Klarinet Archive - Posting 000528.txt from 1999/02

From: Roger Garrett <rgarrett@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] Horwath
Date: Sun, 14 Feb 1999 15:04:08 -0500

At 02:45 PM 2/14/99 -0500, you wrote:
>My apologies for not recalling. Must be that Early-Onset Altzheimer's.
>But only when I hear FROM THE MANUFACTURERS IN THEIR LITERATURE, CATALOGS,
>ETC. of this service being available will I be truly satisfied. It's like
>the auto manufacturers' "secret recalls." You only get your problem
>corrected free if you complain loud enough. If they offered the fix to
>everybody, it would be too expensive.

I think this may be one of those opinions which I can't offer - I don't
think it is that way, but I can certainly see why you might feel that way.
As far as I can tell, Boosey & Hawkes is very sincere about making Kloc's
service available to anyone who purchases a Buffet - by appointment - to
fix problems that seem to be related to adjustment, tolerances, specs, etc.
Perhaps you could contact them to find out if this information has been
made available via literature, etc. I know that they issue one catalog
with price lists - but it is the distributors who usually have the warranty
information available - perhaps it is the distributors who should adjust
the catalog? I just don't have any information on that - I'm sorry.

>I concede that large numbers of
>people, myself probably included, will never feel the need for this sort of
>tweaking. But if it is so available, why try so many clarinets to choose
>just the one that works for you? Couldn't you just buy ANY one, and have
>it adjusted to suit you?

I would assume, from my own experience and those of my students and close
colleagues, that choosing an instrument made of wood (or any other material
for that matter) is like choosing a mouthpiece - there are variances and
variables in the manufacturing process that affect the way each instrument
plays. All of them play pretty well frankly (the R-13's that is) - just
that some play much better than others. I haven't played on one that I
couldn't play on - but I have played on several for which I would have had
Francois adjust the horn.

My wife tried 12 cellos before choosing one that she liked. 10 of them
were not good for her at all - all made by the same maker and costing the
same. Is her cello bad? No - but each one will turn out slightly
differently .

>I'm sorry if it seems like I'm being a pain here, Roger, but I am really
>asking seriously.

I don't think you are being a pain - but you are asking questions I'm not
sure I can answer to your satisfaction. I don't have a problem with the
way the horns are manufactured as long as there is someone readily
available to adjust, undercut, retension, etc. My understanding of what
you have been saying is that, if a person pays $1700 plus tax for a Buffet
clarinet (or any clarinet I think you were saying), it should come already
tweaked and ready to go. While I think that they do for the most part, you
might not. You just have to decide if you are being reasonable or if your
expectations are unrealistic - those are questions I can't answer.

______
Roger Garrett
Professor of Clarinet
Director, Concert Band/Symphonic Winds/Titan Band
Advisor, Recording Studio
Illinois Wesleyan University
Office: (309) 556-3268
Fax: (309) 556-3411

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unsubscribe from Klarinet, e-mail: klarinet-unsubscribe@-----.org
Subscribe to the Digest: klarinet-digest-subscribe@-----.org
Additional commands: klarinet-help@-----.org
Other problems: klarinet-owner@-----.org