Klarinet Archive - Posting 000350.txt from 2006/03

From: Adam Michlin <amichlin@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Rossi quality flaw
Date: Sun, 19 Mar 2006 16:38:24 -0500

Or, maybe you get what you pay for!

WWBW could easily guarantee (excluding shipping issues) that every
clarinet they sent out was perfect. For a price. Buffet could easily
guarantee that every clarinet they sent out was perfect. For a price.

The question becomes will the market bear such a price? I doubt it.
Those of us who expect perfection pay for it, just as you did. I
think the manufacturers would go out of business if they only sold to
those who expected perfection. I always explain to students and,
especially, parents of students that WWBW is cheaper for a good
reason. I always tell them that should they choose to go that route
they should expect to have to pay to set the instrument up properly
and expect no favors from the local stores two hours before the
spring concert when little Johnny's clarinet isn't playing properly.
I would hazard to guess most people don't know or care about these
disadvantages of WWBW. They buy on price and price alone, which is
most certainly their right. Buffet needs their money as much as my money.

I mean, come on, it's not like this a car or something else where
people might die with poor quality control!

-Adam

At 04:13 PM 3/19/2006, Rommel John Miller wrote:
>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.

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