Klarinet Archive - Posting 000881.txt from 2003/02

From: Joseph Stevens <oamclarinetist@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Just when you think it doesn't apply to you...
Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 22:08:24 -0500

Go figure. Somebody asked about who to send a
clarinet to for an overhaul, and I hadn't payed
attention because I thought I didn't need it done to
mine. I was wrong. When I bought my R-13 in late
August of last year, I had the local music store
overhaul it as they have been around for years and are
highly respected in this area.

Well, it suffices to say the workmanship done to my
"baby" is crappy at best. Less than six months later,
my clarinet is now going haywire on me. The five cork
pads on the upper joint weren't done right, and the
normal ones just aren't holding up (I swab it out
throughly every time I play it, and sometimes in the
middle of practice sessions--this should not be
happening!!). And on top of it the swollen tenons
were never addressed as I had asked them to do. So I
have a wildly out of tune R-13 that buzzes whenever I
play it and it appears I was conned out of $300 for
this shoddy work. They couldn't even buff the keywork
properly.

So who should I send my clarinet to for yet another
overhaul? I live in Dallas, Oregon, right outside of
Salem, the state capital, and within easy driving
range of Portland, in case there is any place instate
that is reputable before I need to go elsewhere.
Places in San Francisco would be an option as well, as
I will be staying for a week with a friend in Petaluma
in April, and a day trip into SF is being planned on.

Who can be trusted to do an excellent job, and how
much should I expect to save up for this?

Thank you,
Joseph (who learned that lesson the hard way)

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