Klarinet Archive - Posting 000076.txt from 2002/11

From: b5w@-----.net (William Wright)
Subj: Re: [kl] Returning to the fold
Date: Fri, 1 Nov 2002 20:48:31 -0500

<><> Will Hartung wrote:
She's not real comfortable getting a used one, mostly because we're not
knowledgable enough to rate it as being "good" or "bad".

Mr. Hartung, perhaps this point (above) needs more discussion.

If your wife rents a decent student instrument (usually costs about $40
per month) and then takes a few lessons --- which every beginner needs
--- your wife will quickly form an opinion of the teacher's sincerity
and expertise. There are a few teachers who just want to collect their
fee and then get on to their next gig or whatever. But I think it's
fair to say that most music teachers really *care* about their students.

Once your wife has good feelings about a particular teacher, then she
should ask the teacher to help her select an instrument.

My point is: used clarinets are *not* inferior to brand new ones
unless they have been abused; and a used instrument costs less. With a
concerned teacher to guide your wife, your wife could get an excellent
instrument that is suited to her particular needs and preferences, at a
significantly lower cost, and your wife could be confident that she is
not being 'taken' by an aggressive sales person.

============

Another point:

If your wife stays with clarinet music for several years, she is going
to want a different horn, no matter which horn she bought in the
beginning. Once her technique and style become stable, she will begin
to see that individual clarinets are *very* different. The odds are
almost 100% that she will want something different from what she started
with, no matter what she started with.

So don't blow $800-$900 right now on a horn because some salesperson
gives your wife <The Sincere Look> and says, "This is the best horn you
can buy for less than $2000" or "This is what the professionals play,
and you'll develop a better ear if you start with this horn...."

As several people have posted, $500 for an instrument by one of the "big
four" (in no particular order - Yamaha, Selmer, Leblanc, and Buffet)
will buy you a proper instrument with better music in it than any
beginner can hope to achieve during the first several years.

And stay away from the cheapies!

Cheers,
Bill

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