Klarinet Archive - Posting 000349.txt from 2006/03

From: "Rommel John Miller" <rjmiller@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Rossi quality flaw
Date: Sun, 19 Mar 2006 16:16:32 -0500

Arrrggghhh! As the PEANUTS character Charlie Brown might want to blurt out.

Why a "NEW" one? Not becasue they shine or gleam a little better than the
used variety, but one that I will have the joy of playing for many years.

Note: I have a used E-11 that I bought from Clarinuts one year ago, more or
less, I thought that clarinet played well, but when Tom Puwalski looked at
it and played it found that some of the same problem I am having with NEW
BUFFET R-13, which is the Low E, F, F#/Gb keys on both sides stick and do
not close tight enough.

I sent the E-11 to Larry Naylor and $400 later it is like new again.

I paid $400 for the E-11 from Clarinuts, and it took another $400 to fix the
problems that Clarinuts didn't catch, also Clarinuts seem to re-pad the E-11
with questionable pads, according that is to Larry Naylor. Hence $800
later, I have a working used E-11, for the same price I could've gotten one
that was new, and possibly NOT FLAWED, but I have my doubts in that regard
too considering that I am now on Clarinet #3 from WWBW in 3 months.

Why should I pay my own money to fix a problem Buffet, Francois Kloc, or
WWBW should have picked up on before allowing the thing to be shipped.

Maybe I have bad luck, I do feel very often that I am cursed, and that
someone has put the evil eye on me, but that's my own paranoia speaking
there.

I would think that WWBW has nothing to do with my luck, but it was my bad
luck and poor judgment that led me to them.

Go figure.

Rafi
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ormondtoby Montoya" <o4rmondtoby@-----.net>
To: <klarinet@-----.org>
Sent: Sunday, March 19, 2006 2:21 PM
Subject: Re: [kl] Rossi quality flaw

> Rommel wrote:
>
> > I will NEVER buy another clarinet again
> > without first seeing it, touching it and playing
> > it, feeling the responsiveness of the keys, etc,
>
> One aspect that is never mentioned enough (imo) is: "If you need a
> clarinet, why do you need a BRAND NEW one?" Just so it sparkles a bit
> more?
>
> Unless you are one of those people who succumb to (ooops...I mean
> 'believe in') the "blown out" theory, you will need to hold and play and
> 'feel' (and pay for, either directly or indirectly) adjustment of any
> instrument that you purchase, new or used. And the selection available
> to you will, by definition, expand if you consider used instruments as
> well as new ones.
>
> If cost is an important issue (when isn't it?), a used instrument will
> cost in the neighborhood of 25%-50% less than mail order prices ---
> unless you are talking about period instruments or modern instruments
> with a virtuoso history, which is a different topic.
>
> When I 'moved up' from my first clarinet, I went from new to used (to
> cracked and pinned, no less) , and I've never regretted it. I've
> tested sparkling new instruments at ClarinetFests (presumably in
> 'perfect' adjustment for the occasion), and I've never been tempted to
> 'move up' again. Maintenance on my old instrument seems to get me to
> the same place as buying a new instrument would.
>
> Once, after a professional concert (after his 3rd encore), a fine
> clarinetist allowed me to inspect his clarinet. I was mostly
> interested in his barrel, but I was startled at how _old_ and _battered_
> his instrument was !!! But it was what he chose to play in
> performance.
>
>
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>
>

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