 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: wjk
Date: 2003-03-15 00:22
Next week, I'll be making the rounds, checking out the new R-13s and Prestiges. Any suggestions re: checking intonation and sound quality, and comparing the different instruments to one another? How can I pick an instrument thats less likely to crack? Thanks!
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Author: Peter
Date: 2003-03-15 01:36
"How can I pick an instrument thats less likely to crack?"
Buy a Leblanc?
Peter
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Author: Mark Pinner
Date: 2003-03-15 02:59
If Buffet or other makers were able to predict cracking they wouldn't use those particular pieces of wood. Try predicting the lottery the odds are about the same! To check the intonation use your ears and nothing else.
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2003-03-15 13:42
Can't help with suggestions about cracking. But, you can look the wood over and see if there are obvious flaws. I always take a tuner with me (small one) and my favorite mouthpiece. Be sure to take your time with this effort--don't be pressured by anxious sales people. Put all the clarinets together and compare them to the tuner. If you find one that has a great feel but not a great tone, try swapping the bells around (they don't have a serial no. and you can do this if you stay within the R-13 group--Prestiges supposedly have already had this service done at the factory). You'll be amazed what swapping bells and barrels will do. When you find the best combination, purchase it at once and don't look back. I've found this process to help me find very excellent results.
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Author: William
Date: 2003-03-15 13:44
"Buy a Leblanc?"
Actually, I have been told by many clarinet technicians that Leblanc clarinets have more of a tendency to crack--expecially the upper joint through the side trill keys--than any other brand of clarinet. However, cracking is possible with any brand of wood clarinet (except the Buffet Greenline) and it is a hazzard that cannot be predicted. I've been lucky with all of my Buffets, LeBlancs and Selmers--although I live in a climate that varies from extreme winter cold to steaming hot summer, I have never had any of my clarinets crack (except, however, for that one time that my Selmer failed the wall test, but that's another story!!)
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Author: ken
Date: 2003-03-15 18:05
Well, if there are unusually deep/excessive number of grain patterns and/or actual buffed down surface knots you might want to take a closer look at those horns, or even pass on them regardless how well they play. Also, get serial # charts (if you can) to match the year with the horn; in this way you can tell if the horn's leftover stock and/or been sitting on the shelf a long time. I've caught music stores selling 3 year old horns, still new but at a price based on current retail.
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2003-03-17 13:08
Ken, yes your suggestion to check serial nos is a good one--but, the benefit of getting old/new stock could be in a better price to the buyer and the fact that most clarinets crack in the first year. If you find a new/old stock one, the only problem you'll probably have is the pads. Get the dealer to put all new pads on the instrument, or ask him/her for a discount on the price and have it done later. I've bought many new/old stock clarinets that actually were much better than the brand new ones.
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2003-03-17 16:09
Dear Freinds:
ONce again back to the topic of cracking. I think you should look for a clarinet grain that is very straight and without cross-over grains around the barrell or the thoat keys. Nothing will gaurantee that an instrument will not crack. Watch out for any weird surface marks or pockets that feel like indentations....also making sure the clarinet assemble not too tightly at the barrell could prevent cracking.....
David Dow
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Author: jez
Date: 2003-03-18 12:57
wjk,
don't restrict yourself to R13 & Prestige. I'm not overly fond of Buffet clarinets, but when I recently had the opportunity to compare all their current models, I definitely preferred the Vintage. (I suppose that is an R13) Several people I know use the Festival.
For an instrument much less likely to crack (i.e. not at all) try the greenline.
jez
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