Montunoman, I don't think there is a single, isolated, reason (silver bullet) why arrangers are less popular in the US than in other areas of the world. And no, I don't think American players are better trained and more skillful (implying that they don't need the 'bonuses' provided by an arranger as much as their non-USA counterparts). Actually, I think the answer is a compilation of most of the reasons listed in the above posts. Most of the posts have valid and logical reasons, and therefore all (of these reasons) probably contributes to this curious situation. That being the case, none of us are wrong or right; we are probably all a little bit right. So many things factor into this; which culture values technology more? Which ones values habit, customs, and tradition? Education, personal (per capita) income, even a country's pub habits, all probably play a role. Someday we'll figure it all out, but we'll all be in heaven by then (well, not all of us).

chas