Klarinet Archive - Posting 001134.txt from 2003/03

From: "Matthew Lloyd" <Matthew@-----.uk>
Subj: RE: [kl] Importance of buying clarinets in pairs
Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2003 17:49:24 -0500

Claudia,

As far as Buffet are concerned the only difference between a pair and
two singles is the case.

I spent a long time in Howarths at the end of last year with at least
eight different clarinets to decide as soon as started ensemble playing
that the tuning on the Selmer Recitals that I had loved in the shop was
out! Back they went....

In the end I landed up with three buffet clarinets at home - two RC
prestige and one RC and spent a long time in my home blind testing and
eventually decided that what my teacher had told me was correct - that
the particular RC that I had was a cracker and the Prestige instruments
were not as good as that particular RC. I gather if you get a good one -
and I have - you'd need a real blinder of a prestige to beat it. An
average prestige won't do it.

Didn't like the R13 myself - a bit bright. The RC is wonderful though -
all a matter of taste I suppose.

The A seems very nice - matched the Bb in feel and so I didn't go to the
same lengths. As it felt natural beside the Bb it seemed right to go for
it. But the shop I bought it from lets you choose from all the Bb
clarinets they have in stock and all the A clarinets to pick your own
pair. I got a prestige case with mine which was especially nice!

As long as they balance each other I think you will be okay.

Matthew Lloyd

-----Original Message-----
From: Claudia Zornow [mailto:claudia.zornow@-----.com]
Subject: [kl] Importance of buying clarinets in pairs

I have a 1986 R13 Bb (bought new in 1987) and a 1961 R13A (bought
used in 1989). Lately I've been increasingly dissatisfied with
the A's intonation and I've started daydreaming about a new one.

How important do people feel it is to buy new clarinets in pairs?
(An archive search revealed a 1997 post by Clark Fobes saying that
he thought it was important in order to have matched intonation
tendencies. He also said he was unimpressed with the quality of
the Buffet A clarinets; I wonder whether that has changed.) Is
this like buying a phone-answering-machine combo, where when one
part fails you have to replace both? :-)

Also, my recurring daydream involves using frequent flyer miles
to go somewhere like IMS that has lots of clarinets to try. Has
anyone ever done a road trip like this for the purpose of buying
a new clarinet or clarinets? If so, how was the experience?

Claudia

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