 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: LeOpus1190s
Date: 2004-07-29 22:22
Yes, I am a buffet mophia member, a buffet sheep or whatever you want to call it but I am getting very irratated with some of the practices of buffet clarinets.
As I have said in several posts I have been hunting for a good R-13 A Clarinet. Everywhere I have tried clarinets, they A's were not worthy of junior high orchestra. Apparently a really good batch of A clarinets were brought to the convention last week but most were picked out.
I am getting very VERY agitated with the way Buffet has been working. Me and few other clarinets whom are argueably leading as far as college clarinet majors are concerned, are getting very irratated that we can't find great A clarinets but that when a random professor calls to get A's he/she gets the best selection and we get scraps to pick from.
I used to play on leblancs and though I must say the clarinets didn't turn out to work for me I always appreciated the service that I got. Julie Deroche picked out my A and Richard hawkins worked with me to get my Bb Opus back in the day. The Leblancs weren't inconsistent they were all generally pretty good and some quite amazing. It didn't take me TWO years to try to find a good clarinet, they were all pretty good.
Most of these new buffet clarinets are junk. For us who love our R-13s and proclaim them to be the holy graile, those new horns in the stores with the R-13 stamp are NOTHING like what we have. I only wish I bought my A when I bought my Bb two years ago.
Is good quality of service to much to ask for from Buffet? Is the only way my friend's and I are going to get good buffet clarinets is if we win an orchestral job or become a professor at a university no matter how insignificant it is?
We all have varied backgrounds. We are amatures, college students who intend to make a carreer, professionals, teachers, people who just love the clarinet. No matter what we are, we all DESERVE good clarinets. Buffet needs to change its way, or we should change our brand of clarinets.
Post Edited (2004-07-29 23:28)
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Author: Brandon
Date: 2004-07-29 22:29
James, while I agree with your post, I believe you already know what my response is: Wurlitzer! Clarinetists can complain about spending more money on a horn, but it is nothing compared to what pro string players, bassoonists, etc. pay for a professional level horn.
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2004-07-29 22:37
LeOpus1190s wrote:
> when a random professor from a podunk university calls to get
> A's he gets the best selection and we get scraps to pick from.
So, your clarinet professor is chopped liver, then? (I know your professor, and he's no "J. Random Professor")
Moaning here isn't helping you. Get off your duff and find a clarinet you like, of whatever brand.
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Author: LeOpus1190s
Date: 2004-07-29 23:04
"So, your clarinet professor is chopped liver, then? (I know your professor, and he's no "J. Random Professor")
Moaning here isn't helping you. Get off your duff and find a clarinet you like, of whatever brand."
I wasn't refering my professor. He's played on the same set I think a decade and a half. I wasn't referring to anyone particular, just the general scheme of how it seems to work. Funny.. Mel Warner doesn't know who you are.
I have been off my duff, heading to IMS and woodwind and brasswind all this time. I have invested quite a bit of money in this hunt. Thanks for the judgement, but no thanks.
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2004-07-29 23:17
LeOpus1190s wrote:
> Funny.. Mel Warner doesn't know who you are.
Sorry, then. With your email address I assumed Greg Barrett.
> I have been off my duff, heading to IMS and woodwind and brasswind all this time.
Then start looking at other brands and/or models. Those "professors from podunk universities" can find good clarinets - why can't you after two years? Especially someone who proclaims to the world how good they are ...
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Author: LeOpus1190s
Date: 2004-07-29 23:21
Mark -
After good clarinets are picked out by professors and orchestral players, due to the low number of good A's being made, we are left in the dust.
I am not proclaiming to world that I am good, but I am proclaiming that I know what I want in an A. Mark I might just your advice, I have been fond of the Selmer Signature for a while, I might see if I can get a set to try out.
Did you try any clarinets at fest? Was there anything you were particularly fond of?
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2004-07-30 01:35
LeOpus1190s wrote:
> Did you try any clarinets at fest? Was there anything you were
> particularly fond of?
Stephen Fox clarinets ...
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Author: DAVE
Date: 2004-07-30 01:36
LeO,
Why don't you let a qualified professional pick one for you? There certainly are more than just a few in your area. Oftentimes students, no matter how talented, don't have the experience or the knowledge to choose a good A clarinet. Your incessant whinning over this issue is tiresome.
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Author: Alseg
Date: 2004-07-30 02:26
Have u considered Yamaha?
