Klarinet Archive - Posting 000783.txt from 1996/04

From: Bruce Blanton <B_Blanton@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: A Question
Date: Fri, 26 Apr 1996 16:54:37 -0400

>Hey all! My clarinet (my dear, precious, beloved Noblet) fell out of
>its case on the sidewalk in front of school the other day, and the cork
>and wood on the top joint tenon chipped off (only part of it). Anyway,
>my teacher told me today that the wood could get saturated and that it
>needed to be fixed immediately. I have State SoloEnsemble a week from
>Saturday, and the music store might not be able to fix it that fast.
>Anyhoo, my mom said that maybe we'll go clarinet shopping on Saturday
>(silver lining, anyone?), and my little sister can have my old one once
>it's fixed (it may be a very costly repair, though, so who knows...).
>
>So--my point is: What's a good clarinet to buy? I'm a very serious HS
>freshman. Please don't say Buffet R-13: tried several, hated them all.
>Are there any that are lighter in weight? I've had problems with my
>right wrist, so it is a concern. I played a Yamaha and I really liked it,
>but I'm not sure where they're available around here. (central
>Wisconsin) BTW, where is a good music store to buy from in Wisconsin?
>Well, gotta go. Thanks and buh-bye!
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Abby Kreisa
>bkreisa@-----.edu

Last week at the MENC convention in Kansas City I tried out instruments at
several major manufacturers' exhibits (Boosey and Hawkes - Buffet, Leblanc,
Selmer, and Yamaha). All had instruments of high quality. My first choice
was a Leblanc Concerto model, not only because of my sound on it (compared
to my Buffet R-13), but also because of the sound I heard from an excellent
player from Arizona State University. Incidently, I also heard her trying
out instruments at another exhibit; the Concerto was my choice for her
also. Actually, I thought she sounded better on her own Buffet R-13.
However, she preferred another Leblanc instrument she tried. The point is
that personal preference is the key.

If the top of the line instruments are out of your price range (as is the
case with me right now), you might try the relatively new Jupiter
instruments. I was pleasantly surprized when I played one as a loaner
instrument recently.

To reduce the weight on you wrist, you might try a clarinet strap (similar
to those sax players use).

It inspires me to hear of dedicated young instrumentalists like you.

Keep practicing!