Klarinet Archive - Posting 001289.txt from 2004/03

From: "Dallas SCUBA" <forest_aten@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Fun day at Festival
Date: Mon, 22 Mar 2004 22:02:58 -0500

Bill says:

>
> But would they if they did NOT know that all those local pros played
> them? I'll wager that if you could do the auditioning WITHOUT letting
them
> see the brand name, there would be a much less unanimous conclusion. Not
> that Buffets are less than fine instruments; they are very good. But so
> are Selmers, Yamahas, Leblancs...

Not as good...and if the people auditioning had an objective set of critiera
to use for evaluation.....I bet that Buffet would win overwhelmingly. Just
an opinion based on a lot of experience in this area. Will everyone pick
Buffet? No....

>For there to be such an EXTREME result
> as you report suggests significant bias in the process.

The "EXTREME" result IS very significant....but not because of bias. It's
because the very best players.....who can pick and choose any instrument
they want.....who have every opportunity to play any and every clarinet
manufactured....pick Buffet clarinets by a huge margin. These players have
great educations, jobs that depend on their decisions regarding
"tools"....and they pick Buffet clarinets by a HUGE margin. By the way....I
don't play Buffet clarinets because someone brainwashed me. I play them
because they better for me.

>
> I see this all the time in the business. People come in saying, in
effect,
> "I'm here to buy my Bach Stradivarius trumpet/Selmer Paris sax/Buffet
> clarinet" without even CONSIDERING trying anything else. I cajole them
> into giving other comparable instruments a trial, but when they are done,
> they buy what they came in for, pre-conceived notions fully
> intact. Sometimes, this is because the instructor TOLD them that was what
> they "had to" buy. Or sometimes, it is "because that's what my FRIEND
just
> bought." Of course, this is likely at least PART of the reason the local
> pros all play Buffets, too! And thus the merry-go-round goes on and on...
>
>
What "people" are you talking about in this paragraph? Are you talking about
professionals? It sure doesn't seem that way to me. We were talking about
professionals earlier Bill. I think you assume way too much. Good
players.....professional players are not often led to slaughter....at least
not easily.

Forest Aten

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