 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Mohammeddisto
Date: 2003-12-23 21:01
how many of you have bought clarinets through a mail-order catalog? What were your experiences?
How much money was wasted on shipping, etc?
How many clarinets did you try out before finding one? How long did you get to keep the trials for? What was their trial policy?
The only ones I could find in the logs were International Musical Suppliers , Woodwind and Brasswind, Frederic Weiner, Muncy Winds, and Brook Mays. Are there any that pay for the return shippng?
Are mail-order clarinets well-adjusted like the ones you find when buying from reputable repairmen?
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2003-12-23 21:12
Mohammeddisto wrote:
> How much money was wasted on shipping, etc?
I'm not sure "wasted" is the right term here - it's not "wasted" since you're getting service (shipping) for that money.
> Are mail-order clarinets well-adjusted like the ones you find when buying > from reputable repairmen
I've seen instruments in wide variety of repair/disrepair from all your listed companies. Both after shipping and at shows no less.
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Author: diz
Date: 2003-12-23 21:26
To be quite honest - I would never purchase a musical instrument via a mail order catalogue, but that's a personal preference, some others might not live near a big metropolitan centre and might have no other options.
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Author: elmo lewis
Date: 2003-12-23 23:34
I have purchased at least 5 clarinets from Weiner Music both for myself and students and have always received excellent instruments. I can't try them out due to time constraints (I live outside the US) so I just take what they send me and there has never been a problem.
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2003-12-23 23:54
I've never purchased instruments through the mail, although I have bought mouthpieces. The major drawback is that you won't be able to compare a large number of instruments one to another unless you are somehow able to order more than one.
If you're only concern is to get a good price through a large retailer, then I suggest bringing it as "your own" instrument to a local retailer and testing it along with whatever might be available in that retailer. At least then you have some basis of comparison.
If not, see if you can speak to a woodwind or clarinet specialist. I'm see on posts on this furm that through IMS you should ask for Lisa Arg . . . (forgot the last name . . . ) who works with the clarinets. If you are nice enough they may be nice enough to quickly playtest an instrument before shipping it to you to make sure that it is of a good quality.
Lastly, remember that you probably won't find the perfect clarinet, but just make sure that it has a good tone, response, and basically a good sound overall. For 'the feel of it', a tech can manipulate that for you. A good article that I've read over and over again to try to set it in my head (since I just today picked out a new clarinet) can be found here. It is by Tom Ridenour and it speaks of things to look for when selecting a new clarinet.
Good luck!
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
Post Edited (2003-12-23 23:57)
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Author: Synonymous Botch
Date: 2003-12-24 00:30
The odds of any 'brick and mortar' store having several top-flight clarinets on hand for testing are pretty low.
Muncy gets my wallet vote.
If you're outside the USA, you will face some kind of tack-on tax, most likely.
If you're in Canada, Twigg musique has a good selection and can order items.
Long and MacQuade in Taranta has (occasionally) a good selection.
If you're serious about saving money, and willing to purchase out of Europe, I recommend Saxshop.nl - good, fast and (often) cheap.
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2003-12-24 00:44
If you're not trying to save money, maybe you should go through someone who hand picks them to begin with. Tom Ridenour, Peter Spriggs, and others on our sponsors page that you can actually have personal contact with. While they won't have the vast numbers of a large international store such as IMS or WWBW, you can talk to them and I'm sure that in most cases, they will be a little more scrutinizing about the quality of the instruments they sell since (I would think) they can't afford to lose business since they don't have the sheer numbers that larger corporations do.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: Wayne Thompson
Date: 2003-12-24 03:29
This is not quite on topic, but I will throw an opinion in here. I enjoy having a local music store, and I will go out of my way to give them business. Someone on the Klarinet List once suggested that buying at the local store was worth a 10% or more differential. In other words, if WWBW sells a horn for $2000, then $2200 or so is reasonable for the local store. For the $200 dollars you help pay for a place to get questions answered, a place to hang out and see other musicians, a place to get accessories intstantly, and of course, a place to get service on your new instrument. I like all these things a lot. And I'll pay for them by giving them steady business, though I have certainly used the mailorder houses, too. (Today I found a wind shop about an hour from here with a wall full of saxophones to fondle.... )
Wayne Thompson
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2003-12-24 03:36
Wayne Thompson wrote:
> Someone on the Klarinet List
> once suggested that buying at the local store was worth a 10%
> or more differential.
That was me ... it depends on the product, but I feel easily 10%.
