Klarinet Archive - Posting 000602.txt from 2001/03

From: Oliver Seely <oliver-seely@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Re:visit to France
Date: Thu, 22 Mar 2001 14:35:12 -0500

When I took a sabbatical leave in Paris in 1985 I had great plans to buy a
new Buffet there, but I was put off by the prices charged in the shops on
the Rue de Rome. They were more than I'd have to pay in the U.S. (and the
exchange rate was around 9.5 f to $1 at that time.) I also discovered that
they sell a European model and an American model (slight difference in bore
size and tuning, I think). Then among the American models were the
professional and the student (R13?) so things got a bit complicated rather
quickly. I didn't travel out to the Buffet factory which was (and still
is, I think) west of Paris several miles. Another advantage, for me at
least, of buying in the U.S. is that it is much easier to try out some
instruments and walk out if none of them have the right feel or sound. Now
mind you, a brand new Buffet, for someone at my level of accomplishment,
never sounds bad or poorly tuned. But there is the matter of being in the
shop in Paris and feeling like I have to buy something. In the U.S. I'd
have no hesitation about telling the guy to bring me two of each and I'd
spend half a day trying them out in utter ecstasy, but I didn't find it to
be that easy in Paris. First of all, they didn't even want me to try a
European model. Also, when I visited the Selmer shop (in a different Paris
neighborhood) to get a new crystal mouthpiece (Selmer didn't make them any
more, so that was a wash), I must have looked the part of a pro (have no
idea why) and the guy gave me 12 new (non-crystal) mouthpieces to try out
and set me up in a second floor room with rows of exquisite new trumpets
and other brass instruments laid out on purple velvet. About 20 minutes
later I heard him racing frantically up the stairs to look in at me to make
sure everything was all right (he must have heard me and realized his
mistake) and I was still happily working through the mouthpieces. In any
case, I'm sorry never to have visited the Buffet factory. If you do,
please give us a full report on your experience there and the prices on
their instruments. I have one more sabbatical leave to go before I retire
and if you tell us about your fabulous experience at the Buffet factory I
may just take the time to spend a day there.

Oliver

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