Klarinet Archive - Posting 000936.txt from 2003/03

From: Joe West <west.12@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] Key of A maybe
Date: Sun, 23 Mar 2003 17:23:26 -0500

I must admit that my Artley does raise a few eyebrows when I mention it.
They made a big mistake somewhere down the line, as for me I took
my mouth piece to the second hand music shop, and tried out several horns
I believe they were a Vito, Bundy, Buesher? and the Artley . Not the big 4 I
know but I stopped at the Artley. I could get big sound out of the Artley, is
that a fit description, hard to describe but the Artley really felt easy to
play.

I should have kept on trying out different horns, hard to do when you are
grinning like the Cheshire cat. It was the first one I ran across that agreed
with me. Maybe I suddenly developed technique, which is possible.

For the record she is an Artley 18s Prelude, 1973 vintage.

>You mentioned that you're sticking with your Artley and working hard on
>it. There's nothing wrong with dedication, but perhaps you're
>dedicating yourself to the wrong instrument --- such that someday you'll
>discover that you invested the effort to develop unusual or tiring
>techniques that don't succeed on most clarinets?
>
>If you had said that you are dedicating yourself to a single instrument,
>and the instrument is a student horn by one of the 'big 4' (Yamaha,
>Selmer, Buffet and Leblanc), then I wouldn't be making this comment.
>All of these companies manufacture inexpensive instruments, albeit not
>in the $100 range. And you shouldn't be afraid of a used instrument
>just because it isn't brand new. Unlike used cars, age does not equate
>to 'worn out'.
>
>Cheers,
> Bill

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