Stephan Suter

Suter, Stephan

Instrument Makers in USA

American brass making in the mid-1980s stood between workshop tradition and industrial change, with ten firms offering a striking cross-section of the trade.

Suter, Stephan

Instrument Makers in USA

Schilke Music Products, Inc. Chicago

In a Chicago workshop, traditional handwork meets new bell-making methods, while Renold Schilke’s uncompromising standards shape an unusual company culture.

Suter, Stephan

Instrument Makers in USA

C. G. Conn Ltd. Abilene, Texas

In Abilene, automated production and workshop skills meet under a familiar name, as an American brass maker seeks to regain ground lost over the previous decade.

Suter, Stephan

Instrument Makers in USA

Lawson Horns

Walter Lawson built horns by testing alloys, valves and leadpipes with unusual precision, while keeping craftsmanship, musicians and acoustics closely connected.

Suter, Stephan

Instrument Makers in USA

S. W. Lewis Orchestral Horns

For Steven Lewis, building a horn begins with playing it: craftsmanship, acoustic compromise and observation shape instruments made for musicians rather than theory.

Suter, Stephan

Instrument Makers in USA

Holton (G. Leblanc Corporation)

In Elkhorn, Wisconsin, traditional craftsmanship meets industrial production, while Holton confronts the delicate balance between innovation and musicians’ conservatism.

Suter, Stephan

Instrument Makers in USA

Martin (G. Leblanc Corporation)

In 1970s Wisconsin, industrial efficiency transformed brass instrument production, yet traditional craftsmanship still had a place on the factory floor.

Suter, Stephan

Instrument Makers in USA

Getzen

Two devastating factory fires, rapid reconstruction and a growing export market shaped Getzen’s rise in Wisconsin, where craftsmanship met industrial ambition.

Suter, Stephan

Instrument Makers in USA

Yamaha Music Products

In Grand Rapids, Japanese precision met American manufacturing, as Yamaha balanced imported components, skilled craftsmanship and the demands of a growing brass instrument market.

Suter, Stephan

Instrument Makers in USA

E.K. Blessing Co. Inc

In Elkhart, Indiana, Merle Johnson built on E.K. Blessing’s legacy, balancing traditional instrument manufacturing with innovation, craftsmanship and customer service.