 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: joeyscl
Date: 2006-01-19 01:57
Im considering on buying a pro A clarinet (Probably R13). Even though i live in Canada, for complex reasons(exchange rate and other factors...etc), it is cheaper to get it from online stores from the US... Any thoughts?
Post Edited (2006-01-19 19:15)
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Author: bcl1dso
Date: 2006-01-19 02:47
You should just make the trip to the US and get it here. It is a really bad idea to buy online. you are taking a serious risk that you will get a lemon. Especially if you are getting an r-13. Nothing against r-13(I own several myslef) but they don't make them like they used to. so if you do't get one used(which you should still play first) you should try the one out you are going to buy.
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2006-01-19 03:14
I would heartily disagree with the previous post. Online sales are just as safe as in-person sales, and most reputable places will ship you multiple clarinets (normally 3) to try. They'll charge your credit card for the instruments and credit your card when you return the ones you decide not to keep. For those people living in remote areas or areas not served by large dealers it's an excellent choice.
As for the manufacturers "not making them like they used to", I think that's right for the current crop. They're better than ever.
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Author: joeyscl
Date: 2006-01-19 04:48
basically...What are the differences between a good clarinet and a bad clarinet of the same make. (or maybe the R13's specifically) Yes the intonation, tone, and keyworkd...but on what degree are we talking about? What are the chances of getting them if u were to pick one randomly out of a big batch?
Post Edited (2006-01-19 04:54)
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2006-01-19 07:40
I am against buying a professional clarinet online. I agree with most of what bclldso wrote, but I disagree that the new R13 clarinets are not as good. I've tried six new R13 clarinets in the last two years and all were good clarinets. So I agree with Mark about new R13 clarinets being very good.
Mark makes some good points, but I think trying 3 clarinets is not nearly as much as you should try. When I chose my bass clarinet from 7 ones of the same model, they played so similar, but I still had one that I liked better than all the others, and the same for every Bb clarinet I bought. I think when buying a pro clarinet many can have good intonation and keywork, but there is something about the sound of each clarinet that can cause you to fall in love with it or not. That's how it was with every clarinet I bought.
Also think of the risks of buying online. You pay before you even get to try the instruments. The smallest scratch, dent, crack, etc. you do to an instrument you will pay for it. Also you pay for a few instruments and not just one, and is responsible for all of them. Also, you need to trust the mail company, and from my experience it is very possible that clarinets will have problems caused by the mail.
When I came to try an A clarinet in a store they only had one and it was the worst clarinet I've every played. The sound was ok (but nothing special) but it was in such a poor condition that if I ordered it I would only waist money on returning it.
By the way, one of the most successful classical clarinet soloists, when I consulted with her about buying a Buffet A clarinet, recommended to try no less than 15 clarinets of the same model (after I decide which model I want to get).
In my country the selection is very poor (if they have any in stock at all) and prices are very high. For example, I bought almost all my clarinets in the USA. Another clarinet student had a scholurship for flying to paris and buying a clarinet from Buffet. I am guessing most professional players also bought their clarinets in other countries (a lot of them studied abroad).
As you can see I have pretty strong opinions on how to choose a new professional clarinet. I can't imagine the price difference being that big to deal with all the problems with buying online. I'd even suggest coming to the USA to buy your clarinet.
How much exactly does an A clarinet R13 cost in your area?
Good luck.
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2006-01-19 13:31
I've bought many, many clarinets online since 1999 and haven't had a problem finding a good one. Woodwind and Brasswind will ship out several and you can talk to a rep and tell them what you're looking for in the instrument. Muncy Winds is a great place to select an instrument. Another place is Walter Grabner, if you're buying a Buffet. He has a small stock, but will hand-select it for you and set it up before he ships it out.
The thing I've noticed about buying online is that many of the stores (like woodwind and brasswind) have a large stock from which to select. That's something you won't find in many local music stores. Since my friend sold his music store to Brook Mays they don't keep over 2 or 3 Buffet R-13s at a time and they don't keep any professional clarinets from Leblanc, Yamaha or Selmer. Often the R-13s will be shop worn from being handled. And, if you don't have the means or opportunity to travel to New York City or Chicago or another super city in the US, you're much better off to buy online from a reputable dealer.
