Klarinet Archive - Posting 000070.txt from 2006/10

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausmann1@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Walmart clarinets
Date: Fri, 06 Oct 2006 08:08:20 -0400

At 12:32 AM 10/6/2006 -0400, you wrote:
>The instruments at Walmart are better then the "hand me down" instruments
>that show up in my program. Not the best, but better then I expected.

But they are not better than the hand-me-down instruments AFTER they have
been properly attended to by a technician.

> They showed up in my program 2 years ago. I found out you can get parts
> for them, they have regional centers for repairs.

How long is the turnaround time? Does the regional repair center come TO
the school and pick the instrument up and deliver it back at no
charge? Can they sometimes fix it on the spot -- for free?

> Music stores say parts aren't available, they are struggling to compete
> with the prices, use that as a defense.

First Act parts are available IF you set yourself up as a repair center for
them, and they are probably better than most. But anybody with the other
brands is up a creek. Most shops refuse to work on them because the metal
is poor and, if a key were to break while being bent back into position,
replacement is impossible. Repair tends to be impossible, too, because the
metal melts when soldering is attempted. For all the crappy workmanship we
are seeing in Elkhart horns lately, at least the materials are still good
and they can be made to play properly.

> In the poor economy we're dealing with in Michigan, it's attractive for
> a parents to get an instrument for 200 dollars. The instrument issue is
> one thing........ I have students that buy reeds at Walmart. Less
> expense then Vandoren, LaVoz or Mitchel Lurie...... I give them a free
> reed, on that plays! They realize that 10 buck a box is a scam.

Do YOU play Walmart reeds for your gigs? Granted, for beginners who will
break the reed long before they wear it out, they should be fine, which is
why we sell so many Ricos and why I roll my eyes at directors who insist
upon Vandorens for their 5th grade beginners. But if you send all the
business to Walmart, eventually the store that sells the Vandorens will be
gone.

Bill Hausmann

If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is TOO LOUD!

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