Klarinet Archive - Posting 001283.txt from 2004/03

From: "Kevin Fay" <kevinfay@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Fun day at Festival
Date: Mon, 22 Mar 2004 18:44:26 -0500

I posted:

<<<This festival took place in an affluent suburb of Seattle. About half of
the kids played on new artist-level instruments, mostly Buffets, mostly
R-13s. It struck me that us geezers on this list aren't Buffet's primary
market, these kids (and their non-clarinet-playing parents) are. This could
explain a lot, I think.>>>

. . . and Forest asked,

<<<Kevin,

What do think this observation explains?>>>

The market tendencies of Buffet clarinets. Their best-selling model here in
the US (the R-13) has some easily fixed idiosyncracies - for example, the
12ths would be better if they moved the register tube north a couple of
millimeters.

Buffet also sells several models that fix these problems, like the Festival
(based on the R-13 bore) or the RC. Why do they continue to sell the
comparatively faulty model? Because people buy them, of course. I've
posted on this before - there's a "network effect" between generations of
teachers & students that keeps this the most popular model in the face of
others that are arguably "better."

One of the things people have commented on here on the list over the years
is the level of fit and finish on Buffets and the other artist-level horns.
Could be better. We all have that option - for a while at least,
International Music Suppliers would sell you a fresh Buffet that had been
"Brannenized" for an extra fee. I'm told very few people opted to pay the
extra money for this, however. While folks might complain about the fit &
finish, empirical evidnce suggests that what comes straight from the factory
is plenty good enough for the vast majority of buyers. This effect is
amplified if you realize that the market for these horns is dominated not by
professional musicians, but comparitively young players.

I'm not a Buffet-hater, mind you; I have three of them accompanying me to
rehearsal tonight. They've been tweaked up by some fine technicians over
the years (and I'll bet yours have been, too). With the aftemarket bells
and barrels, plus some additional undercutting, I like them better than ones
I'd get off the rack. Most middle school kids probably wouldn't notice the
difference.

For the record, I think Buffet (and Selmer and Yamaha and Leblanc) do a heck
of a job getting us an instrument at a price point of about $2K. Compared
to flutes, oboes or other woodwinds, we get quite a bargain.

Forest added:

<<<I never thought of myself as an "old geezer" but what the heck.>>>

I didn't either, until I judged a festival where all of the students were
young enough to be my kids. My nose was rubbed in this at Saturday's
festival - I ran into an old friend I hadn't seen since college because I
judged her daughter.

I'm not the oldest geezer, though. (One last anecdote, can't resist.) Many
of the best kids I heard were students of one Lylburn Layer, who had been a
band director at one of the big suburban schools until his retirement.
Lylburn sat ten feet from me for most of the day. He was *my* judge my
senior year of high school, which of course I let him know.

(He gave me a II. I deserved it.)

kjf

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