Klarinet Archive - Posting 000587.txt from 1996/01

From: CLARK FOBES <reedman@-----.COM>
Subj: Pricing Parity / R-13 vs. Green Line
Date: Sat, 27 Jan 1996 15:00:40 -0500

Neil brings up a possible reasonable scenario, however I just received
my new price list from Buffet and both instruments are priced exactly
the same $2880.

Clark W Fobes

Neil wrote:
>
>Clark ended his statement by asking the question, "At the same price,
why
>would some one buy this and not a wood clarinet?"
>
>That makes perfect sense to me in the present, as I too would rather
play
>on a real wooden clarinet instead of the synthetic Green line
instrument.
>Clark's question will probably answer itself over time, I imagine.
Since
>the Green line was created in anticipation of African Blackwood's very
>possible endangerment, it stands to reason that brand new Buffet
R-13's
>(not to mention the Leblancs, Selmers, and Yamahas which are as well
made
>of African Blackwood) will rise in price when the availability of the
>wood is substantially dimished enough to raise *its* price. If the
Green
>line holds at its current price in the face of the Mpingo tree's
>sparsity, many more people will very likely opt to purchase the Green
>line over the "real thing" precisely because the price disparity has
>become so great. We've seen and heard enough testimonials on the
subject
>to believe that the Green line can indeed measure up to the standards
of
>the nation's professionals, so one's pocketbook will rule the decision
as the
>unfortunate "event horizon" draws near.
>
>Neil
>