Klarinet Archive - Posting 000012.txt from 1998/03

From: Dee Hays <deerich@-----.net>
Subj: Re: clarinet materials
Date: Sun, 1 Mar 1998 12:17:56 -0500

Elliot Oki wrote:

> ... they make a pretty convincing argument
> that the sound differences between say wood and plastic stem only from the
> shaping of the instrument. If this is true, people are spending a money
> unnecessarily.

Unfortunately, we can't make a valid comparison. There are no plastic,
professional level clarinets available. Even though nee might consider the
Greenline composite to fall into that category, it's material is still far
different from the materials used in the standard plastic instrument.

At this point, we have a chicken and egg situation. Players are unconvinced
that plastic would sound good so makers won't make professional level
instruments out of plastic because they believe they won't sell so we can't try
them out so players remain unconvinced that plastic would sound good
so.......... and on it goes. Rather like the children's song "The Song That
Never Ends."

The difference in material cost is only a small portion of the price
difference. A big portion of the price is due to the other things a player
looks for in a professional instrument: accuracy of intonation, sound quality,
quality of the keywork, and ease of play.

Dee Hays
deerich@-----.net
Canton, SD

   
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