ISO standard for musical instruments

[Jeff Mando]

changed my mind

[dshipp]

Having worked with ISO 9000 at several manufacturers I can assure you that ISO standards today exist primarily to generate fees for the certification companies and consultants. They are a load of bureaucratic nonsense generated by nonproducers that interferes with real activity. Actual design standards are developed by SME, SAE and similar groups, not ISO.

Well, no. ISO 9000 quality management standards may be the most-known (even if apparently less well-understood), but there are over 20,000 ISO standards. Many of them are not used in this country, because we have an established and diverse product standards system that's built up over the years. But ASME and SAE are active participants in ISO standards activities.

[Bob Clark]

I have no dog in this fight. I am not a luthier and I tend to buy from individual Luthiers or very small shops, so I doubt standards of this type would ever impact my options. But there are a couple of issues I think are worth noting.

First, the degree of standardization that has developed in the construction of mandolins and other musical instruments has come about through generations of trial and error, market influences and so on. They evolved based on the things that worked best. That type of evolution does work as evidenced by the great instruments we have available. The need to codify it escapes me. Perhaps the Luthiers among us see the need and I defer to their expertise. I simply don't perceive the need.

Second, to compare the benefit of standardization in musical instrument construction to standardization in heart valves or bicycles misses a major point. When design or construction flaws manifest themselves in heart valves or bicycles, people die. I doubt anyone has ever died from a defect in a musical instrument. Standardization in products that have the potential for major impact on human or animal health, or the environment is crucial. The inherent value of the things we are risking in these instances is simply to great to leave to chance. I do not believe this is the case in musical instrument construction.

Although musical instruments are influenced by the science inherent in their design, they are in large part the product of artistic expression in their design and construction, and certainly in their use. I believe standardization has little merit in this arena. But as I stated at the outset, it impacts me not at all. I defer to those who are impacted. I will continue to support Luthiers who I believe are true artists. Whether or not they choose to follow 'standards' should be their choice, not mine. I greatly value the artistic expression they manifest in the instruments they build and will continue to base my purchase decisions based on this criterion.

[Joe Mendel]

As a retired autoworker I can attest that ISO Standards were total and complete BS at our plant and getting the certification was all that mattered to management, not using them after the inspectors left the building. Thank God for that. Everyone knew this was the game. The standards did nothing to except put idiotic demands on the line workers who had to jump through hoops set up by people that had never done those jobs, and those demands made the jobs more difficult. As soon as the ISO folks left the building, so did anything connected with ISO until they were coming back for another visit. The workers knew how to best do the jobs in the most efficient manner, and that's how they did them. I'm convinced ISO is nothing but a money maker for ISO, a scam run on businesses that get talked into buying into it.

[CarlM]

[Austin Bob]

If someone can define the standards of what a "woody" sounding mandolin is, I'll be happy.

[Cybercpa]

Hi - I am one of the other 10 or so people that was on the call (with you?) and have been heavily socializing this with major manufacturers, luthiers and resellers (having not made up my mind one way or the other, but appreciating the points of view represented in this thread). I would be very interested in discussing this with you - like you, I am a player/enthusiast active in numerous standards organizations including participating in two other ISO/ANSI groups completely non-related.