Klarinet Archive - Posting 000615.txt from 1995/03

From: "D.J. Roberts" <djr@-----.UK>
Subj: B&H series 220 - good buy, or avoid?
Date: Fri, 24 Mar 1995 15:31:22 -0500

May I seek the wisdom of the list before taking a leap
in the dark?

I am a novice player (since December '94), learning for
pleasure. I do not anticipate getting seriously into the
classical repertoire for some time, if ever. At the moment
I am a 'low register' player only, but I have convinced
myself that I have made enough progress with that that I
might stick with the instrument for the long haul to proficiency
in all its registers.

I have been learning on a borrowed instrument, but would
like my own. I have a local music store with a good
reputation, and they will sell me a student model Vito
or Yamaha for about 375 UK pounds. This would be plastic
of course.

At the moment they have a s/h B&H series 220 (wood) in
stock. Asking price is 275 UK pounds. By the look of the
case this instrument must be about 30 years old. (The case
is covered in 'leather-look vinyl' - grey round the sides,
fine white 'graph paper' on the the top!) No cracks
in the bore of the instrument as far as I can see, and no
superficial damage to the keywork. The store seemed to 'know'
the instrument, and pointed out some work they had done on it
some time ago. They will warranty the instrument for 12 months.
They claim that to buy an equivalent of the same instrument
new today would cost about 800-900 UK pounds - this might
be sales-pitch of course: even 'nice' shops resort to that
occasionally.

Ignore the asking price for a moment. For an adult with
an existing interest which I hope will mature, is the s/h
wooden instrument a better long term proposition than a new
student plastic model? (I guess it can't be quantified, but
there is a sort of romance to the use of wood in music-making
which plastic, however functional, cannot replicate.) Assuming
that the particular instrument is in good condition, does that
model have any known quirks/deficiencies/missing_features?
Anything to check for?

I think you can see that I am tempted - not just because it
is cheaper but because it is potentially a nicer object to
own and to touch. But that 'niceness' has no point if
it is going to be a discouraging experience learning to
control it.

Does anyone want to persuade me that I would be making a
mistake in going for the Series 220?

Thanks for listening...

David Roberts
Leicester, UK.