Klarinet Archive - Posting 000182.txt from 2003/01

From: CBA <clarinet10001@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] RE: Chinese Clarinets
Date: Wed, 8 Jan 2003 15:08:21 -0500

That's why I make a point to play on each of my student's
instrument (be it clarinet or saxophone) for a few minutes at
LEAST once a month, to make sure they are not fighting a losing
battle with the instrument. I am albe to circumvent the problem
of the students blaming everything on the instrument that way
too (for those situations where you blame everything on the
INSTRUMENT, and miss the student not practicing.)

I usually find a major instrument problem with the Chinese
saxophones (Jean Baptiste brand, in this case) at least once
every two or three months. All of my clarinet students are now
playing on non-crappy instruments.

The key problem with the clarinets were so bad, that the
instruments could sometimes be put in the case, and taken right
back out with a bent key problem. I gave the clarinet students
an ultimatum or changing their instruments to a better made one,
or to stop taking lessons from me. I keep a spare Vito here for
such occasions when they need a loaner.

The saxophone situation was a little more difficult. Even the
cheap Chinese saxophones were a few hundred dollars ($300-500
US,) and we had to make due for 6 months to a year with the
horrible key problems. Two of my saxophone students had to get
new instruments imediately though, because the body of the
instrument came apart, the instrument couldn't be fixed. Sam
Ash, of course, would not take the instrument back, since it
was over a year old. One of them couldn't afford another new
instrument, and had to take a hiatus, as I didn't have an extra
saxophone for them to use, and the $600+ for a beginner sax from
a name brand was too much for them at the time.

I wish the better business bureau or some other agency could do
something about these instruments to keep them from being sold
in the US. Different agencies can do things with cars or
appliances that are lemons.

Kelly Abraham
Woodwinds - New York City
--- Bill Hausmann <bhausmann1@-----.net> wrote:
> Often, the instrument is not returned until it is too late,
> since the
> assumption is made that the problem is with the student, not
> the instrument.
>
> Bill Hausmann

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