Klarinet Archive - Posting 000595.txt from 1998/12

From: Ravel1024@-----.com
Subj: [kl] Above beginner but rusty - purchased clarinet tonight
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1998 22:18:18 -0500

Thanks to all who gave so freely of their suggestions. I went to Washington
Music Center for several hours tonight, to begin my search, and to see if I
would be comfortable buying from a mail order house or someone on the net. I
discovered after trying out a Buffet E-11, a Yamaha professional, a Buffet
R-13, and a LeBlanc professional (can't remember which one, list arount $3400,
I think...) that I could really tell the difference among them. I also
discovered I wasn't as rusty as I thought I was on a good instrument!

One of the things I discovered right away was that with the E-11 I could play
lots more (longer, richer, and many more notes!) than I could with the piece
of junk I had been trying to play. It certainly put my old clarinet in
perspective.

After trying out the Buffet E-11, a Yamaha professional, a Buffet R-13, and a
LeBlanc professional, I found the Buffet R-13 had a richer tone and had much
less resistance for me. ..and after trying 5 R-13's (I think - I lost track),
I realized that I would not be comfortable ordering without playing and having
lots of clarinets to compare to at the time. So that made my decision of buy
in person at Wash Music Center vs. mail order or via the net a relatively easy
one.

So I kept eliminating R-13's until I found one I liked, which I bought new,
but at the hefty discount from Washington Music Center. It was really hard to
choose at the end...one had a slightly brighter tone, which I liked, but was
more difficult to play in the upper register--the other just had a better
comfort factor all around. I opted for comfort. I could do all sorts of
second guessing about how in time the resistance would minimize, but maybe it
wouldn't, and besides, I just found out I have a touch of asthma, so why give
myself problems I don't need? Ease of playing became a major factor. I found
I kept coming back to the same one. It followed me home.

BTW, I was surprised partway through, as I had entered the store with leaning
toward the LeBlanc brand as a result of my research, comments from some of
you, etc., before I had started to try out clarinets. I really wasn't
planning to end up with the Buffet R-13, but it sounded the best and was the
easiest to play.

Thanks to all who wrote with suggestions and encouragement. It really meant a
lot.
Am armed with the names of a couple of instructors to call, so here goes!

Thanks again to everyone!
Ravel

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