Klarinet Archive - Posting 000871.txt from 2003/08
From: "Buckman, Nancy" <nebuckman@-----.edu>
Subj: RE: [kl] Rossi and Patricola vs Buffet
Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2003 13:29:10 -0400
My first real clarinet was an Evette and Schaffer in 1967. It was brand =
new and cost all of $250. I still have it and it is a better clarinet =
than my R-13s. In 1968, when my younger brother wanted to play clarinet =
so we could play duets together, my parents bought me my first R-13 for =
$450. According to Russell Harlow, that Buffet from 1968 (#104***) is =
one of the better instruments they ever made. It is on loan to a =
student, as are the Eb and A that go with it. =20
I have had three Buffet A clarinets in the last thirty years and two Eb =
clarinets. For all those years I played Buffet instruments and learned =
to be a fairly good instrumentalist. I thought Buffet was the end of =
the line. And then I went to my first ClarinetFest in 1998 and saw the =
new Buffets, and I also saw all of the new Leblancs and the new Selmers =
and the new Rossis, Yamahas, Patricolas, Hammerschmidts, Howarths, =
Wurlitzers, etc. I was in clarinet heaven. I definitely did not go to =
Fest even remotely thinking about buying a new clarinet.=20
I went from booth to booth and played away. The Hammerschmidt clarinets =
were the nicest things I had ever put my hands on. Beautiful rosewood =
that felt like satin and gold keywork with no equal anywhere in site. =
They started at $8000 though. I sat and played them for a long time. =
Then I walked into the next isle and there were those rosewood Patricola =
clarinets. They had silver keys and weren't as striking in appearance =
but I figured there is more to these new brands than gold keys. So I =
took out my Hite mouthpiece and played away. And I played the Patricola =
grenadilla clarinets too. They were all very stuffy. One of the =
Patricola brothers came over and asked how I liked the instruments. I =
told him I was not impressed and why. He sent me over to Greg Smith to =
borrow a mouthpiece and asked me to play them again. That was when WOW =
set in. I sat there for almost 3 1/2 hours playing those clarinets. I =
think I played all the ones that were on the table. I was so excited =
that when I got back to my room after the evening concert I called my =
husband at home to tell him of my find. =20
Until that point, I had never played anything but a Buffet and had =
always recommended Buffet to my students. At that point in my life I =
still had a kid trying to finish college. We paid for her school out of =
our wallets because we didn't want to dip into our savings. We scrimped =
and did without so this kid (with major learning disabilities) could go =
to school. It took her 10 years to graduate (2002). =20
Well in 1998, I began my mad money fund for instruments. I didn't eat =
lunch during the day to save for a new clarinet. No movies or dinner =
out, I switched to uniforms for work to cut down on the need for new =
clothes. I didn't go to ClarinetFest in '99 and saved that money too. I =
put away almost $10,000 in 2 years. In the fall of 2000 I called Muncy =
Winds and ordered an Eb, Bb and A set of clarinets from Patricola. They =
arrived in January. Most of you know the story from that point. =20
I must say this about my playing ability. It has improved tremendously =
since I began going to ClarinetFest. And a good part of that =
improvement has come from opening my mind to the new technology that =
manifests itself in new brands of instruments and accessories. Those =
new Patricola clarinets are so much easier to play than my Buffets ever =
were.
This past Fest, I sat and played Wurlitzers. Maybe in a few years I'll =
switch to a set of them. They are very expensive though and I would =
truly have to have "mad" money to buy them. I spent my money fund on =
barrels and bells from Morrie Backun this year. I had no intention of =
buying barrels and bells when I left home to go to Salt Lake City, but =
Audrey Travis kept getting under my skin about Morrie's stuff, so I =
went, like an idiot, and tried them. I was hooked. Morrie's barrels =
and bells make such a difference in the response of the instruments that =
I bought new barrels and bells for three of my four clarinets. He =
didn't take anything for C clarinets with him to Fest or I would have =
gotten a barrel and bell for that clarinet too.
My daughter now has a Masters degree in Special Education and it isn't =
so hard to add money to my money fund any more. So maybe, just maybe, I =
will get those Wurlitzers some day. And I don't have to try Buffet to =
know that they are better clarinets for me. Buffet has a long way to go =
before they even come close to making something that good.
Nancy
Nancy E. Buckman, Technical Assistant
School of Health Professions, Wellness and Physical Education
Anne Arundel Community College
Arnold, MD 21012-1895 USA
Phone 410-777-2316 Fax 410-777-2233
E-mail nebuckman@-----.edu
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