Klarinet Archive - Posting 000393.txt from 2005/01

From: Rob <roomberg@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] NEW $75
Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2005 03:14:47 -0500

My daughter got to play with the old new toys.
The lowest notes played fine but the higher notes squeeked terrible
and some made air..no reed vibration at all.
She said her plastic clarinet played much better.
Ok... not a surprise here..... ya get what ya pay for....and $36 doesn't
pay for much.
The local music store here reported that he sends away clarinets and
repadding costs $150. So we will not be doing that anytime soon.

So back to ebay.....
Ebay commonly sells new clarinets for $75 to $100.
Some sellers do $50 then $25 shipping....so it adds up to $75.

Is there anything wrong with these $75 clarinets ?

I went down this path with trumpets and was told that the Indian brass
instrument industry is worthless crap and that Cosco and walmart sell
this trash and was warned away from $75 trumpets.
So I bought a used Conn 20b trumpet and a conn director cornet thats as
old as me an slides and valves are fine.

WHAT ABOUT CLARINETS?????

Are the Asian clarinets as bad news as the brass instruments?
Would anyone tell me to not buy a brand new clarinet on ebay for $75 to
learn on?

And what about the yellow, purple, red and white clarinets?
Are they all made of the same type of plastic and the bright color
clarinets are really no different than a black clarinets?

I was wondering about the plastic being different because certain
plastics have different traits and I didn't know if all clarinet
plastics are equal in sound properties.

Ormondtoby Montoya wrote:
> Rob wrote:
>
>
>>after she told me she heard a wooden clarinet
>>and it sounded different compared to her
>>clarinet. (plastic)
>
>
> Listening is a good thing, and your daughter ishould not to be
> discouraged from doing so.
>
> However it is unlikely that the difference she heard was due to wood vs.
> plastic. Other details affect an instrument's sound much more. Since
> you said that she "heard" a wood instrument (rather than that she
> "played" one herself), it's possible (probable) that the difference she
> heard was due to the player, not to the instrument.
>
> It can be argued that wood instruments are generally more expensive than
> plastic, and therefore generally built more carefully. Nevertheless a
> good plastic instrument will sound better and play more easily than a
> bad wood instrument.
>
>
>
>
>>One clarinet had tight cork rings and pads
>>and the other was so worn out that the
>>mouthpiece would drop out if you let it.
>
>
> You *definitely* should ask (or pay) someone who is technically
> knowledgeable to look at more than just the corks and pads. A
> quarter-turn on one screw or replacement of one weak spring or tweaking
> of one key or rod can make all the difference in the world.
>
>
>
>
>>So can anyone tell me how good or bad a
>>deal these clarinets were? What's it cost to
>>recork a clarinet?
>
>
> $75 for *one* playable clarinet is OK !! And you may have purchased
> two of them for this price.
>
> A single cork or pad may cost $15-$20 (depending on the store and other
> details). But once again, you may not recognize that other items need
> adjustment and/or replacement. Sometimes an obliging technician will
> give your instrument a 'quick look' for free, but this is not the same
> as a complete disassembly and overhaul, which may cost $150 or more
> depending on what needs fixing and the shop's pricing policy.
>
> It pays to 'ask around' for the name of a competent technician or repair
> shop. It is not unheard of that instruments are returned in worse
> condition than before they were brought in. In my town, until old age
> forced him to retire a year ago, the best woodwind technician in town
> worked in his own living room and did not advertise in the telephone
> book. I found out about him because, at most music club meetings, a
> few people who played well would bring their instruments in to him for
> repair or adjustment. He almost never went home without somebody's
> instrument under his arm.
>
>
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