Klarinet Archive - Posting 000548.txt from 2000/09

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausmann1@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Hypothetical question -- thanks for your help!
Date: Sun, 17 Sep 2000 22:05:53 -0400

At 06:57 PM 9/17/2000 -0400, Stan Elias wrote:
>The "hypothetical" clarinet in question is a Paul Dupre-Paris (a what??)
>that my parents bought for me new in 1953, at the recommendation of my
>teacher, for $175 that they couldn't afford. Even as a child I was
>aware of their sacrifice, and I used the instrument through high
>school and college and now play in community theater. I keep it in
>pretty good shape, and over the years I have become very familiar with
>its quirks and compensate almost without thinking. The "hypothetical
>question" arose when I tried a friend's R-13 recently and found that it
>was like taking off hip boots and putting on track shoes. But the
>sentimental attraction is strong and I didn't want to buy another horn
>and let Old Faithful languish in a closet. I'm still not sure what I'm
>going to do. Thanks to all of you for your input.
>
I, too keep an older, not so professional, clarinet in my inventory mostly
for old times sake. While it does not speak with the authority of my
Selmer Series 10, I keep the trusty old Rene Dumont (about $75 used in
1969) that served me through college in playing shape as a backup. In
fact, some years ago, while I was still in the Air Force, I had to go to
Panama for 10 weeks. Since I figured I would need something to do for
recreation, but did not want to expose my good horn to the environmental
stresses, etc., of such a trip, I brought the Rene Dumont along. They got
to know me quite well at the base recreation center, since I practiced
almost every day in their music room. I even got an opportunity to sit in
with a shorthanded Army band playing an outdoor concert, sightreading as
the only 2nd clarinet. It was a good thing that, by then, I had my chops
in good shape! They invited me to play the next concert, too, but I had to
leave before then.

Go ahead and have a professional look over your Old Faithful. Even one
tiny leak can turn a Selmer Signature into a squeaking stick of firewood.
But if everything is well tweaked up, even a plastic Bundy can play pretty
darned well!

Incidentally, I just picked up a Rene Dumont Eb clarinet via eBay. Too bad
I didn't yet have it for the "Crazy for You" pit last spring. I wouldn't
have had to play those high A's on the Bb!

Bill Hausmann bhausmann1@-----.com
451 Old Orchard Drive http://homepages.go.com/~zoot14/zoot14.html
Essexville, MI 48732 ICQ UIN 4862265

If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is too loud.

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