Klarinet Archive - Posting 000455.txt from 2003/02

From: "Forest E. Aten Jr." <forestaten@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] fire at LeBlanc factory
Date: Sun, 16 Feb 2003 11:48:57 -0500

Kelly,

The Buffet clarinets that I have purchased in the past 5-10 years have been
the best I've seen or used. As a matter of fact...my observations have been
that Buffet has made steady progress in manufacturing better and better
clarinets.

I've taught quite a lot over the years.....and I have not seen cracking as
an issue (especially recently) in my student's Buffet clarinets or in the
newer clarinets purchased by local professionals and teachers (in the
Dallas/Ft. Worth area). This is not to say it isn't happening. I don't
really have the ability to gather the kind of data needed to make anything
more than a guess. If I use my personal experience to make this judgment,
I'd say that Buffet doesn't have a big problem with cracking in it's wooded
instruments. I'm not sure that using a listserve as the source for claiming
that Buffet instruments are cracking more now than before, is a good way to
make this determination....and for many reasons.
-----------------------
* I have owned dozens of Buffet clarinets since 1964. I've never had one
crack. (one Selmer bass cracked...but repaired easily) My clarinets work
hard...everyday. My clarinets are exposed to some of the worst conditions
out there....
* I have had 100's of Buffet clarinets come through my studio since 1970 and
I can count the number of instruments that have cracked on one hand. None in
the past 5 years.
* I recently offered a clinic for clarinet players from 4 area high school
band programs. During a break one of the directors ask me a question about
what to do when a student's clarinet cracks. After I advised him, I ask each
of the four directors if they have a problem with cracking
clarinets.....answer from all 4: "we have a clarinet crack every few years".
I didn't ask if the clarinet that cracked was a Buffet. These are very large
band programs (300-500 kids in each band program. Each school has 3 or 4
bands.) Dozens of clarinet players go through each program every year. Note
that they DID NOT SAY, "we have a few clarinets crack every year".....

Forest Aten

----- Original Message -----
From: "CBA" <clarinet10001@-----.com>
Subject: RE: [kl] fire at LeBlanc factory

> I beg to differ on the quality of the instruments. The Buffets
> coming out of the factory no longer use 10-15 year aged wood,
> but use wood aged one or two years now. THAT came about for
> financial reasons by one of the buyers of Buffet over a decade
> ago. There are more cracks today in new instruments than have
> been in the past, from what people say on the list here. Another
> company coming in controlling Buffet might say you can cut the
> wood and shape it immediately, because you can paint it and no
> one will know...except maybe the professional in a symphony
> somewhere that has an instrument crack during the solo in
> Rhapsody in Blue...LOL.
>
> Is there somewhere we can go with suggestions to the new company
> to tell them what we, as musicians, NEED from Buffet (and want)?
> This might shape the company for the better, since we are the
> consumers. We could get them started in the right way so we
> would feel BETTER about the products and procedures, and they
> could feel better knowing that their newly acquired company will
> keep it's comsumers coming back.
>
> Francois Kloc...are you still on here? Are you still with
> Buffet?
>
> Kelly Abraham
> Woodwinds - New York City
> --- David Naden <dnaden@-----.org> wrote:
> > To all those concerned with the sale of Buffet:
> >
> > If you check the history of Buffet, the company has been sold
> > several times
> > (to my knowledge) since the mid-1970s. As a lifelong player
> > of Buffet, I
> > have never seen the quality of the clarinets decrease, nor
> > company
> > operations compromised. As was stated in a previous post,
> > this was a
> > business decision, and whatever company or conglomerate owns
> > Buffet should
> > be of little relevance provided that it does not impact
> > instrument
> > production and quality.
> >
> > David S. Naden, MMus
> > Cal State University Los Angeles
>
>
> Do you Yahoo!?
> Yahoo! Shopping - Send Flowers for Valentine's Day
> http://shopping.yahoo.com
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
>

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