 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: wjk
Date: 2003-03-12 23:51
I'm interested in a new Buffet R-13 or Prestige Bb clarinet. In the experience of BB readers, where is the best place to purchase such an instrument? Should I take my chances ordering on-line or by mail? Is it best to go to a "brick and mortar" store and try several? Where have BB readers gone and had positive experiences?
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2003-03-13 00:10
The best way I know of is to visit either a major retailer or go to a clarinet festival.
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Author: Bradley
Date: 2003-03-13 00:48
Well- although I despise WWBW, if you want to order online you might wanna go with them , since they have decent testers and you can return them- they also have the best prices......
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Author: Jerry
Date: 2003-03-13 02:02
I've had a positive experience with Wichita Band (Kansas) mail order. They have a website. They were part of my two month "hunt" that involved the following:
- Local store: They only had one new R-13 to try, and they would come down only a few hundred dollars below list.
- International and WWBW internet/phone/mail order trials. Their prices were around $1,600/$1,800 and they did what they said they would do. However...
I went with Wichita for the following reasons:
1. The R-13 I purchased sounded as good as the others and played easier because it was "prepped" better than the ones from the other dealers. For example, they provided several cork pads in the upper barrel, they replaced a cork cushion on the thumb F ring with teflon to eliminate sticking I encountered on several trial instruments, and the pads below were tight.
2. They returned phone calls more quickly and spent a good deal of time with me on the phone and on e-mail.
3. They shipped quickly.
4. They did not require payment for the trial instruments like the other two dealers above do (the other dealers require payment for one of the two or three instrumenets they send at a time. It took around 30 days for my credit card to be credited for the returned instruments.)
5. They provide a two year "anything that needs tweaking, we'll tweak" guarantee.
6. I tried a couple of used instruments (20-30 years old) they rebuilt. They did a fabulous job on them, so they proved their repair skills to me.
7. The price was competive with International and WWBW (cheaper by $100 than one of these).
All of these factors led me to appreciate this smallish company. So I obsessed with this process for a couple of months, but enjoyed every minute. The hundred bucks or so I spent on return shipping more than paid for itself. The excitement and satisfaction of the process was worth more than 20 movie tickets.
Trying several thousand dollars worth of quality instruments in my home was a hoot. And a two-week, at my own pace trial period in my own home beats in-store testing. There is no way the occasional player could learn most of the good and bad of an instrument by a mere couple of hours of trials in a store. Your local store may allow you to take one, maybe more than one instrument home, if they had more than one in stock.
I'd be happy to share more of my purchase experience if you would like.
Jerry
The Villages, FL
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Author: GBK
Date: 2003-03-13 03:29
The major dealers bring their top instruments to the Festival for display. Many of these same clarinets are purchased on site.
Visiting and testing clarinets at a major retailer is worthwhile if they have a big enough stock for you to choose from. Any small adjustments that are needed (and there will surely be some) can be brought to their immediate attention and possibly be corrected on the spot.
Buying online is inefficient. I could never be happy playing "clarinet postal roulette" by having 3 at a time sent to me, either at random or by someone who may have totally different preferences than myself as far as tone color, resistance, tuning, etc... The added burden of having your credit card money held hostage until a timely credit refund is issued, is another important factor to weigh.
It all comes down to how much effort you want to devote to the search...
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Author: CPW
Date: 2003-03-13 04:51
I got a nice A-instrument online. One of the bigger companies has a clarinet expert who took a careful interview and sent me several pre-tested horns to try.... I selected one and I then sent it to a highly reguarded technician for adjustment. (He did a nice job on my old Bb horn in the past)
One drawback is that the dealers tie up your credit card for the price of more than one intrument even after you have returned the rejected clarinet.
BUT I found a way to avoid costs until the credit slip was issued (and they are none too quick about it):
Credit card companies will put the funds "IN DISPUTE" if you
notify them and provide the UPS or FedEx form that shows that the
rejected instrument has been returned!!
Against the windmills of my mind
The jousting pole splinters
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Author: cyso_clarinetist
Date: 2003-03-13 06:36
here are some good places in the United States to buy clarinets and accessories from:
- Weiner (I bet you they will have the cheapest prices on almost anything) www.weinermusic.com
- The Woodwind and Brasswind www.wwbw.com
- Muncy Winds www.muncywinds.com
- International Musical Suppliers www.intlmusicalsuppliers.com
Goodluck,
James
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Author: BobD
Date: 2003-03-13 12:38
GBKand another poster make a prime point regarding tying up your credit card. I have purchased 2 R-13s on eBay with totally acceptable results and the total cost was less than a new one. There are other advantages of buying an older used instrument also including those involving cracks. And...you'll lose less money if ,later, you sell it. Sales tax on a new one too!
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2003-03-13 14:39
When I'm buying something I plan to keep for myself, I call up my friend who owns the local Brook Mays store and go down and sit with all the R-13s, or Festivals he can get for me to try. Of course, I select the best from the pack. That's always the best way to buy--like Mark said. Or, I sometimes pick up the phone and give Lisa Argiris at IMS a call (1-800-762-1116) and have her send me several after she has selected from what she has in stock or can get for me.
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2003-03-13 17:37
At any given moment right now a seller is usually trying to undercut another. This means looking around and getting a quotes from any number of music stores....I would also add then you have to go to the trouble of testing out the sale items in stock and making sure you're getting a decent clarinet....hmnnnn...not the easiest task. Prices usually drop somewhat just at the end of spring so now may not be such a good time unless of course somebody quotes a price that makes the jaw drop!!
Good Luck!!
David Dow
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2003-03-13 20:55
You want to buy before the end of April and May, when dealers are getting ready for summer band programs to start up and kids are getting better instruments for high school or college. The end of this month is a good time. Get a good online quote for the instrument of your choice and then see if a local dealer will match it. Most will do so because they want to stay in business and have really been hit hard by the online sales.
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Author: dfh
Date: 2003-03-15 03:25
Muncy Winds has had some excellent horns in the last year +. I bought one, as did 3 colleges and 1 student. Great R13's! But it is kind of a crap shoot. I did send back 7 A clarinets to them.... (still havn't found a good one)
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