Klarinet Archive - Posting 000650.txt from 2002/10

From: "Steve Fleckenstein" <spfleck@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Selecting a clarinet
Date: Sun, 27 Oct 2002 09:36:02 -0500

I recently got lucky with selecting a better clarinet for my daughter.
She was using a plastic Yamaha she has had since 5th grade (now in 11th).
Her private teacher suggested she was up to a wood clarinet upgrade. A
friend of mine had a 1967 vintage Buffet Evette & Shaeffer in the closet
that he had stopped playing when we were both in high school band together
around 1973. I had the clarinet looked at by the teacher who after
conferring with other woodwind teachers in the county decided that it was
probably worth a rebuild. I sent it out to a known to be honest and fair
priced shop that replaced the moth eaten pads, all cork and rebuilt a
slightly damaged center tenon. We also replaced the case because the
technician was concerned about dormant moth eggs attacking the new pads. For
around $250 and another $50 for a new case my daughter has a really nice
playing Buffet Evette & Shaeffer.

The technician doing the restore work has many years in the business. He
said he has come across many of these model clarinets that when rebuilt play
just as good if not better than many R-13s he has worked on. It isn't always
the case but in my situation I got lucky.

Steve

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