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"I just sent a viola to a guy who has
a shop in Harlem," he says. "He pays
$10,000 a month for space that's a
little bigger than this room. e eco-
nomics are very different."
Like the guitar-makers, Slobodkin
expects global demand for the violin
family of instruments to remain
steady and likely even surge, given
the love of classical music around the
world.
But it's not about the market, mak-
ers agree. It's about the music.
"e relationship between profes-
sional musicians and their instru-
ments is in some ways closer than
a married couple," says Slobodkin.
"ey're literally spending more time
with their instruments than they are
with their spouses, not to mention
depending on it to make a living."
Says Rzepka, "e better and more
successful the player, the less they care
about the branding and even the look
of the guitar. ey just want to sit
down and play."
Laurie Schreiber, a senior writer at Mainebiz,
can be reached at lschreiber
@
mainebiz.biz
Dana Bourgeois Dana Bourgeois recently partnered recently partnered
with Pomona, Calif.-based with Pomona, Calif.-based Eastman Eastman
Music Co Music Co. to produce an affordable . to produce an affordable
line of guitars. line of guitars.
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