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Author: Bassie
Date: 2006-01-19 13:45
I'd put my trust in a large, reputable dealer, with an actual physical location to return to in case of warranty difficulties. You pay a premium, but you're (hopefully) paying for a worthwhile service.
The nearest half-decent one to me is 45 minutes' drive, but they had a good selection to try, all set up to play, and were endlessly patient. When, after about a year, the middle joint swelled and stuck (darn you, British weather!), I took it in for repair, no questions asked.
Stuff from the US can be very cheap for us foreigners - but make sure there's no import duty on musical instruments.
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2006-01-19 15:15
Bassie wrote:
> I'd put my trust in a large, reputable dealer, with an actual
> physical location to return to in case of warranty
> difficulties. You pay a premium, but you're (hopefully) paying
> for a worthwhile service.
All the large online stores have a physical presence.
> The nearest half-decent one to me is 45 minutes' drive, but
> they had a good selection to try, all set up to play, and were
> endlessly patient.
45 minutes is my drive to work (a trivial drive on this side of the pond). The nearest store that has any selection is about an 8 hour drive now - and I live in the 11th largest city in the US.
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2006-01-19 16:32
"The nearest store that has any selection is about an 8 hour drive now - and I live in the 11th largest city in the US."
The nearest store that has a reasonable selection is on a different continent from me 
WtfPwnage I would like to know how much does a R13 A clarinet cost in your area (and do you mean nickel or silver plated) and how many they have for you to try.
Also notice that shipping to Canada from WW&BW and then shipping back the ones you don't like is about $200 according to my calculation. It's also possible you will not like any of them.
Good luck to you, whatever way you choose to buy your clarinet.
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2006-01-19 18:42
There's always the charge of shipping initially and then returning the rejects, but keep that in mind when ordering online. You're still saving money on the instrument thanks to their discount prices. And, as Mark C. said, I've got to drive 3 1/2 hours to Dallas, Texas to a large Brook Mays store to be able to try out more than one or two clarinets, as is the case with my local store. They will take the time with you to adjust, etc., but the 7 hours (round trip) in the car AND the expense of gasoline, wear and tear on the car, etc. really adds to the total cost. It means I've got to set aside a whole day to do that, and I also need a lot of energy to stay alert in Dallas/Ft. Worth traffic.
It's easy to call up Muncy Winds or Woodwind and Brasswind and have a few sent out. Of course, for those of you overseas, that's not an easy option--granted. Sorry about that.
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Author: joeyscl
Date: 2006-01-19 19:16
What if i were to buy from Online auction sites such as Ebay? Any thoughts? (I'm guessing I will be strongly advised against this...)
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2006-01-19 19:27
This has been discussed a lot on the bboard. So, you might just do a search for ebay sellers or something like that.
But, I'll give you my 2 cents worth with a disclaimer that I buy and sell a lot on eBay. I've gotten bad stuff and I've gotten good stuff. You have to be careful and buy from someone with a return policy (meaning they WILL take it back) and a good reputation. I try to steer away from sellers who have less than 99% positive feedback. If I find something I like, I will send an email asking some type of question like, "does this instrument need pads?" or somthing like that to see if they'll answer promptly or ignore me. If they ignore my question, I won't bid on their stuff. If they answer my questions and they have 99% or better feedback from buyers they probably take care of business. I want to look up their feedback and see if the winners of their auctions actually get the merchandise as advertised, and if they are fast or slow to ship. I also want to know they actually have the merchandise in hand and are showing photos of the actual item.
If you're not used to doing business on eBay, be careful. While there are many reputable sellers and buyers out there, there are also some who aren't. When I find one that lied to me, or misrepresented the product, I'm not going back and I'm telling others about that.
If you're wanting to try several instruments and select the best from them, go to a real music store where they have lots of stock.
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