Klarinet Archive - Posting 000891.txt from 2003/05

From: Dan Leeson <leeson0@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Buffet
Date: Sat, 31 May 2003 19:33:07 -0400

Hal J. Freiman, M.D. wrote:
> My daughter is in high school and is an accomplished clarinetist. She has
> been using the Buffet E11 for a few years and I have been considering
> upgrading her instrument. She has been offered an old Buffet that her
> teacher has been using and supposedly is in excellent condition and is
> supposed to be much better than professional instruments of today, in terms
> of wood used, etc. It's serial number is in the 37000 range and I have been
> told it is pre-WWII. She has played it and loves it. I'm interested in
> opinions-is she doing well to buy this instrument (for about $1000) or
> should she buy a new Buffet professional grade instrument for more money?
> Thanks in advance.
> Hal

There have been a number of excellent responses to this post. A few
things to keep in mind are these:

(1) the argument about an old instrument being "blown out" is very much
an arguable issue; some members of this list, myself included, reject
the thesis that an instrument becomes less functional over time; i.e.,
age ALONE reduces the ability of the instrument to be responsive,
functional, and play in pitch. In effect, the blow out response given by
one person is perceived by others as doggy doo, and should you believe
it, then there is some swamp land in Florida about which I would like to
speak to you.

(2) if the instrument is an excellent one to begin with, $1,000 is not
unreasonable but it is far too high for one that has not been well
maintained, or was not a superior instrument to begin with; you need to
have a competent technician look at the clarinet to determine its
physical state, and you need a competent player (not the party who wants
to sell it and who has a vested interested in its sale) to look at the
clarinet AFTER THE TECHNICIAN IS DONE to give you an opinion of the
performance characteristics of the instrument. If you are lucky, you
can get one man to do both tasks. A general repairperson who handles
trumpets, bassoons, etc. and who does not play clarinet is not going to
be able to comment extensively on the performance characteristics of the
instrument.

(3) "Old" is not necessarily a bad thing for clarinets just as "New" is
not necessarily a good thing.

(4) How serious and how talented is your daughter? The better she is as
a player, the more important it is to get a better quality instrument.
If a professional cannot be effective on a sub-par instrument, so much
more is it true that a student will not be able to be effective on that
same instrument.

(5) A really good instrument will have better resale value than a poorer
one when it comes to sell it, should that be the case. A really great
instrument sells itself when it comes time to do so.

(6) I am suspect of any teacher who suggests that a pupil needs a new
clarinet at the very moment when s/he has one for sale.

(7) Where one puts one's money for the younger student is in the
mouthpiece. If that is not a winner, nothing will work very well.

(8) and last, how much money will you have to pay to a technician if the
instrument is not in good physical shape? That amount, or some portion
of it, should be deduced from the cost of the instrument.

--
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**Dan Leeson **
**leeson0@-----.net **
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