However, more often I see close to 100% markup on products. For instance, many of the music stores in my metropolitan area might have only 1 or 2 professional level clarinets, and they'll charge list for them. If they don't have what I want in stock they'll just order one in.
At that point it's actually cheaper for me to drive or fly to Illinois, Indiana, or New York and try a bunch there. I know not everyone has the luxury of cheap air flights, but keep that as an option.
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Author: Clarence
Date: 2003-12-24 03:40
I have tried a dozen or so new R-13's.
Most of the differences in instruments were pads issues. I also spot checked tuning with a digital tuner. I could make most of these work.
If you buy one through mail order and its not 100%, find a good technician who is also a good clarinet player. I have seen some garbage come from repair shops.
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Author: Carol Dutcher
Date: 2003-12-24 04:12
I bought a clarinet from Weiner, an R13. I had a minor problem with it, which was that the cork on the barrel expanded and I had to take it into a repair shop to have the cork fixed. This was due to a change in the climate I think. Other than that, it was perfect.
I bought a mouthpiece from Borbeck in Las Vegas. It was perfect! I told him over the phone what I was looking for and he knew, so when I got the mouthpiece it worked perfectly too.
I live in the Bay Area, close to San Francisco and Oakland, but I got what I wanted from Weiner so I did it that way. Their prices are good. When I saw Mr. Weiner at the Clarinet Fest in Salt Lake City, I told him about the cork problem, and he said, oh you should have sent it back to me, but at the time it was just easier to take it into a shop here.
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Author: Bradley
Date: 2003-12-24 04:15
I bought my Concerto II from WW&BW along with my current reed case ( a Selmer) and shipping overnight (which turned into day after next since they need a day to verify) was only $29.
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Author: Rick Williams
Date: 2003-12-24 05:32
I've bought two clarinets via catalogue. In both cases I tried several instruments before buying. That really isn't a huge issue since many of the bigger places will ship 2-3 instruments on one paid purchase for you to try. You simply return the ones you don't want to keep.
As far as shipping, it isn't wasted since you pay it one way or another. Either via a direct billing item or buried in the sale price.
As far as the adjustment goes, I don't know what you mean by buying from a reputable repair person. I've never picked up a new clarinet which I felt was 100% so my thought is just figure on spending some additional money if buying mail order to get it tweeked. Perhaps some of the dealers do thorough adjustment on new instruments before sales, I know several claim to play test but in a couple of instances those were the folks that sent me instruments I seriously couldn't get to play. Besides, at the professional instrument level every person has setup preferences and specific intonation issues relative to their MP/reed etc., so it isn't a one size fits all situation.
Best
Rick
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Author: Ed
Date: 2003-12-24 13:43
I bought a low C bass through WW/BW a few years back, since there was nobody locally that could get me a few to try. Everything went great, no complaints. I have know students of mine who have had great success through Muncy.
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Author: Synonymous Botch
Date: 2003-12-24 14:36
If you're particular (it's your money, so why not?)...
it will serve you to test a sample.
However, if you trust your own ear and a tuner... if only one instrument is avaialble, and it plays well then all is well.
FYI - Decent new R13s may be had in the vacinity of $1600 USD.
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Author: Jim E.
Date: 2003-12-25 04:57
Good experiences with Muncy (3 instruments) and WW&BW (1) and a bad experience with Weiner (0) and I also bought a digital piano through Music 123 with no problems.
Shipping has to be factored into any price comparisons for there to be any validity, as do variations in sales tax.
Carol, perhaps the problem with your R13 was really with the wood tenon shoulder on the instrument side of the cork. That occured on an R13 I bought, and seems a common problem reported on this board. You then face the dilema of paying for an easy repair, or paying shipping and losing the use of the horn for a week or 2. I did send it to Muncy, and they did bill me for the return shipping, about $15 each way. Those purchasing R13s might do well to anticipate possibly having this problem and having a plan to get it taken care of.
Muncy offered me free shipping on an alto sax I called to price as an incentive to buy it "today." You might try pricing an instrument and then hesitating on the purchase to see if they will make such an offer to you.
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2003-12-25 05:01
Quote:
Muncy offered me free shipping on an alto sax I called to price as an incentive to buy it "today." You might try pricing an instrument and then hesitating on the purchase to see if they will make such an offer to you. So haggling is still alive in purchases?
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: Synonymous Botch
Date: 2003-12-27 01:11
ALWAYS ask if it's the best price.
Leave your telephone number with the seller, while you shop around.
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