TromboneChat

Saturday I attended the first 'Bach Fest' at the Bach Instrument Factory in Elkhart, IN.  An outstanding event generously sponsored by Conn-Selmer and their Bach Brass Brand.  There were almost 100 participants including musicians from Europe, Korea, and the US.  Trumpet players outnumbered trombonist about 4:1. Several photos are available at the Bach Brass Facebook page.  I am a trombone enthusiast playing a Bach Artisan trombone and am not sponsored or compensated for my observations or opinions. 

Linda (wife) and I arrived at the factory at 9 AM where we were greeted by friendly Bach staff and presented with 'goody bags' including a Bach t-shirt (trombone or trumpet based on your registered instrument) and a gold-plated engraved mouthpiece paperweight, sealed in factory packaging, and personally engraved with 'Bach Fest 2017' and our name.

A large conference area was set up in the factory shipping area where we were welcomed by a C-S Vice President.  On the tables were Vincent Bach's hand-written notes on mouthpiece and instrument design, historic publications, personal mouthpieces, and original drawings for many of the iconic Bach instruments.  In attendance was a grand nephew of Vincent Bach (with his wife) and a half-dozen of Bach's supported-artists.  Trombone artist Dr. Lucas Borges from Ohio University and Bach Low Brass Product Manager, Phil Brown represented Bach trombones.

We soon learned that many of the original VB publications presented to us have never been publicly displayed and a full production staff was 'brought-in' to work that day so we could see the Bach factory in operation.  Linda and I joined a group of 9 persons to be given a 'trombone-centric' tour of the factory by Phil Brown.

This was my first visit to the factory and while there are many things to see and learn, I came home with a couple lessons on brass instrument production.  1) Material quality and consistency is important; Bach uses a stable group of suppliers (instead of continually shopping for the cheapest source for materials).  2) 'Secret sauce' (particularly for bells) is based on a recipe of hand working the metal and heat treatments.  (other manufacturers can duplicate materials and shapes but the horns will not sound the same).  As a corollary, the one-piece bell is a key component of Bach horns.  3) Parts with manufacturing defects are destroyed (material recycling) and not reworked.  4) Experienced workers are the cornerstone to producing a consistent quality product.  5) At Bach, almost everything is produced in house (stamping, tube drawing, bell fabrication, soldering, polishing, lacquer, and engraving); with the Thayer valve as a noted exception for trombones.  6) Instruments are still produced with the same hand crafting techniques and frequently the same tools in use when the factory was in Mount Vernon, NY.  The most obvious exception is the use of electrostatic plating of modern lacquer.  On the other hand, mouthpiece production uses the newest computer-controlled/automated manufacturing techniques.  We were free to talk with workers and photograph all.

After the factory tour, we were invited to test 'play' any or all of the models of Bach trumpets and trombones (with at least 40 instruments to test, or you could bring in your own instrument to play) with any combination of Bach mouthpiece.  I 'found' and purchased a new Bach Artisan mouthpiece at a generous discount.

Over a catered (Panera) lunch, we were treated to a "Tedd Talk;" recounting the life of Vincent Bach (VB) and Bach corporation by recognized Bach historian Tedd Waggoner.  Tedd told of VBs early education and training as an engineer, his success as a trumpet virtuoso, his work to improve mouthpiece design and production, and eventually his work to design and manufacture quality brass instruments.  Mr. Bach's grandnephew introduced an interesting discussion of Bach's production of bugles for the US military and their role in several presidential funerals.  Tedd was open to all questions, including a frank discussion of the move to Elkhart and later 3-year factory strike (starting in April 2006).  Bach loyalists were treated to a discussion of specific production decisions including changes to bell seam locations and soldering techniques.  Tedd and Bach workers had the foresight to save shop cards and other important objects that other historic brands lost to mergers and management changes. 

Our time at the plant ended with a generous door prize drawing.  We continued our day by enjoying the free Elkhart Jazz Festival, featuring several Conn-Selmer artists, in nearby Elkhart, IN.

Bach Fest was enjoyed by all who attended.  This was a unique opportunity to see historic artifacts and observe present day production of quality brass instruments.  I have a new appreciation for the materials and work that was required to produce my Bach trombone.  I highly recommend future Bach Fest attendance for trombone enthusiasts. 

Bach Brass just loaded photos of the event:  https://www.facebook.com/pg/bachbrass/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1949704521967836

Excellent write up!  I haven't had the opportunity to write my thoughts down yet, so I'll just add to yours with a few things.

