 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Dee
Date: 2001-07-07 20:30
What puzzles me is why any maker, even third world ones, would be producing these 1`3 and 14 key clarinets since the design is so very obsolete (as in 140+ years obsolete). Any one have any ideas?? Are parents and students being suckered into buying these for school only to find out that they are junk?
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Author: Bob Arney
Date: 2001-07-07 22:42
That's the hope, and P.T. Barnum was right, there IS one born every minute.
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Author: ron b
Date: 2001-07-08 02:46
I am puzzled by this too, Dee. Apparently whoever buys them has no idea they're not a valid student horn or... I dunno, maybe they do know and need them for some other reason, like decoration or stage props. I can't imagine much other use for them - having seen a couple of them up close. They really are flimsy and nearly useless as a musical instrument when they're brand new. It's sad that someone is peddling these things as real musical instruments. I've followed eBay enough to know that 'someone' is buying them... although more recently I notice they aren't selling nearly as many as when they first came on the eBay scene. However, the seller(s-?) seem to just post more ads. I suppost more exposure means more fish will bite. Bob's right; somebody keeps buying them. The real puzzler to me is whether these are actually in use in India, China, or wherever they're produced or are they just export items for naieve consumers. Who does it hurt? A potential student who finds out they've been given a piece of trash to work with. We recall unsafe products all the time but apparently can do nothing about peddling fraudulent stuff like this.
The purpose for using the 13/14 key design today? Y' got me....
It's almost criminal, in my opinion, and... it's sad :|
- ron b -
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Author: willie
Date: 2001-07-08 07:20
Actually I've talked to some military folks that have seen bands in Eastern Europe and Western Asia still playing some of these, but they were all old original models. Even some Russian Army bands still have them too. Only the lucky ones had modern horns as they were shut off from the west for years and had to make do with what they could find. As for the ones from India, I can only guess the reason being low pay and a low budget in the army there.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2001-07-08 18:13
Are these the "new" plastic models of late 1800's cls, with red thread and pads, sold as display models and to unsuspecting people on EBAY etc?? Don
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Author: Dee
Date: 2001-07-08 19:16
Don Berger wrote:
>
> Are these the "new" plastic models of late 1800's cls,
> with red thread and pads, sold as display models and to
> unsuspecting people on EBAY etc?? Don
Yup. Although the styles are actually mid-1800s as the Albert system was developed in 1846 and the Mueller pre-dated that.
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Author: mw
Date: 2001-07-09 01:44
Are these the $59 Indian "specials" on eBay. Those horns make the Chinese clarinets look like Golden Buffet R-13's! Not to be bought, even as a wall hanging.
I have a friend who bought a C or G Clarinet on eBay from someone selling the Indian horns (and, in spite of my warning). He regrets now, as it was very bad instrument, if you want to call it that. Best, mw
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Author: Christoffer
Date: 2001-07-09 09:20
I've seen a lot of these things in shops in Greece, often with the words "professional quality"(!) stamped on them as a kind of rather suspicious "brand name". In Greece, (at least when folk music is concerned), Albert system clarinets are preferred, and since a new, plastic, Albert system student horn doesn't exist, these indian army things seem to be brought in as what is thought to be the closest alternative.
I haven't, though, seen anyone actually playing them!
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Author: Wes
Date: 2001-07-10 16:37
Yes, one can believe that these simple instruments are really used in Indian army bands. They don't play Holtz's "First Suite" so much. I've heard Indian bands when working in India and they play simple tunes with intonation that is only approximate. To them, an available simple, cheap clarinet is better than nothing. In China, I heard a fine army band that used non-keyed flutes with resonant membranes over one hole(like a kazoo) playing pentatonic(5 note scale) pieces.
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Author: Jim Lytthans
Date: 2001-09-01 20:27
I just ordered one of these Blossom wonders. When I make it into a lamp, It will be a mate to my Chinese Boehm clarinet lamp ;^).
Jim Lytthans
Anaheim, CA
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