I understand all too well what has happened, over and over again, to American Institutions, yet we as American fault the Japanese for "killing" our auto business....NO, they did not kill it, the Americans shot themselves in the foot by building crap. I don't care how you stack it up, I will only buy something that is a value. There is a difference, when you are talking price and quality and value. For $20,000, I am not going to buy a car that is a throw away, when for that same hard earned money, I can buy a quality built vehicle, that is built here, by American workers (2004 Nissan Titan), and will outlast its' counterpart, with fewer mechanical problems. I will not support the labor unoins, and their agenda of theft. When the labor unions get involved, they tell the workers it is OK to build crap, because they will protect the worker, and then the worst of them do exactly that, and what do we get? In the 80s, early 80s especially, we built absolute garbage. Why, in my right mind, would I buy it? When for the same money, I could buy something that lasts as thrice long for the same money? Or less? At this point, it is more about my pocketbook than that of the American producers who value profit over value. An American auto from the 80s is where? In the junkyard. As much as I despise them, many Hondas from the same time are still on the road. And Toyotas and Nissans. And they built far fewer autos than we did.
The same is not exactly true of the drum industry. It became overwhelmed in the 60s, and in a move to fill two markets, the Japanese capitalized. They filled a need for lower line drums, and because of this, so many of today's drummers are well, drummers. And then they also took a minor share of the middle market. Many people want to say the Japanese took the market away. They did not, American makers could not keep up with demand, nor were they interested in a lower end market, so there was plenty of business for all. Then the American investment engine saw an opportunity to capitalize on the music industry, and CBS geared up to start buying everything music in a bid to increase the bottom line. It was at this point that the quality fell through the floor. So, once again, there was a market that yearned for higher quality, and since we were concentrating on the greed of a nation in search of more money, they capitalized, again.
Now I ask you this. Would you rather there be no drummers from the 80s forth? And as so many have stated, Why would you want an American set of drums from the 80s, 90s, and newer? No one wants them, so what difference does it make? The Japanese are not at fault, we are. It is our greed that caused the industry to fall apart. If the Japanese had not come in, Ludwig was not about to increase quality, nor was Gretsch, or Rogers, no one....Can't you all see, this has nothing to do with the Japanese, it has everything to do with America's desire to maximize profit. We take the best and simplest ideas, then strip it down to the absolute bottom dollar, make a great product of the cheapest material available and over-hype it with slick advertising and then sell it, to hell with quality. It's all about if the INVESTOR is happy, not the consumer. So as long as Wall Street is cool with it, to hell with Main Street. Ludwig is but a ghost of it's former self, and at one time they ruled the drum market.
Pearl, TAMA and Yamaha build, and have continued unwaveringly to build, three levels of product. And they have for many yhears, and we buy all three levels because we know if we buy the top of the pile, they are going to be good. If we buy the bottom, we know they are going to be....good, a value for the money. Ludwig, we don't know because we can't keep up with this weeks supplier. We, as American's, don't know who our American company is going to use next week to sell us what makes the most money for the INVESTOR.
Look, all three of the major Japanese companies have survived because they are consistent. In the auto industry and the drum industry.
I am only playing the Devil's Advocate here. Trust me, If I knew that I could buy everything from an American producer, and it would be a VALUE to me, I would without question buy all American. However, because we, as Americans, seem to care more about profit than quality. And keeping our own workers employed in full time, well paying jobs, without the threat of some union boss telling us we can produce as much crap as we want because if manangement says one word, well by God, we'll show him, we'll strike!
It is a vicious circle. And it all circles around one thing...corporate greed.
I have one question for all of you:
If the Japanese had not stepped in during the 60s, where would you have gotten your first drum set?
There would not have been many available for your parents to purchase because the music industry would have bought every drum set they could get there hands on. They would have done this because there was not enough production capacity to satisfy the demand. It is because the MIJ exists that many of you are drummers today, and are able to collect vintage American drums. Your parents chose to buy you a drum set only because the MIJ set at Sears was $125.00, instead of $650.00. That is all there is to it, whether you like it, or want to admit or not. And I like them because they are fun, they are cheap, and they have a great sound. No, they are not the same quality, they do not have the same sound, but they have as much character, and they do sound wonderful. The only reason they sound good today is because of the advances in heads? Not entirely. Some of us actually know a thing or two about sound waves and engineering, and wood working to do the job. And I can buy a complete kit, in good condition, for way less than a set of Ludwigs. Make no mistake, Ludwig killed Ludwig, not Pearl. Pearl got you behind your first drum set.
