Klarinet Archive - Posting 000959.txt from 2004/07

From: "Ken Wolman" <kwolman@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] eBay (was Jupiter Parisienne Series Clarinets, etc._
Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2004 09:11:41 -0400

Bill Hausmann wrote:

> Welcome to the list. You will not find a place with more people willing
> to share their opinions! ;-)

Why Bill, what would possess you to say that??

> Decent used professional-grade clarinets show up on eBay in your price
> range, but not any stamped "Buffet." Buffets are overpriced on the
> secondary market (great news if you have one to SELL). You can buy
> comparable Selmer Paris or Leblanc models for HALF or less, often around
> your Jupiter price, sometimes even less. Figure in $150 to fix it up
> and you might just pick up a bargain that way without having to worry
> about your ability to evaluate its condition.

Dangerous territory neareth. A very good friend of mine on this list is
becoming a serious eBay buyer/dealer. Her honesty is unimpeachable and
I'd buy from her in a second. I have also bought and sold on eBay and
my sales have never met with less than accolades: plainly, I do not
screw people and am forthcoming in my descriptions. This has cost me as
well as made me money. My buying experience, however, has been
variable, and I am frankly mistrustful of any instrument that I cannot
see, touch, and play for an extended period...since it seems to be an
article of faith that no two clarinets are alike, even in the same model
range. Someone said an R-13 is not an R-13 is not an R-13. Same
different with any maker. I got a very nice-looking Series 9 last fall
for a great price, but it appears that it's either overhaul time and
that the little hitches like loose pads and possibly maladjusted keywork
and springs are starting to become obvious. Tonally it's gorgeous (the
teacher I was using last winter made me almost fall out of my seat when
he played it), but sometimes things are TOO cheap. The gentleman (he
really is that) who sold me the horn reseated a pad to ease the
transition to clarion B, but it's still an auction horn even though I
did indeed try before I bought, it's vintage 1967, and I have no idea of
its history. THAT is the eBay problem: you don't know where the used
instrument came from, who did what to it, etc.; and while it may be in
perfect good shape overall, it can have some annoying glitches. I think
at times I might have been better off with a new E-11. eBay is full of
those too.

That said, what do reliable repair services charge for a makeover.
Let's start with Backun (ha!) and work out way down.

Ken
--
Kenneth Wolman
Proposal Development Department
Room SW334
Sarnoff Corporation
609-734-2538

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