Selmer Recitals
Eatons
Chadash
get bizzy
and oh yeah....the best instruments I ever tried were....USED!
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Author: msloss
Date: 2004-07-30 03:08
I'd certainly be curious to know what characteristics you are looking for in these clarinets that you aren't finding. What is your idea of "junk"? Have you ever played what you consider to be the kind of A clarinet you would want to own? As I said on a previous post, we haven't had any trouble bringing in R13s that have met the standards of some very discerning and successful pros out here. I'll take you at your word that you have yet to touch a good one out of all the horns you've tried over the last year.
May I throw a challenge/opportunity out for you? I will personally arrange a visit for you at Buffet in Sun Valley, CA. You can sit with Francois Kloc, go through as many horns as you need to, and find one that meets your specs. No pros, no cherrypicking, just you and a warehouse of clarinets. If you find the horn of your dreams, purchase it through any dealer you want. If you find nothing but disappointment in the heart of Buffet with the master craftsman at your side, come back and humble the mafioso here at Woodwind.org.
But... Francois has to admit he was incapable of meeting your expectations. He has met the demands of many great musicians. I've watched him do it. You game?
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Author: LeOpus1190s
Date: 2004-07-30 04:33
Bradley -
I owned one set of Leblancs, and now my R-13 Bb. I hardly think that is going through many many instruments. Of course money is an issue, I am a college student, am I not?
msloss - I actually talked to him today. More about finding the "scrap" clarinet from the convention. Here are the problems I have had with the R-13 A clarinets. The grunt in the horns has been horrible and even extending down below G on a few of the clarinets. D/A is so stuffy if you were to play a major scale in each perspective register you can hear how it will not come out nearly as well as the other notes. Tuning hasn't been very favorable and the tonal quality not to be consistent. I'm not looking for an A clarinet that will play itself. I have found a few A clarinets that have been amazing, the one at my university which i used most of last year was absolutley amazing. Some of my friends that about their horns say two or more years ago have horns that I really like. I know the problems with the current horns are not in my head as professors such as Russ Dagon have also consider the majority of the A clarinet unacceptable and my peers whom I trust all see these problems the newer R-13A that they do not see in their own.
Sorry if it seems like "whinning" but I am personally been pressed, I have some serious auditions coming up plus a Curtis and USC auditions in the spring. I want to be able to focus on my clarinet playing ability, not the ability of the clarinet to do what i need.
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Author: GBK
Date: 2004-07-30 05:10
Unfortunately you had an excellent opportunity to grab a fine Buffet A clarinet at the recent ClarinetFest.
In the first half day - 5 different A clarinets (and 3 Bb's) were snapped up savvy buyers at the Buffet display. By Saturday afternoon there was still (IMO) a really excellent Buffet Vintage A clarinet that was still available. It stood out from all the others and when I asked Chris (one of the Buffet reps) about it he also agreed. (this particular clarinet had even been premarked/preselected and had a small identifying sticker on the barrel). I guarantee it was eventually sold by the end of the day.
It took everything for me not to pull out the credit card.
As others have said - you have to work at finding just the right one. Put out a lot of contacts. Call the big retailers and speak to the repair techs personally. Tell them what you are looking for and to give you a 1st preference courtesy call when a great used Buffet A clarinet comes in. (that's actually how I got my Selmer Mark VI tenor after trying lots of them on and off for about 5 years).
Go the extra mile - even go to Sun Valley if you must.
All Buffet clarinets are going to need a bit of tweaking to get it where you finally want it. Find one that is in the ballpark, has potential and then spend the extra $ to get it up to your preferences...GBK
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Author: LeOpus1190s
Date: 2004-07-30 05:20
I didn't start out on the Opuses but they were my first and only complete set of professional clarinets I owned. Believe it or not, I do not have a gear acquistion syndrom like others people. I'm not constantly on the prowl for new instruments like concerto II's and hand made rossi's. I'm simply looking for an A to complete my set of R-13s. After using my Leblanc A and my Bb buffet clarinet for two years I sold my A in hopes of finding a Buffet A.
Getting selmers would of course set me back more so than a single R-13 A and I know I would be much happier with a good R-13 A. But I rather spend 5000 dollars on a set of clarinets im happy with than 3000 dollars an R-13 A that I'm miserable with.
I want to find an A that I can be happy with for the next many years of my professional life. Perhaps unlike you, there will not be money there in the future if I have a change of heart.
