There are four big brand names in the saxophone business. These are Selmer, Yamaha, Yanagisawah, and Keilwerth. Selmer (American Made) and Yanagisawah (Japanese Made) brands are owned by Steinway (an American Company). Yamaha stands alone and is made in Japan. The Keilwerth brand used to be made in Germany, but is now made in Taiwan.

For many years, Taiwan made about a third of all the saxophones in the world. They were the lower end models. However, in recent years, Mainland China has come in and taken over the low end market. You can now buy a low end Chinese saxophone for less than three hundred dollars.

The competition from China forced Taiwan manufacturers to innovate and improve quality. They started to import brass from France, Cork from Italy, and are now using blue steel springs. Taiwan has figured out that to remain competitive their quality must be top notch because their labor cost is higher than that of China.

What has happened in the market is good for the consumer. You can purchase a Taiwanese saxophone for much less than the big four brands and the quality is very close to the same. The Taiwanese quality is similar to mid range saxophones of the big four that cost thousands more. The highest end of the big four brands is still better, but you are going to pay an awful lot to get that additional quality.

Value

The Taiwanese saxophones are the best value for the money. You get a high quality saxophone for thousands less. We can expect that over time, Taiwanese saxophones will increase in price equivalent to the big four as they develop their own national brand. In fact, developing a national brand is what Taiwan manufacturers are currently trying to do.

Tags : Taiwan Business, Taiwan Travel, Taiwanese News