Klarinet Archive - Posting 000595.txt from 2000/08

From: Andrea Bergamin <a.bergamin@-----.it>
Subj: Re: [kl] taking up the clarinet again
Date: Sun, 20 Aug 2000 13:33:33 -0400

Bill Hausmann wrote:

> Why isn't EVERY automobile built to the same standards as the Rolls-Royce,
> or with the performance of a Ferrari? Because most people could not afford
> them. Henry Ford figured that out a long time ago, and it made him very
> rich. Different markets require different solutions to the price vs.
> quality equation. If they DID produce a plastic clarinet acoustically and
> mechanically equal to the Opus, they'd have to charge nearly the same for
> it or it would destroy the market for the wood Opus. If they charged only
> student plastic prices, that would reduce their incentive to DEVELOP such
> instruments, stifling innovation. In fact, the student models by major
> manufacturers are, for the most part, pretty decent instruments, often very
> closely modeled on professional-grade horns, and the incremental
> improvements you gain as you add thousands of dollars to the price are
> simply not worth the money for MOST people. 99% of the population can
> commute to work in a Ford Escort and get there just as fast as the boss in
> his Mercedes, and will have some money left over for food.

There is a problem.
If you buy a Ford Escort you are quite sure it will work. You don't have to
try 20 Escort to chose one. That's because there is an industrial standard.

That's not true with clarinets.

The same clarinet (same model, same price) can play or can only be used as
firewood. This is something I don't accept.

My experience...
I was really lucky. I was looking in 1993 for a professional Sib clarinet
and I've phone every instrument shop in Italy (!!!). Then I found an Elite
in the shop of my town (re!!!) at an incredible price. That's because the
shopkeeper did not know that clarinet and he applied on it the price of an
RC.

I found that and there were no other Elites to try. But, at the end, that
clarinet is the best Elite I've ever played in my life. Better of the ones
chosen directly in Paris.

What I don't accept is the fact that finding o REALLY GOOD instrument is an
aleatory event and one cannot decide if the instrument is good in 2-3 ours
at the shop.

I was very lucky but I don't think I'm the standard...

---

I know that a clarinet is relatively handmade but the relation between the
player and the manufacturer is not the one between an artisan and his
customer.

For example...
My friend has just bought an alto for 120.000.000 ($ 60.000). He has
followed the whole creation process and the lutist: when he need to change
something he can go to the lutist and he does the work gratis.

When you need a clarinet in most cases you can only buy it.

The problem is that the producers boast of an industrial standard to obtain
the trust of the custumers and refers to the clarinet as an handmade product
when there is some defect.

AB

---------------------------------------------------------------------
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