My tour group was not as trombone centric.. it was led by Lonnie Waggoner, Tedd's son.  Not as knowledgeable about the process of making things, but as an engineer who has worked at a brass instrument factory, I'm a little more knowledgeable than most on the tour.  Still a great tour, and a lot of fun for anybody that has never done this sort of thing before.  The reality of the "huge factory" is very different than is often imagined on the forums.  No brass instrument factory in the world looks like an automotive assembly line, they aren't the same.  I took the tour time to drift away a bit and just talk to some of the workers at each stop, learn a little about them and how they feel about their jobs now.  First, almost all of the ones I talked to were there from before the strike.  Some significantly (the trombone final assembly and fitting guys with about 40 years each for example).  They all have a lot of pride in what they do an want to do each operation better than before.  They also had a lot of pride about the bringing in of the Conn and Holton professional trombones.  They wanted to do them all and do them better than ever.  Not a bad goal, frankly.  As an engineer, I didn't like how little I saw of acceptable standards or gauging in each operation... how do you know it is good?  A good eye can tell a lot, but if you cannot write it down or prove it, it is more likely to be missed.

As for the horns... With the 12+ trombones they had out (bunch of 42s and Artisans, one 36H, one 50A3), they needed a once over before they let us go at them.  Several dirty tuning slides that wouldn't move and a couple of dry, scratchy valves.  Just a little bit of lube would sort it all out, but not a good look there.  Happens at every show, with most manufacturers.  Really takes a lot to make sure it doesn't.  With the emphasis that was being placed on the trumpets, I felt like I could have just walked out of the plant with a couple of the trombones and nobody would have questioned me.  Not that I would, but the point is that it felt a little ignored.

Overall, I very much enjoyed talking with a lot of the workers.  I was glad that both they and the management talked so very freely about the strike and how they are working to change how they work within the building.  I saw a lot of fairly common and straightforward management tools that help to make a safe workplace and a team that knows how to improve quality on individual aspects of multiple jobs.  I did not see much that did anything to address the variation within the product.  The first step of that is how to measure the variation.

For the rest of the event items, the lunch was good and the free and open discussion of methods/materials/and history was terrific.  The giveaways were remarkably generous (anybody need a Bass bucket mute?).

For what it's worth, if they do this again, I'll probably go a second time,
Andy

(side note) Much like my profile pic, I'm even wearing a green shirt in the photos!  Easy to identify, I suppose.

Cheers,
Andy

Quote from: elmsandr on Jun 26, 2017, 11:28AM...  As an engineer, I didn't like how little I saw of acceptable standards or gauging in each operation... how do you know it is good?  A good eye can tell a lot, but if you cannot write it down or prove it, it is more likely to be missed.

As for the horns... With the 12+ trombones they had out (bunch of 42s and Artisans, one 36H, one 50A3), they needed a once over before they let us go at them.  Several dirty tuning slides that wouldn't move and a couple of dry, scratchy valves.  Just a little bit of lube would sort it all out, but not a good look there.  Happens at every show, with most manufacturers...

Andy

I reviewed my photos and videos - when the bell is rolled and brass wire placed, the worker (appears reflexively) placed the bell between two metal plates - appearing to confirm the diameter - before he presents the finished bell for photos and then stacks with the finished work.  There are size rings and other measuring tools at the quality control inspection stops, but routine 'gauging' does not appear to be done at many work stations.

I also concur with your observation of the preparation of trombones - I could not adjust the dry tuning slides and the valve was slow on the Artisan trombone I chose to test mouthpieces.  At least the instrument sounded true and similar to mine.  I'm sure they would have prepared an instrument if asked, but the trombones were not 'dealer prepped.'

I felt a little guilty 'breaking plastic' on two new mouthpieces for testing, but was glad to have Phil Smith available to answer questions and help me choose the Artisan mouthpiece that I purchased (and really like - will play in it's second concert this evening). 

Quote from: elmsandr on Jun 26, 2017, 11:28AM...  As an engineer, I didn't like how little I saw of acceptable standards or gauging in each operation... how do you know it is good?  A good eye can tell a lot, but if you cannot write it down or prove it, it is more likely to be missed.

As for the horns... With the 12+ trombones they had out (bunch of 42s and Artisans, one 36H, one 50A3), they needed a once over before they let us go at them.  Several dirty tuning slides that wouldn't move and a couple of dry, scratchy valves.  Just a little bit of lube would sort it all out, but not a good look there.  Happens at every show, with most manufacturers...

Andy

I reviewed my photos and videos - when the bell is rolled and brass wire placed, the worker (appears reflexively) placed the bell between two metal plates - appearing to confirm the diameter - before he presents the finished bell for photos and then stacks with the finished work.  There are size rings and other measuring tools at the quality control inspection stops, but routine 'gauging' does not appear to be done at many work stations.

I also concur with your observation of the preparation of trombones - I could not adjust the dry tuning slides and the valve was slow on the Artisan trombone I chose to test mouthpieces.  At least the instrument sounded true and similar to mine.  I'm sure they would have prepared an instrument if asked, but the trombones were not 'dealer prepped.'

I felt a little guilty 'breaking plastic' on two new mouthpieces for testing, but was glad to have Phil Smith available to answer questions and help me choose the Artisan mouthpiece that I purchased (and really like - will play in it's second concert this evening).