Klarinet Archive - Posting 000945.txt from 1999/01

From: TOM RIDENOUR <klarinet@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Re: Rudeness and humility
Date: Tue, 19 Jan 1999 09:03:15 -0500

Elise wrote:
><< Tom has been unfailingly polite and HUMBLE in his discussions about
>clarinet
> playing, and he also doesn't shove brand names down peoples' throats, which
>he
> could do if so inclined.
> >>
>

Mr. Open Minded Buyer responded:
>Hardly. All Mr. Ridenour has been doing has been jamming "his" brands down
>our throats. When asked: what faults do the Leblanc clarinets have, all he
>could or would give is the lame stock excuse of throat tones...blah, blah,
>blah. Every manufactured clarinet in existance that I've tried (Rossi, Eaton,
>Yamaha, Selmer, Leblanc, Buffet, Patricola, Wurlitzer Reform Boehm) has at
>least a little quirkyness in the throat area. I'm quite sick of hearing how
>great Leblanc - or is it Selmer now, Tom - clarinets are.

Actually, I think both clarinets are very good, for that fact, depending
on what your playing needs, style and playing situation is. But I think
you need to re-read my post on the Opus/Concerto for you must either have
missed some things I said or are grossly misrepresenting me and leaveing
out important information.
If you are going to quote me, fine. I stand behind what I say. But I do
not stand behind your misrepresentations of what I say; I might say,
misrepresenting some one is both slanderous and low in character.
Quote ALL of what I say instead of misrepresenting me. Further, if you
have direct, concrete or even aesthetic criticism of the Leblancs or any
other models beyond what I 've written then state it. You have as much
right to share your insights about an instrument as any one else.
Further, I'LL BE THE FIRST TO ADMIT THAT I have not been completely
inclusive and exhaustive in anything I've shared about any instrument ;
much more detail can be shared. If you have it to share, please share it.
Now, regarding your sickness, I have a few good therapists I could
recommend......but you would probably care to take someone elses
recommendations ;-) In any case, if you are sick I advise you to seek
help.

Mr. OMB continued:
Who cares? We each
>choose a product (or should) based on what we feel plays good.

I respond:
That's been my point all along, thank you for re-stating it, since it is
why so many people end up frustrated and dissatisfied; they FEEL, but
lack the understanding only KNOWLEDGE brings; and because they don't know
they often misinterpret what they FEEL, and don't notice things they ought
to hear ........ and then buy something that is not right. I see this
happed over and over.
As a small technical point , it is worth stating that the senses, per se ,
KNOW nothing; they only sense or feel. It is only the intellect that
interprets the meaning of what the senses perceive and ascribe value to
it. An instrument will only "FEEL" good according to the STANDARD the
intellect has formed through a reciprocal process of comparison and
conditioning.
Personally, I could not possibly distinguish a great golf club from a
K-Mart cheapie.
Why?
Because I can't "feel" it????
Absolutely not! I feel it in my senses as well as Jack Nicklaus. but I
don't KNOW what I'm feeling; I don't know its' meaning. My perplexity is
then a problem, not of sense or feeling , but of intellect and
understanding. And "FEELING" golf clubs for years would not cure my
confusion. Only once I am educated can I ascribe any value, good OR bad,
to what my senses tell me about golf clubs.
Are you to imply that clarinets are different in this respect from every
other thing in the world?
Feeling isn't knowing ......it can't be . They are distinctly different
functions.
If we only feel we know nothing.
This, I suggest to you, IS worth thinking about in the light of your
statement above.

OMB
I feel your
>supposed "purely factual" posts are a tad insulting to non-your current
>clarinet sponsor players.

Feeling again. Perhaps you are right. But I suggest that they are
perfectly capable of speaking for themselves. I would be glad to hear it.
I might only request that they take issue ONLY with the material I
presented, or expound the virtues of their instrument! But leave my person
out of it. As for "sponsors", I have no idea what you are talking about.
I've never asked for "sponsors" (whatever that means) or expected any.
You make one erroneous assumption after another.

