ohio-despite-trumps-manufacturing-push/?utm_campaign=wp_post_most&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_content=&utm_term=

Crazy biased "reporting" there. More of a political statement than a news article. Not surprising given the source. Lots of AI input too.

Not a surprising turn of events either. The "Good Old Days" never come back around. That's why they're the "Good Old Days".

 

[MarkSax]

Crazy biased "reporting" there. More of a political statement than a news article. Not surprising given the source. Lots of AI input too.

Not a surprising turn of events either. The "Good Old Days" never come back around. That's why they're the "Good Old Days".

Where did you get that? The Washington Post is now owned by Bezos(Amazon) who has reduced editorial independence and asked the staff not to criticise the present administration for fear of reprisals. First amendment anyone?
The journalists that are left use AI to write their articles? Maybe. The AI must be crazy biased.

 

[Tuppertn]

Where did you get that? The Washington Post is now owned by Bezos(Amazon) who has reduced editorial independence and asked the staff not to criticise the present administration for fear of reprisals. First amendment anyone?
The journalists that are left use AI to write their articles? Maybe. The AI must be crazy biased.

Well, I guess it hasn't fully kicked in yet because the article basically says the plant is closing because...Trump. It's not really even an article about the plant closing. That's just the backdrop. It's an article about blue collar American workers losing their jobs because of the false promises of the current administration. The story they're actual telling is "Republican Billionaires Screw the Little Guy" (and, oh, BTW...the Conn plant closed.)

 

[PigSquealer]

I didn’t think it was ever supposedly made in America.

Assembled In Elkhart. Made from American Bach brass.
Is the Brass made in US or is that a formula and made somewhere else ?

The new CONN CAS811 | The New Bassic Sax 🎷

The new Conn CAS811 alto sax is the first pro sax produced by the Co. on American soil in over 50 years. Read what those who were involved with it have to say.

bassicsax.com

 

[Tuppertn]

The journalists that are left use AI to write their articles? Maybe. The AI must be crazy biased.

Yeah, it's increasingly true. The bias was probably added by the author, but once AI knows your bias it will play right into it.

My daughter works for a newspaper. An operation that once had 30+ workers now has 3--just reporters. They just negotiated with the paper's owners for a $1/hour raise but to get it they had to agree to the unrestricted use of AI in all reporting.

 

[lig]

Crazy biased "reporting" there. More of a political statement than a news article. Not surprising given the source. Lots of AI input too.

Not a surprising turn of events either. The "Good Old Days" never come back around. That's why they're the "Good Old Days".

Are you saying that the gist of the story is false?

This is indisputable :

The following is a direct quote from Paulson:

"We can't have American producers closing American factories and offshoring. We ‌need to protect American jobs and protect American manufacturing," Paulson told CNBC in September 2024.


What happened in reality is the opposite of that. Do you disagree?

Is pointing out the truth now biased?

 

[Pete Thomas]

Just a reminder…it may not be easy but please steer clear of politics, thanks everyone.

 

[Tuppertn]

Are you saying that the gist of the story is false?

This is indisputable :

The following is a direct quote from Paulson:

"We can't have American producers closing American factories and offshoring. We ‌need to protect American jobs and protect American manufacturing," Paulson told CNBC in September 2024.


What happened in reality is the opposite of that. Do you disagree?

I'm not talking about politics. I'm talking about the article from post #27. The plant closing was used as a pretext to make a political statement. Whether the politics are true or not is irrelevant.

Is pointing out the truth now biased?

All reporting is bias. In the US, no one reports the news without also suggesting what the consumer should think about it.