Klarinet Archive - Posting 000431.txt from 2000/08

From: Spikus Spiegelus <jnohe@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] taking up the clarinet again
Date: Wed, 16 Aug 2000 11:30:29 -0400

On Wed, 16 Aug 2000, Christine J. Killian wrote:

> I've looked at ads on ebay and classifieds other web sites. It looks like
> I would be able to get a pretty good deal on an intermediate or
> professional horn. Has anyone bought a used instrument online? Is it a
> good idea to buy an instrument without first playing it, even if you're
> fairly sure the model is a good one?

Eeeh...depends on how you're willing to handle the situation...I've bought
several instruments online, and while I've had fairly good experience, you
need to be aware of what's going on. Know who you're buying from. For
instance, I purchased a fine preofessional saxophone on Ebay for a really
good price. Before I made a bid, I contacted the seller to learn more
about him and the instrument. This is what I discovered:

The seller was a music student in his fourth semester of school, and
making a change in their major, and therefore, they no longer needed a
professional saxophone. He said he had owned the saxophone for three
months; he gave me a serial number and the place he purchased the sax
from, and I made some phone calls to verify it. The seller's name was in
his university's online directory, and his major was listed as music.
Having that much information, I made the bid, and got a great deal on a
great horn.

Later on, I decided to take a risk on an A clarinet. The serial numbers
provided told me that it was an OLD one - it had the wrap around register
vent (which gave it a really nice throat), and furthermore, the person
selling it was an instrument dealer, but NOT a clarinet player. Was it a
risk? Definitely, but I went ahead and bid on it anyway - $500, which, I
felt wouldn't be a bad deal, even for an old horn, when compared to what
it would cost for me to get a new A clarinet. As it turns out, the stick
had a great sound, but the tuning was kind of funny in the lower stack.
It wasn't anything that couldn't be compensated for, but it was markedly
different than my R13, and so I decided to sell the horn.

This is the advantage of the online auction. Sure, you can get the
product, and it will arrive as described, usually, and if you decide
whatever you buy isn't right for you, you can turn around and sell it
again.

Right now, I'm waiting for a tenor sax and clarinet to arrive in the mail
- they were auctioned off together. If I like the saxophone, I'll keep
it, but most likely the clarinet will take a hike. It's an Evette, so I
doubt it will be better than my R13. However, it may be right up your
alley, so I'll let you know when it gets here.

J. Shouryu Nohe
http://web.nmsu.edu/~jnohe
Professor of SCSM102, New Mexico State Univ.
"Never put passion before principle. Even when win, you lose."
-Miyagi-san, KKpt.II

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