Klarinet Archive - Posting 000555.txt from 1997/08

From: Adam Calabrese <adam.calabrese@-----.gov>
Subj: greenline clarinet and R13 Bells
Date: Thu, 14 Aug 1997 16:50:56 -0400

I was going to leave the first question alone, but now I must chime in:

At 02:54 PM 8/11/97 -0400, GTGallant@-----.com (Greg) wrote:

>Has anybody tried or own a Buffet Greenline and if so, what are your opinions
>on it. I am thinking of purchasing a new set and the idea of having
>clarinets that do not crack (every clarinet I've owned has cracked at least
>in one spot) is very refreshing.
>Thanks.

Then At 02:30 PM 8/14/97 -0400, GTGallant@-----.com (Greg) wrote:

>The bell on my Buffet R-13 Bb clarinet has cracked beyond repair and needs to
>be replaced. Does anyone have, preferably a used bell or a new one I could
>purchase? I've checked with a few retailers and found the average price to
>be around $180 - which is a little steep for me right now. Thank you.
>
>- Greg

This is the same GTGallant@-----.com who chastised everybody for paying
through the nose for repairs that could easily be done by oneself if one
would only take some time to learn about the clarinet. Said it was easy to
fix your clarinet and you shouldn't pay overpriced repair shops.

Now, Greg, it just seems to me that you might just have a bit of a problem
taking care of your clarinet. That, or your expert repairs aren't so good
after all. Maybe you shouldn't be so nonchalant about care and repair?

Some of us have had R13's (and other professional models) for years (me for
13) without any cracking. Yes, I've played an occasional outdoor concert
with my R13. I've also used my Evette (bought used for $200 many years ago)
for outdoor
summer concerts in the heart of Mississippi (Mississippi is an Indian word
for extremely hot and humid, as far as I can tell ;) ). It would have been
silly to chance the R13.

Maybe there are logical reasons for your instrument problems. But the tone
of your earlier messages was so condescending that I felt obligated to call
you on the above remarks and questions. I'm not trying to be mean. I
actually think it's kind of funny.

Have a nice weekend,
:)

-Adam Calabrese
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899