Klarinet Archive - Posting 000150.txt from 1995/06

From: Tom Izzo <tji@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: Old vs. New Clarinets
Date: Sat, 10 Jun 1995 19:23:46 -0400

On Sat, 10 Jun 1995, SCOTT MCCHESNEY wrote:

>
> My Clarinet is an old Buffet (ca. 1950's) that was used by one of the
> local symphony players before my parents bought it back when I was a sophomore
> in high school. I was told at that time that this Clarinet was a real find,
> and if I ever sold it or didn't take care of it "my fingers would be chopped
> off" (my dad had a flair for the dramatic.)
> Anyway, we jet forward to last year. I was working in a music shop
> she could play on mine - just to see what the difference was. I said OK.
> She played on it for about 30 minutes in her studio. I was upstairs
> This makes me wonder: was there really such a difference in the
> Clarinets of that time vs. the new ones? Or did I simply luck into a very
good
> Buffet? And if it really was "better back then", why would one want to buy a
> new one? I probably never will, unless this Clarinet suffers from the vague
> "blowout syndrome" or otherwise becomes incapacitated. Or is it simply that
> all the very good old Clarinets have owners who won't part with them?
> Any answers out in electron-land?
I think this is a VERY good question, AND it applies to most professional
instruments not just the Clarinet. My main "axe" is the Bass Trombone,
and although I mostly use a "newer" Bach Stradivarius Double Valve
Bb/F/Eb/D/C deluxe specially made instrument there still are times that I
prefer to use my New York (previous to Selmer buying out Bach) Bach
Stradivarius single valve Bass, because new instruments just are NOT made
the same way anymore. The older instrument is 50 years old, and without
all the "bells & whistles" that the new one has I would never part with
it, though I've been offered 5 times what it's worth.

Sorry to get off Clarinet, butI believe the topic was maintained. Thanks
for bearing with me.

Tom
tji@-----.edu