[saxomat]

The lastest Theo Wanne Newsletter shocked me:
"We have had requests to simplify our product line. With the closeness of the AMMA to our newer GAIA and BRAHMA models in combination with their tremendous success, we are aiming to retire the AMMA model." Retire a 4-year-old mpc ? Are you kidding? Did they realy sacrify a mpc of that quality in order to "simplify the product line"? With that mpc the story of Wanne Mpc starts - so, who request to stop that most interesting and versatile mpc? What did you think about that? Please tell your opinion and tell it Theo!

 

[LampLight]

It shocked me too. First the Parvati; now the Amma. What's next?

 

[Joe Giardullo]

"Please.... say it ain't so , Theo."

"AMMA" beggin' ya!

What a great piece!

 

[jlima]

I'M glad I still have one ... and two Gaias

 

[silverselmer]

Tells me that it probably wasn't making him as much money as newer mouthpieces. New models means new hype and expectation, which leads to sales. If he limits the supply of AMMA mouthpieces and they develop a strong presence in the used-mouthpiece market that will only help him out in the long run.

 

[smogsucka]

"Please.... say it ain't so , Theo."

"AMMA" beggin' ya!

What a great piece!

Ha,Ha,love it,and the amma mouthpiece i have.
Regards.

 

[gary]

It's interesting how a mpc model can be used as a "substitute" for another. Not to say that the AMMA isn't a good mpc (personally it didn't do anything for me that other mpcs also did), but I think our psychology comes into play sometimes.

For example, I play a Ponzol M1 on tenor. I have a stainless steel M2. I also have a ML. The ML is close enough to the M1 that I could make either one work for me and the M2 is close enough to the M1 that I could do the same, if I had to. I think sometimes we split hairs in the quest for the perfect mpc when, actually, one of many would do the trick. And I have to admit that marketing comes into play.

Regarding the Wanne outputs specifically, as an outsider looking in, I have wondered why so many models so close to another and the only real answer I could come up with was buyer vulnerability for the latest and sexiest product. Let's face it, men. No matter how sweet our significant others are, we still covet our neighbors @ss, what!?

 

[LampLight]

... Let's face it, men. No matter how sweet our significant others are, we still covet our neighbors @ss, what!?

We should be so lucky. For most of us, our neighbor's @ss would be cheaper and more fun to play.

:TGNCHK:

 

[Mike F]

............actually, one of many would do the trick.

I think that's why it's a shame that the Amma is going - for me the Amma is the one of many that does the trick - the middle of the range, somewhat less interesting and therefore probably less commercially successful mouthpiece that nonetheless does everything. Yes, the others in the range may have more sex appeal (for want of a better way to put it) and I tried the Gaia, Kali and Durga first, perhaps for that reason, but for me the Amma was the right one. I hope that Theo feels that they can keep it going!

 

[sirspinbad]

...you know I justified the money i spent on my ambika wood with the thought that the closest i could get to it would be another vintage piece that costs just as much...on top of it you get a lot for your investment,a valuable ligature..and as i found out,gret customer support... but ,bottom line people always want to put him at the top of the list in the overpriced category,and these are primarily people that would NEVER spend more than $125 on a piece.... I think its about time Theo gets some vintage piece notoriaty!!

....actually I heard he cut a deal with DG and is coming out with an official line of NEW handmade guardala mouthpieces

 

[sirspinbad]

just kidding!!:tsk:

 

[Beowulfmk]

I personally think that...if theo didn't name his mpcs under the hindu deity's names and used just a plain design, his mpcs could have sold even better...

 

[Jacques5646]

I never had the chance to try any of TW's mpcs but has been amazed to watch the product range grow at an astonishing speed: 7 models for alto, 11 for tenor, 1 bari, 1 sop: 20 time 5 sizes = 100 different models to manufacture, stock, promote, sell. Mission impossible for a small outfit like Theo's firm, not to speak about agents and resellers worldwide. A range downsizing seemed mandatory if you don't want Theo's fantastic enterprise capsize one of these days.
J

 

[whaler]

. If he limits the supply of AMMA mouthpieces and they develop a strong presence in the used-mouthpiece market that will only help him out in the long run.

Unlikely, unusual business plan for something with such a limited market. It isn't like they are handmade Guardalas. People actually play(ed) those.

 

[Mike F]

It isn't like they are handmade Guardalas. People actually play(ed) those.

Thanks Whaler, I'll inform the numerous other pros that I know who use them of your opinion.

 

[LampLight]

To be fair, one of the things that works against TWI is the high precision with which their mouthpieces are made. For example, I've played three Ammas at once, and they were so alike that it was easy to pick up a mouthpiece and tell which reed was being used. Now contrast this with the Tenor Madness Early Babbitt remake (TMEB), which has received an extraordinary reception, and where people (e.g. drakesaxprof) go in and mark the boxes from "dark" through "neutral" to "light". This is one of the reasons TWI has so many pieces, whereas the TMEB has one model with well controlled and documented variations. Other vendors are also known to accommodate customer requests with variations on a basic design. This says to me that making precision mouthpieces in a process that does not easily accommodate variations is not the best production model from the customer's standpoint.

OTOH I feel, as Gary does, that "marketing comes into play". I also feel that regardless of the factors that lead to retiring a TW mouthpiece, it works against the resale value of these pieces, which will be viewed as either redundant or poor selling models. [cue: start debate over the likely resale value of AMMAs - LOL] After corresponding with TWI on this and reading through their explanation (which they can post if they wish), my view remains as unchanged: If Ammas were selling well, they would remain a regular production mouthpiece and we would not be discussing this now.

 

[MojoBari]

One of the factors may be "requests" from retailers to reduce the number of offerings so they do not need to stock so many offerings.

 

[hartt97]

From Wanne:

"We have had requests to simplify our product line...we will gain big production, scheduling, customer support, and marketing effeciences by simplifying our model line-up."

 

[sirspinbad]

I personally think that...if theo didn't name his mpcs under the hindu deity's names and used just a plain design, his mpcs could have sold even better...

hey...there are 10,000 deities....that's a big catalog!!!!

 

[saxomat]

If he wants to simplify his product line- why did he makes so many models? I don´t need no Kali, or some of that "sexy" sounding pieces... My Amma is one of the earlier one- I even don´t know why he changed the Amma. Everyone of my friends loved it. I was frustrated when he stopped the Parvati, because I just bought one of the older one and recommended it to friends. In the beginning I thought that the company has an idea musical, a vision not only a business-interest. Now I am not that sure.