 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: David Peacham
Date: 2003-05-17 10:37
Does anyone have an estimate of how many clarinets are manufactured each year?
I guess we might be able to work it out for the likes of Buffet, where the serial numbers are known. That's always assuming that every number in the series is used. But I've no idea what proportion of all clarinets are made by Buffet and the other big names, and how many are made by the makers we love to hate in China and India.
And - a much more difficult question - how many clarinettists are there in the world? Not just the pros, but counting all the college music students and schoolkids and hopeless adult amateurs.
Just curious (no, this isn't a college assignment!)
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If there are so many people on this board unwilling or unable to have a civil and balanced discussion about important issues, then I shan't bother to post here any more.
To the great relief of many of you, no doubt.
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Author: javier garcia m
Date: 2003-05-17 12:43
I've read, some time ago, and I don't remember the source, that buffet make aroun 15.000 clarinets each year.
I've read some weeks ago, on a page about Mpingo wood (or african blackwood or grenadilla) that a number of 100.000 wooden clarinets and oboes are made each year.
Unfortunately I don't have the quotes.
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Author: javier garcia m
Date: 2003-05-19 00:55
Quoted from Nora Post, 1992, A View Towards the Future: The Buffet-Crampon Oboe, The double Reed, Vol 15, N° 2:
"But seeing something like the Buffet set-up-where they make twenty-two thousand clarinets a year-is just mind-boggling"
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Author: diz
Date: 2003-05-19 02:18
22,000?? - and I thought the Buffet's were hand made with love, individually, boy was I wrong - they're nothing but mass produced!! (like Selmers, Yamahas and Leblancs).
ducks for cover
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Author: GBK
Date: 2003-05-19 03:03
diz...Assuming they manufacture all 52 weeks a year, 5 days a week...
that's only 84 clarinets a day, or about 10 an hour...
or, a new clarinet every 6 minutes...
Still, made with love ...GBK
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Author: GBK
Date: 2003-05-19 12:53
javier garcia m said: "...that in France people works only 35 hours by week?..."
Then, that changes these very rough estimates to a new clarinet every 5 minutes...GBK
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2003-05-20 22:08
Sigh. But you forgot to take into account the amount of people making clarinets. Let's say there are ten people in the factory. Then it would take 60 minutes per clarinet. 100 people, 600 minutes (or 10 hours) per clarinet. But I think Buffet has more than 100 people working on clarinets. Which means one clarinet's creation could possibly be a few days, if there are many people working. Which would account for the "love and individuality" of the clarinet. But aren't machines used anyway? I guess a machine could be programmed to make it with "love".
Alexi
Revision - Machines are probably used for some models, but I would hope that the higher end professional models are handmande at the very least. But I don't know much about the respective companies.
US Army Japan Band
Post Edited (2003-05-20 22:10)
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Author: moe
Date: 2003-05-21 00:12
Who cares how many clarinets are made every year, what concerns me is the great insult we "hopeless adult amateurs" have received at your hands!
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2003-05-21 00:32
sfalexi wrote:
> Revision - Machines are probably used for some models, but I
> would hope that the higher end professional models are
> handmande at the very least.
But what does "handmade" mean? The keys are forged by a machine, a lathe and drill press create the bore and toneholes (a great oversimplification, I know ...)
The final assembly is by hand. I've also watch the lowest end Yamahas being assembled by hand here in Michigan. Are they "handmade"?
It's a difficult determination to make nowadays ....
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Author: Gary Van Cott
Date: 2003-05-21 02:29
For those of us with something to sell this is a significant question. One estimate I have made is that there are around 1,000 full and part-time clarinet instructors teaching at 4 year colleges in the US.
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2003-05-21 04:54
Quote:
But what does "handmade" mean? The keys are forged by a machine, a lathe and drill press create the bore and toneholes (a great oversimplification, I know ...)
The final assembly is by hand. I've also watch the lowest end Yamahas being assembled by hand here in Michigan. Are they "handmade"? Great point Mark. I don't even know what I'd mean by handmade. A very subjective statement. Just like those "all beef" patties at McDonald's.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: Liquorice
Date: 2003-05-21 06:01
I've visited the Buffet factory near Paris. The bores of the higher range instruments are "handmade". The tone holes are done by machines, and the keys are obviously also forged by machines and plated. The instruments are then assembled by hand by a chain of people (eg. one woman sits all day and puts on the G# key. Can you imagine??). The instruments are checked for quality control. I didn't count how many people work there, but I would guess that there were at least 100.
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