Klarinet Archive - Posting 000038.txt from 2007/11

From: Fred Jacobowitz <fbjacobo@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] pro horn suggestions
Date: Mon, 05 Nov 2007 09:17:52 -0500

Alicia,
I do some repair work myself (so I know what can be done with old
horns) and I have a few older pro horns to sell if you're interested. I
have an older full-boehm Buffet (not an R-13) for which I am asking
$800 and a very nice Leblanc L300 for $900

Fred

Kol Haruach Klezmer Band
Ebony and Ivory Duo
On Nov 4, 2007, at 4:01 PM, Alicia Byer wrote:

> Hi Fred,
>
> I've thought about this but the instrument really isn't much to speak
> of.. the keys and posts aren't very good quality, and the plating
> seems to flake off in parts, although I really like the bore, and
> that's why I've been hanging onto it for so long. You've convinced me
> to at least get it appraised by a technician though, and see what they
> think, since I'd rather not spend tons of money if they think an
> overhaul would do wonders or something. I would prefer to get a used
> instrument anyway, if I'm going to buy one, it just seems more
> difficult to find a range of used models in good condition, but I'll
> keep looking.
>
> I'd like to try out some Selmers, so I'll keep looking and try to keep
> my "New Clarinet!" impulse in check. ;)
>
> thanks everybody,
> Alicia
>
> Fred Jacobowitz wrote:
>> Alicia,
>> I can't believe that a decently made instrument which is 'falling
>> apart' cannot be completely restored by a good technician. If you
>> don't NEED a better instrument, there is not reason not to send it to
>> someone on the level of, for example, Backun in NYC and a few hundred
>> dollars later, to have a completely restored instrument which looks
>> and plays beautifully. And look at the thousand-dollar-plus savings!
>> These older instruments were made to last a lifetime. In fact,
>> many use materials every bit as good as those of professional
>> instruments today! The keys didn't have the problem my Greenline
>> Buffet has of too-thin plating wearing off on the rings! Another
>> thing: back then, there wasn't alot of difference between the pro
>> horns and the student horns. For example, the old Evette & Schaeffer
>> (sp?) was actually a pro horn which, for some piddling reason (often
>> a cosmetic flaw in the wood) wasn't sold as a top-of-the-line horn.
>> Many manufacturers only made one level of instrument. If they needed
>> a few student horns, they simply stamped them differently.
>> I just hate to give up on older-but-excellent-quality items for
>> the lure of **NEW** in our materialistic society.
>>
>> Fred Jacobowitz
>>
>> Kol Haruach Klezmer Band
>> Ebony and Ivory Duo
>> On Nov 1, 2007, at 5:11 AM, Alicia Byer wrote:
>>
>>> Hi everybody,
>>>
>>> I'm sure you get these kinds of questions all the time, so if this
>>> post is incredibly out of line, or incredibly boring, feel free to
>>> ignore it...
>>>
>>> I'm in the market for a new professional clarinet, and I'm wondering
>>> what to get! I just graduated with my BA in composition, and played
>>> clarinet throughout college, but never upgraded from my intermediate
>>> instrument that I used in high school, since I wasn't a performance
>>> major. Now, I've come into a little bit of cash and I want to
>>> finally move up to a real instrument. I've tried the Buffet R13 and
>>> one or two other Buffets (I can't remember which) and a couple of
>>> the Leblancs (Concerto and Opus I think?) at a music store that I
>>> worked at, and I really favored the Leblancs at the time because
>>> they seemed easier to play and less stuffy. I mostly play
>>> experimental/new music and improv, so I need something extremely
>>> responsive and even, but still flexible, and I prefer a dark,
>>> covered, centered tone. I'm not a fan of lots of "ring". I looked at
>>> the Concerto and the Backun Leblancs, the Cadenza seems like a good
>>> deal. The Buffet RC Prestige seems ideal but probably a little out
>>> of my price range. Does anybody have any other suggestions? The
>>> instrument I'm playing on now is quite pitiful and falling apart,
>>> it's a French intermediate instrument from the 1940s, so I probably
>>> couldn't jump to an instrument that required a lot of wrestling to
>>> get a good tone. I use Richard Hawkins mouthpieces and 4/4.5
>>> Vandoren v12s with my more closed mouthpiece, and a 3 1/2 with my
>>> more open one. I also use a terrible $2 ligature that I dug out of a
>>> bin. So! Thanks for reading all this, and let me know if you have
>>> any suggestions.
>>>
>>> Best,
>>> Alicia
>>>
>>> ------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>
>>
>>
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>>
>>
>
>
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>

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