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Author: William
Date: 2004-07-30 14:10
My clarinet college in our BJSO orchestra recently purchased a new set of Buffet Internationals from IMS and they are both excellant instruments. In fact, the A (IMHO) sounds better than the Bb, so I think that it is a bit unfair to say that there are no great A clarinets currently in the marketplace. She did search extensively (was off her duff for quite some time), but finally came up with a set of instruments that met her playing needs. When I met with Greg Smith (CSO 2nd, extrordinaire), he indicated that his set of R13s were becoming "blown out" and that he asked Lisa to "be on the lookout" for a replacement set. I have not heard if has found what he is looking for, but I kind of think that anything in his hands would probably sound quite good. I have a real vintage R13 A that was selected for me--when I was in college, 1964--by a NYC Met clarinetist (forgot his name) that has caused two local college professors of clarinet to raise their eyebrows and go, "hmmm"--usually followed by, "Has this horn been worked on, and is it for sale?" Personally, I alway found fault with its performance--rather stuffy long B, sharp upper register, the "usual"--but other players that have used it for performances have sounded magnificent on it. Therefore, it must be "me", and not the instrument--although when I view my video taped performance of the Mozart, with the UW-Madison college symphony orchestra, I sound "pretty good", at least in my own minds ear. The video was aired 5 times during the summer of 1964 on our states public TV network--but no Grammy nomination (guess it wasn't "that" good).
So my rambl'n point must be, they ("good" Buffet As) are "out there" and it is your job (luck) to find them by whatever means you can find. Russ Dagon used to select Buffets (for a fee) and if it were me, I would highly respect his opinion. Lisa certainly "knows her stuff" when it comes to playing, although she is a "salesperson" first. I do not subscribe to the "blown out" theory, so Greg may have his old horns lay'n around collecting dust. I recently found a great Buffet A clarinet--1960's vintage--at a local high school sitting on the shelf, unknown to the (new) band director. They are out there, if you look hard enough--and perhaps get lucky (like I have been). And then, you have to sit down and learn how to play them--because even a "top shelf" Buffet A clarinet is not going to be problem free and play itself.
BTW, when Buffet was still in Libertyville, I spent a whole day going through new Buffet A clarinets (100+), and didn't find a single one that played as smoothly as mine does. They all had uneven left hand notes and the long Bs were consistantly unstable. In any case, I am currently playing a great set of LeBlanc Concertos (that practically "play themselves"), but frequently return ot my Buffets--which I have to work harder at playing in tune (but I can do it)--just to enjoy the "sound". But then. everyone says that I sound the same on my LeBlancs. Maybe..........it's really the mouthpiece!!
(I know, I talk/type too much--done!!) Hope it helps, nonetheless.........
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Author: graham
Date: 2004-07-30 14:39
Did you go round with a friend:
a) To listen to the sound they made on the clarinets
b) For them to listen to the sound you made.
This may have helped break the log jam. You may be hearing problems that don't exist.
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Author: RAMman
Date: 2004-07-30 19:32
Blah, blah, blah, blah...it is not impossible to find a good A clarinet. If you've played so many, and can't find something you like buy an RC, a Tosca, a Festival or something by another maker.
Oh, and professors are entitled to get the best, they've earned it. Slamming them, even if it's a 'general' comment, can only hurt your future playing career. If this is the way you feel about it...get out of the profession now.
Discussion is one thing...endless moaning about the same thing is BORING.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
I'm off to play my Tosca A, go and try one of those.
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Author: beejay
Date: 2004-07-30 21:40
I may not be in your class as a musician, but for the record I tried nine Buffet RCs when I bought my A clarinet. One was a bit too resistant to my taste, six were pretty good and two were outstanding. I've visited the Buffet factory on many occasions, and I thnk their quality control is awesome. You must be terribly hard to please.
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Author: contragirl
Date: 2004-07-30 23:40
WURLITZER!! YEAH!!! Get one of them!
I suggest the Selmer Recital A. I liked it. And it's fat. Cute little chubby A clarinet.
--CG
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Author: DAVE
Date: 2004-07-31 04:14
LeO,
Could all that grunt that you experience on the clarinet be caused by improper technique? I certainly understand that some notes have a tendancy to grunt, but I have never played any clarinet that I simply could not control. Perhaps you might try practicing a little emboucher control along with some other fundamentals before you go about complaining on and on and on and on....
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Author: LeOpus1190s
Date: 2004-07-31 05:37
Dave,
I don't have trouble controlling it, the problem is that it is a pain to control this much of a grunt.
