Klarinet Archive - Posting 000247.txt from 2004/06

From: "David McClune" <dmcclune@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] Repair or buy new?
Date: Wed, 16 Jun 2004 22:37:57 -0400

I had a ex-college student (graduated) pick out a wonderful Buffet A
clarinet while at the Oklahoma Cl Symposium two weeks ago (yes I
helped!). She played every horn there, narrowed it to a couple Buffets,
and chose one from the Buffet table. Phil Muncy helped her in the final
choice and she bought it through his store. It is as good as mine which
was picked out in the mid-1980s and has been fully Brannonized.

There have always been good pieces of wood and a few outstanding pieces
of wood. With the mediocre current state of the world's worlds economy,
we should be glad that there still are any great instruments available!

We all need to work with local band directors and HELP them convince
the parents that they really do NOT need to buy their child's first
clarinet from Walmart/Costco, etc., and rather spend the extra money and
buy a real clarinet from one of the major manufacturers!

Enough soap boxing for one evening!

Dave

Dr. David McClune
Professor of Woodwinds
Director of Bands
Union University-1862
1050 Union University Drive
Jackson, TN 38305

Office-731-661-5294
dmcclune@-----.edu
www.mcclunemouthpiece.com
>>> forestaten@-----.net 06/16/04 18:27 PM >>>
>
> Also, within the last 10 years the quality of the instruments, new,
are
> going down. Older instruments have better craftsmanship and are, in
truth,
> mostly better sounding then newer ones.
>

I haven't found this to be the case at all. The newer (a couple of
years
old) clarinets that I perform on (Buffet R13's and Festivals) are
better in
every way. I'm sure that you could find older instruments of superior
quality and newer instruments of inferior quality...but in general I
find
that our current batch of clarinets available to players are (much)
better.

Forest Aten

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