Klarinet Archive - Posting 000170.txt from 2003/01

From: "Patricia A. Smith" <patricia@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Poor Qlty. Instruments, Bigotry & Dreams
Date: Wed, 8 Jan 2003 13:32:04 -0500

Deidre Calarco wrote:

> I played on a Bundy for my first 4 years as a clarinetist, and it was okay.
> We'd purchased a better mouthpiece for it and had kept it in good repair.
> Are some Bundys really awful? Did they make better clarinets at some times
> and worse ones at others? The reason I ask is, I've told people that it's
> an acceptable beginner's instrument.
>

As in the case of any beginner horn, it is all in the individual
instrument. Some horns may simply be "lemons" and be no good. Most of
the time, however, a few new pads here and there, or some new corks or
springs, and the horn will work fine. I think the idea is that a horn
needs to be played by someone who knows how to play it in order to know
whether or not it is in good playing order before handing it to a
beginner to use in beginning band, who has no idea whether it is him/her
or the horn that is causing the problems s/he is having with playing.

Patricia A. Smith

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