OMB
This brief list includes: Neidich, Manasse, P.
>Meyer, Cuper, Deplus, Stolzman, Drucker, Yeh, Smith, Cohler, Rossi, Johnson,
>etc. Mr. Ridenour claims he is not "officially" endorsing Selmer Siganture,
>but yet his products are sold by that company and he sports a large picture of
>a Selmer on his website. Why not a picture of a great Leblanc Opus? Didn't
>you help design it?

Thanks for the plug. Selmer _is_ distributing my mouthpiece product;
mostly the stuff I make for young players. I wrote the article on the
Signature before they became distributors. No one asked me to write the
article. I did it voluntarily because of how unique the clarinet was and
what a bold step it was towards many of the qualities that we admire in the
German clarinets. I wrote it because I thought players should know about
it and try it. There was no quid pro quo with me and Selmer. The facts
have no relation to the other. If Ed Riley is lurking I would hope that
he would confirm this, though it's really no one's business.
If Selmer dropped my product tomorrow I would still stand behind the
information in that article. What you imply about my character and the
nature of my work is insulting; I don't say things that aren't so or that I
don't believe for money or favors.....even for large amounts of money. I
was asked by a representative of a certain manufacturer to "get behind"
their clarinet and "come on board"and was assured that a lot of good
things would come my way as a consequence; but I don't believe the product
is good for clarinets playing and its' development in the future, so I
refused.
I say what I say because I believe it is accurate and true and to help; if
you are not helped or choose to disgard it fine. That is your right. But
just because you don't like it doesn't mean I should now fall silent. I
have the right to write. You have the right to ignore it. But if you are
going to criticize it do so, but don't criticize your misrepresentation of
it; any idiot can construct a straw man and burn it.
As for the picture, actually I originally suggested to my web site guy that
we have all the major models represented since we sell them all. But that
looked too cluttered. I searched the Leblanc site for a good photo but
came up with nothing. So I called a friend in Leblanc advertising and
asked if I could post a photo of a Concerto and/ or Opus. He sent me two
photos over the internet that were very small and could not be enlarged
without looking horrible. I still have them in my computer, but couldn't
use them to my dissappointment. So my internet guy found a large photo of
a BUFFET and so we posted that for the first half year the site was
up.........I guess you missed that, right?.............or maybe that didn't
bother you. That Buffet remained up until September of this past year.
The only other photo that worked was the one from the Selmer site, so
eventually we replaced the Buffet with the Signature.
Is this some kind of problem for you?

Mr. OMB continued:
>I may sound a little emotional, but isn't it ironic that some listers are
>jumping on the Ridenour Train and doing exactly what he preaches
>against...following the flock?

I think I answered this on a previous post.

I have the uncanny ability to see through the
>fancy words, pontification, and B.S. that is spewing out of "The Spin
>Doctor's" keyboard.

I must say I am awed to be in the presence of someone with such
penetrating intellect and inerrant perspicacity, and am humbled that you
would grace me with your insights. I am so glad , at long last to really
know what I have been intending. You have saved me therebye, since it is
not at all what I had thought I had in mind. Thank you!!!!
Finally, I am most and particularly grateful for the
self-proclaimation of the uncanny gifts you possess, since without it, I
fear I am so dull of wit and sensibility that I would have altogether
missed it .

Mr. OMB:
If your product is superior, just give the facts and
>leave out strawberry rhubarb analogies. Your analogies are also ironic and
>have nothing to do with technical/acoustical facts.

You honor me but erroneously ; the pie analogy, as I recall, originated
with Mr. Pay, not me......though I must admit to bringing up the Strawberry
rhubarb as commentary on his post. You should try it.

I will buy the better
>product, Mr. Ridenour.

Better according to what standard? Would you care to share with us the
concrete reasons you regard it as better?.

Mr. OMB:
This post is my opinion and in no way deals with
>technical facts.

I think that is PERFECTLY CLEAR TO ALL.

NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED.

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