Also reaffirming my beliefs two of my friends, both at a top school went to IMS and told me they had the same problems with A's that I had. They went home with nothing either.
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Author: Wes
Date: 2004-07-31 07:22
Last week, I also spent a little time at the displays. After trying some of the Bb's, I concluded that they were not set up properly, possibly at the factory. Any of them would require some after sale adjustments to play properly. It's nothing new, as this has been seen for years. Good luck!!
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Author: William
Date: 2004-08-01 14:50
"I concluded that they were not set up properly, possibly at the factory."
I agree that is a common problem with clarinets on display at conventions, music stores, etc. Even at the LeBlanc factory, in Kenosha, WI, where I had over a hundred Bb Concertos (which had been recently assembled by skilled factory technicians) sitting on large racks in front of me to audition, Tom Ridenour--the then head accoustician for LeBlanc and designer of the Concerto/Opus models--said, "After you select one, take it home for a couple of months, play it and then bring it back for some professional work. They all need to be tweaked for top performance". Tom eventually spent over two hours adjusting the accoustic and tuning charateristics of both my Bb and A Concertos and really made them "all they could be". (I only wish that I had picked out a set of Opus models for the extra Eb/Ab key, which I find to be SO NICE to have on my new Buffet Prestige bass clarinet)
Clarinets direct from the factory are never as "good as they can be" and all need to be fine tuned by a technician for best performance. And that is why skilled techs like the Brannens get all the work they need.
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Author: mnorswor
Date: 2004-08-01 16:12
Might I suggest that you call Morrie Backun in Canada? He's able to fix almost any problem with instruments through many different techniques (and not just his wonderful barrels and bells). I'm sure he could help you. Give him a try.
www.backunmusical.com
--Michael
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Author: contragirl
Date: 2004-08-01 17:08
That's odd. Me and my friends tried a few clarinets at the WW&BW table and said the same thing: that the instruments didn't seem to be set up correctly. We thought that maybe they were not adjusted or anything, and they just put them together and had ppl play them. So I was disappointed with the Opus II and Buffet bass they had, because they felt wrong.
As for the Buffet table, I had no problems with their clarinets there nor at the Selmer table. I did play the St. Louis clarinet at the Selmer table and I didn't like that one, but I don't think it was the set up.
--CG
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Author: GBK
Date: 2004-08-01 17:36
At Clarinetfest, Chris Coppinger, a regional manager for The Music Group (Buffet, et al.) told me that they tried to bring as many clarinets as possible to the Festival but couldn't get enough of the Tosca clarinets due to current production shortages. As I wrote in my previous post, they brought 9 Toscas (5 wood, 4 greenline) and the 5 wooden ones were sold very quickly in the first day.
He said that some of the clarinets on display were quite fine (as evidenced by the one R-13 Vintage A which was preselected/premarked which I quickly found) but the majority of clarinets were not specially "set-up" and some clearly needed minor adjustments. As expected the clarinets all played with a wide range of resistances and coloration.
However, for the most part, the clarinets on display were "in the ballpark" and I'm certain, with the right tech, could be adjusted and regulated to one's liking.
Perhaps the so-called Buffet quality control problems of a few years back are now a thing of the past?
Chris did mention one fact which caused me a bit of concern. He said that all the best billets of grenadilla (so-called "Grade A" stock) are now being used for the Prestige and Tosca lines, while the next best grenadilla stock ("Grade B") was currently being used for the R-13's.
Thus, if the quality, or grade of wood concerns you, perhaps this is even more of a reason to seek out the older R-13's of the 60's and 70's, as these were built with the highest grade wood Buffet had available at the time...GBK
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Author: William
Date: 2004-08-01 23:03
"all the best billets of grenadilla (so-called "Grade A" stock) are now being used for the Prestige and Tosca lines"
Hmmm, I suppose different manufacturers have differing methods for mateial selection. And things may change over time, but when I selected my set of LeBlanc Concertos in the early '90s in Kenosha, Tom Ridenour said that all of their top model instruments--Opus, Concerto, Sonata and Infinity--"came from the same woodpile". He made no claim that the Opus clarinet was made of superior material. In fact, he went further to say that, "if I were buying a new set of clarinets, I would buy a set of Infinities and save a lot of money, because they are manufactured to the same accoustical specs as the Opus and Concerto".
