 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: RWW
Date: 2003-10-01 22:10
I have an extremely talented 10th grade student who is truely exceptional and due to poverty has a piece of junk for a clarinet. I cannot even tell the brand it is so beat up. He, however, can make pretty good sounds on this piece of junk and has developed fantastic technical skills. I almost think he would be better off with one of those $150 beginner clarinets but am afraid that might be buying more trouble and he really cannot even afford that. So, in the interim, I have a question. He has to pull the barrel out about a 1/2 inch to play reasonably in tune (and he does a pretty good job of that with a lot of embrouchure control) but the clarinet falls apart. It strikes me as something seriously wrong for a clarinet to exist as many years as this one has been around and be 1/2" too short. Is it possible to help something like this with a different design (shorter?) mouthpiece? I think he is playing a Selmer HS*. What about some rings on both ends of the barrel? Anybody know of some very cheap ones? I know all fixes grate against common sense but it is either this or nothing and he is truely very talented. Any suggestions?
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Author: diz
Date: 2003-10-01 22:20
There are many folk who own an obscene number of clarinets - unfortunately I'm not one. If this is bona-fide, perhaps there might be a philanthropist in our mindst? If this is provable ... then I'll consider helping the person financially. Contact me via Mark Charette as I don't display my email address in this forum.
Without music, the world would be grey, very grey.
Post Edited (2003-10-02 06:20)
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Author: GBK
Date: 2003-10-01 22:27
Is the clarinet marked HP (high pitch)? If so, the instrument could be playing A=455...GBK
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Author: ron b
Date: 2003-10-01 23:10
Accurate assessment, Diz... an uncanny number of us posess obscene numbers of horns and have unmentionable numbers of contacts throughout the world 
In what part of the globe does your student reside, RWW ?
- r![[cool]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/cool.gif) n b -
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Author: cujo
Date: 2003-10-02 01:39
I know this sounds unorthodox but try Ebay. I was extremly lucky to get a buffet b12 for $80 shipping included. Very nice sound and quality. I even used a multi-tuner and it plays very much in tune.
Of course many things on Ebay are too good to be true and not described well. But for the quality of horn it sounds like he has, an Ebay "discount" may well be a good buy.
I have bought too many mouthpieces to comprehend and finally stopped with my selmer HS** now thats all i play with. So at least it sounds like he has a good mouthpiece.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2003-10-02 14:10
For Gosh Sakes, a 1/2 inch !!! Sure sounds like an HP [or a B nat. or C !! ]Yes, get him off such an impossible horn, before he is ruined by radical accommodation of pitches. Diz, your word "obscene" [I like "collector" instead] does apply to me as well as to other "confessors". I have given away two playable "mediocres" to poor family's kids, receiving TKS and gratitude from their teachers just this "band season", and am now considering a loan [at least] of an old Conn [DRK!] bass cl to another! I also give free [minor] repair work, like last nite, to deserving youth. I recommend the practice for that "warm glow of happiness" which we all should "pursue", per a good document! Do it! Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: RWW
Date: 2003-10-03 13:47
Thank you all for the responses. Getting this kid a decent clarinet I think would be wonderful. I have worked with him for about two years now and when he became a 10th grader he made it into both All Region and All State band. That was last year so I guess he must be in 11th grade now. I have been pressuring him to work on making the sounds beautiful, not just fast and impressive. Anyone who can help I think I should send you particulars such as his name, school address and band director contact information on separate e-mail because I don't want to embarrass him. I don't know what friends might be accessing this bulletin board. It was only after my frequent complaints to his band director that I was told about the severe funding problem. I guess there is a way to send me e-mail off line of the BB? I don't want to give my name here as that could give away his ID also and my e-mail address contains my name. Thanks again
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Author: RWW
Date: 2003-10-03 17:59
GOOD NEWS!!!!!!! A bulletin board reader who wishes to remain annonymous just contacted me and is donating a good clarinet to replace the junk. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
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Author: Katrina
Date: 2003-10-03 23:08
Yay...I love happy endings! Best of luck to the student and kudos to the donor!
Katrina
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Author: ron b
Date: 2003-10-04 01:29
Oh, yeaaah... happy endings make me blink a little too. I'd also like to add a "good luck" to the list of well wishers to the student while contributing some applause to the donor.
- ron b -
Post Edited (2003-10-04 01:30)
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