Klarinet Archive - Posting 000387.txt from 2000/08

From: Kenneth Wolman <kwolman@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Going shopping
Date: Tue, 15 Aug 2000 11:38:58 -0400

At 06:57 AM 8/15/00 -0700, Neil wrote:
>Now, I realize that there might very well be somebody out
>there who already has a pristine version of the clarinet part (e.g.; but they
>dropped the piano score in the mud and need a fresh copy). If you fit
>this de-
>scription, head to Sam Ash on 48th St., but be sure to ask for a discount
>on the
>score since the price reflects the presence of a friggin' clarinet
>part! It's
>clear that they're *hopeful* that some poor soul is going to buy it
>without no-
>ticing the ommission and be too embarrassed to come back and ask for a refund.
>This sort of thing makes me want to boycott the store.

I even quit buying reeds from them when Woodwind & Brasswind opened their
23rd Street store. I also had access to Roberto's. I'd rather have bought
from those guys than feel like I was getting screwed every time I blinked.

I describe myself as an SA: not Systems Administrator but Strictly
Amateur. I play for my own amusement and the torment of others. Even
so...I won't deal with people who put stuff out for sale at inflated prices
on what amounts to a basis of "How much do you have, give it to me." Ash
had a used Buffet 1180 bass clarinet for about $2250, a reasonable enough
price. Except...when I brought in a mouthpiece and took the thing into the
back room to try it out, I could not tell what I was dealing with because
it was unplayable. The keywork was clearly bent, pads did not seat
properly, and it also looked like it had been in a run-in with a New York
City bus. I commented on the way out "I couldn't tell whether it's worth
buying or not, when are you planning to fix it, or is someone going to buy
it on blind faith?" Nobody had any idea whether it would cost more to buy
it once it was repaired...because repairs don't come cheap, and this beast
would need a total overhaul. Perry Ritter charged me $525 to overhaul a
used ABS student Selmer that wasn't half as messed up as this Buffet, and I
trust Perry a lot further than I would trust anyone in the repair room at Ash.

I've noted also that at least as far as Buffet, Ash does not appear to be
on the authorized dealer list: they do NOTHING to the instruments except
sell them to you for prices no better than those you'll pay from the
authorized dealers like Weiner or WW&BW. No adjustments, no nothing: just
a horn right out of the box. I don't imagine they make any special
adjustments to their other high-end instruments, either.

Ken

--------------------------------------------------------
Kenneth Wolman kwolman@-----.com
11 Broadway, New York, NY 10004 212-425-4200, x. 363

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