And if stockpiles of grenadilla can be graded as to "A" or "B" quality, why isn't it possible to avoid using wood that may crack? My symphony partner just bought a new set of Buffet Internationals, her first new set of clarinets ever, and her Bb has already cracked through the upper joint trill keys. Shouldn't that be avoidable if qualty of wood can be evaluated with certainty--especially in all the "top drawer" professional models?
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2004-08-01 23:03
Inconsistency of production is what is APPRECIATED by those who pick and choose when buying even a specific model. Otherwise there would not be any instruments that fluke being better than the rest.
One of the common criticisms of Japanese instruments is their very consistency, when players want to pursue that very human trait of wanting to own-one-that-is-better-than-the-other-guy's.
As long as people want, and are able, to pick and choose between different specimens within models of a new instrument, they have to accept that there WILL be those instruments that are considered relative rejects, and that is likely to be the bulk of production!
If one does not have the opportunity/perseverence to pick and choose, then it is probably better to settle for a brand that has a higher degree of consistency. Then one may not have the 'best', but one certainly does not have the worst.
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Author: diz
Date: 2004-08-01 23:39
This is all very tedious ... as some of you know I play clarinet and viola. My viola cost me a small fortune and it's not an expensive instrument. My clarinet, on the other hand is NOT a small fortune by comparison, mere petty cash.
My viola teacher could make a cheap factory fiddle sound like a strad ...
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Author: GBK
Date: 2004-08-02 00:17
Let me further clarify:
According to Chris, from The Music Group, whom I spoke to at the Festival, Buffet considers the most dense grenadilla wood (the heartwood) as the highest level (Grade A). It is this wood that is used for the Prestige and Tosca clarinets.
(Remember, that a log ripped into 9 billets will produce only one heartwood billet and (up to) 8 non-heartwood billets. A log ripped into 4 billets (quartered) will produce 4 non-heartwood billets)
The non-heartwood grenadilla (Grade B) is considered less valuable and used in varying grades for the R-13 and subsequent lower models of Buffet clarinets...GBK
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Author: ken
Date: 2004-08-02 03:28
LeOpus1190s wrote: "After good clarinets are picked out by professors and orchestral players, due to the low number of good A's being made, we are left in the dust."
--you mentioned Mel Warner, so apparently you're out of Chicago. I haven't seen/spoken with Mel since 2000 OK Festival, but when I took lessons with him he was always willing to go the extra mile with all students and colleagues. Two possible suggestions to score that dream horn. Stop the self-torture and: 1) Contact Linda Brannen and price-purchase a new Greg Smith selected brannenized A (with the matching Cadash barrel and a GS mpc). 2) I don't know what your personal or professional relationship is with Mel, but you might enlist his help. Get a total on what you want, speak with Mel and ask him if he would go pick one out for you. Ask him to call Brannens, (or whatever retailer you or he prefers doing business with) coordinate ideal shipping dates and set-up an appointment for a play test. If Mel can't or is unwilling to make the drive offer to serve as courier. Write him a check, buy him dinner, pay gas money, cut his grass, carry his case .... whatever it takes and let him (or Greg Smith through his arrangement) pick out your horn. To me, and as long as everyone's cool with it, I don't see anything ethically questionable using another person's name and reputation to acquire a great horn, business is business and it's the dead Presidents that do the talking. And, from growing up and attending school in that area, I've seen more than once, someone waving their magic wand and a superior horn materializes for a well-known and highly respected industry clarinetist. Quite simply, if you can't be satisfied with any hand-picked clarinet from one of these guys something's not adding up.
More, if these upcoming auditions are critical to your career progression you owe it to yourself to make certain you make your "best effort" to acquire the finest quality but most affordable horn. r ken
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Author: vrufino
Date: 2004-08-22 19:32
I also had the stock register tube in my Buffet A changed to a Moenig tube and the instrument played much better. The cost was very minimal.
Vrufino
Dr. Vincent J. Rufino
Professor of clarinet and saxophone
St. Elizabeth University
Morristown, NJ
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Author: GBK
Date: 2004-08-22 21:24
Changing the register vent tube on the Buffet R-13 A clarinets is pretty routine, as most players find the difference to be substantial.
Unfortunately, over the years, Buffet has played "register vent tube roulette" on its R-13 A clarinets. The length of the vent tube has NOT been the same, especially in the clarinets produced from the 60's, 70's, and 80's.
In the words of one highly respected US tech: "It seems that they used whatever they had lying around at the time."
