Klarinet Archive - Posting 000341.txt from 1997/12

From: Edinger/Gilman <wde1@-----.com>
Subj: Re: is it worth it?
Date: Tue, 9 Dec 1997 09:08:41 -0500

David Frank asks: @-----.is the added expense
worth it?=94

You have a very important question here, and as someone who recently
bought a used-but-fairly-new Opus for less than a new R-13 would have
cost, I have a consideration for you: I like the glitzy extras
(=93custom-select-premium=94 wood, silver plating, adjustable thumbrest,
extra key), but I=92m also aware that they can=92t affect the actual soun=
d
one whit. Yet I feel that whatever efforts I make are really up to me
now, and I can never blame the quality of the horn (at least as long as
it@-----. It=92s a kind of
freedom to become responsible for what kind of music I want to make.=20
When you have top equipment, there=92s nothing material standing between
you and the best you can become (OK, mouthpieces/ reeds/ ligatures, but
they@-----. And, by golly, I can sound a whole lot
better than I used to with this instrument. But I would have with an
R-13, too, and in the end, I would NOT have bought a new Opus over a new
R-13 because of the price difference. Within the realm of professional
instruments, the extra gimmicks do not make the difference you are
looking for in sound, only in playing comfort. Playing an instrument is
so subjective, though, that I wonder if it=92s possible for many people t=
o
accept this.

BUT, if you can find a used =93luxury=94 instrument (not easy) and don=92=
t
mind having a used one (to paraphrase the car salesmen, =93everybody play=
s
a used instrument=94), it won=92t hurt to pamper yourself, and you won=92=
t
have to wonder any more. Otherwise, don=92t bother with the gimmicks
unless you have money to burn.

Bill E. (who was lucky enough to have it both ways)

PS - the guy who had his clarinet keys gold-plated and claimed it made a
difference (and maybe it did) did not do any kind of responsible
experiment: it was not controlled, not repeated, and has a statistical
significance of zilch. Any interpretation of results would be entirely
subjective - but, hey, that@-----.