consequences were that these very expensive musical instruments were used, damaged, and returned unsold to the UK warehouse, where attempts were made to repair them with the limited facilities on hand, as the distribution agreement with the manufacturing base in Kalamazoo, Michigan, did not allow for the return of defective items. At one time in 1977 there were over one thousand damaged, broken and disassembled Gibson guitars stored in an unheated warehouse in Braintree, Essex. The factory in Braintree also developed the manufacturing of Lowrey keyboards from KD kits exported from the Chicago manufacturing base of CMI. These instruments were technically advanced but the build quality was poor compared with keyboards which were just beginning to reach the UK and European markets from Japan. To supplement earnings the company took the decision to import a low cost Italian designed organ marketed as a Selmer product which was distributed in large numbers by catalogue sales. Again the return rate, this time due to damage in transit, was significant. In spite of a rebranding as Norlin Music (UK) the management of the company failed to address the key factors preferring to effect a range of cost-cutting measures. In 1976 Norlin Music Inc., faced with mounting debts, began dismantling Selmer UK piece by piece, until the only facility was a repair center for Lowrey organs with a single employee. This shut down in the early 1980s. Despite being largely unknown in the U.S., Selmer guitar amplifiers from the early 1960s have begun to gain a reputation as vintage collectibles among valve amplifier enthusiasts. Selmer guitars In 1932 Selmer partnered with the Italian guitarist and luthier Mario Maccaferri to produce a line of acoustic guitars based on Maccaferri's unorthodox design. Although Maccaferri's association with Selmer ended in 1934, the company continued to make several models of this guitar until 1952. The guitar was closely associated with famed jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt. (See also Selmer-Maccaferri Guitar and ) Historical list of Selmer instruments Saxophones—Paris Modele 22 (1922–1925) Modele 26 (1926–1929) Modele 28 (1928–1929) Selmer Adolphe Sax (1929–1935) New Largebore (1929) Super "Cigar Cutter" (1930–1932) Super (1932–1933) Radio Improved (Super) (1934–1938) Jimmy Dorsey Model (Super) (1935–1938) Balanced Action (1936–1947) Super Action (1948–1953) Mark VI (1954–1975 for alto and tenor, 1954–1980 for all other types of sax) Mark VII (1974–1980) Super Action 80 (1980–1985) Super Action 80 Serie II (1985-) Serie III (1994-) Reference 54 / Reference