Case in point: Of my 4 R-13 A clarinets, two are fairly close in serial number: 237xxx (1983) and 274xxx (1985). However the original vent tubes are totally different lengths. The 237xxx was much longer than the the 274xxx.
Guess which one played with more resistance and a slight undertone on the clarion G, A and B?
The vent tube on the 237xxx was since changed to a shorter length. The clarinet is much freer blowing and the slight undertones have totally disappeared.
It now feels identical to my other 3 R-13 A clarinets (86xxx, 162xxx, 274xxx) ...GBK
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Author: donald
Date: 2004-08-22 21:41
when i was teaching Prep students at CCM in 1998 one of my students turned up for a lesson with a Buffet R13 A clarinet that he had persuaded his dad to buy from one of the big music stores (maybe IMS?, i can't remember).
it was junk- really not a nice instrument. with some "tweaking" (both by me and two more experienced repair/customisers) it was somewhat improved, but not by much. That student later proved that "talent will succeed" by succesfully auditioning for various major colleges orchestras etc... but i always felt that i had made a mistake by not advising right away "send it back- we can find you a better one".
Buffet have always made a mixed bunch of horns- you should see what the kids here in NZ have to play on, i am certain that we get sent reject horns from USA/Europe. The sad thing is- the students here have no idea what a good horn is, and it would never occur to them to pick a clarinet out from a large number because it's simply not possible (with the population of only 4million it's not economical for retailers/suppliers to stock more than a few professional horns at any one time).
YOU live in "the land of clarinets"
i'm sure that you can find a good one somewhere
meanwhile- i have been beaten at two professional orchestral auditions by someone playing on a total piece of junk... his A clarinet has chips falling out of the inside of tone holes etc. My A clarinet is heaps better in most respects (admitedly, not as "loud/big/vibrant" in tone at ff dynamics) but that didn't win me the audition.
"talent will succeed" (and i can't feel bad about that)
i hope this little story was inspiring somewhat
ka kite ano
donald
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Author: diz
Date: 2004-08-22 22:20
donal ... kia ora to you
I make a very good point, it's rather a similar situation here concerning clarinets. Most stockists (and I'm talking big Sydney based ones) only have a handful ... very annoying. And, if you want to take a contra (of either species) for a test drive ... they look at you as if you've just eaten your hat.
Without music, the world would be grey, very grey.
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Author: Aussie Nick
Date: 2004-08-23 02:04
I was at the Buffet factory recently. I have to agree that the R13s I tried had considerably more 'grunt' and tonal issues than the other models. The Vintages and RC Prestiges I played were all quite nice, some better than others. I settled on the pair of prestiges that played the best for me, but have had to get alot of things done to them since arriving back in Australia. After putting in Festival register vent tubes, tring moennig and chadash barrels, and putting tiny amounts of blue-tac in the 2nd and 3rd tone-holes (to bring down the pitch of the clarion B and A without sacrificing the low E and D), I am finally completely happy with them. GBK was so right when he said every Buffet instrument is going to need some adjusting to get it exactly where you want it. It is unfortunate, but you're probably going to have to do what i did and do alot of experimenting once you find something in the vicinity of what you want. Get it Brannenised or something. I wish I could do that to mine to make them even better. I don't think they accept international jobs, and I can't really afford the time away from playing.
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Author: Brandon
Date: 2004-08-23 21:32
Brannenizing will not change the way a clarinet sounds too much. Rather, it will ease the facility of the instrument. I would never recommend sending a dud to Brannen hoping for a miracle instrument in return. Bill and Linda do very good things facility wise though.
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Author: donald
Date: 2004-08-25 10:34
yesterday i played several new Buffet clarinets, including an R13 presitige. The "best one" by far was an RC b flat- i liked the tone, but my "best one" judgement is based on eveness of sound and intonation. I also played student clarinets by Yamaha, Leblanc and Buffet... (oh, and a TR 147).
the fact that i could play $20,000 worth of BRAND NEW clarinets and only find one i liked is a bit sad, but not that shocking... what is shocking is that in terms of "performance readyness and "set-up" there was little difference between a $5000 clarinet and a plastic student model. Except for the RC they all needed work on basic issues like tone hole clearance. Things that could/should be dictated at the design level, and the standard then maintained on the factory floor.
i'll stick with what i've got, i think
donald
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2004-08-25 19:49
If you guys don't like new Buffet,
then why buy them? Hey, just stay away!
There's many a brand
which new or second-hand
can replace R-13s any day
Wish playing clarinet were as easy as making lousy limericks.............
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