Klarinet Archive - Posting 000305.txt from 1997/09

From: elspeth4@-----. Grant)
Subj: Re: Selmer Repair (continued)
Date: Sun, 7 Sep 1997 14:07:32 -0400

On Sat, 6 Sep 1997 19:28:49 -0500 (CDT) Roger Garrett
<rgarrett@-----.edu> writes:
>On Sat, 6 Sep 1997, Bill Hausmann wrote:
>
>> I conceed that after shipping, due to bumping around, changes in
>> temperature, humidity, etc., some adjustment may be desireable at
>> purchase to restore peak performance.
>They were never at peak performance......
I think what everyone really wants to know is "Why weren't they?" It
seems to me that if you're going to make an instrument like the R13, you
migh as well make it well and sell it to play right off the line.
Clark Fobes has noted that if Bill thinks that intruments should come off
the line in good playing condition, he hasn't seen what does come. No,
Clark, I think he, like me, just wants to know why Buffet doesn't either
make all clarinets to factory specification to begin with, or have their
own techs get each one to specification (or as close as possible) before
they even try to sell them. It just doesn't seem reasonable that any
manufacturer should do what they do, even if many do it. If some people
want to have their horns adjusted for key action etc., that's a personal
choice, and I say if they want to pay for it, that's fine with me.
They're at that level and I'm not.

>The "baddest" clarinet? If someone spends $2000 on an instrument, I
would
>think they would want it to be at factory specs.....as well as last.
They
>don't if the service is not done.......or...they aren't played
much.....or
>the person just puts up with the sloppiness of the horn until they know
>better. Either way, $2325 vs. $2000 isn't as big a difference as Bill
>makes it out to be.
Where do you get this idea? As someone said, those of us who are
amateurs, especially *young* amateurs, as in still in high school, have a
hard enough time making $325 that I don't think we'd call it a small
difference in price.
I'm not even planning to buy a new Buffet R13, just because they are
really expensive and I'd rather find a used horn or a less expensive
model that I liked a lot. Especially now that I've heard I ought to pay
$325 and some more shipping costs to get it to its best condition.
And I don't think I'm overstepping bounds of experience here. I'm not
questioning the validity of the service or the truth of what you say
about Buffet. I just don't want to pay anything more for an
already-expensive clarinet that wasn't made to work its best in the first
place.

Alexis

   
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