 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: wjk
Date: 2005-11-09 13:40
Going to NYC soon----anyone have any recent experiences with places to try out some new clarinets, sheet music (other than Pastelson's) and classical music CDs---?
Thanks.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: DressedToKill
Date: 2005-11-09 13:46
For instruments, take a walk down 48th Street between 7th and 6th...there's Sam Ash, Roberto's, Rod Baltimore...lots of fun stuff to browse through. Sheet music, there's Colony (although their classical selection is not great), Sam Ash occasionally has some good stuff, not sure where else. (I live here, but I do nearly all of my music-related business via mail order). For CDs, just pop into any Tower, Barnes & Noble, Borders, Virgin, etc etc...they're everywhere. I particularly adore the classical room at the Tower in Lincoln Center.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2005-11-09 15:36
Patelson's (note spelling) is great for music. No instruments, though.
Roberto has a second store at 146 West 46th, with more woodwind stuff than on 48th.
Rod Baltimore (a/k/a International) is worth visiting, as the last old-fashioned place left (dark, lots of junker stuff). I'd be cautious about buying anything used there, though.
As Dressedtokill says, the best selection of clarinet CDs is probably at the Tower store on Broadway just above Tully Hall. The Tower on Broadway at 4th St. is also good, but they don't stock the small-label items the uptown store has. However, they have a very large jazz section.
Another good place, with slightly lower prices, is J&R, 15 Park Row (the City Hall stop on the R train).
The other stores -- Virgin, B&N, etc., have small classical and jazz collections and higher prices.
Email be privately. Maybe we can get together.
Ken Shaw
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: larryb
Date: 2005-11-09 20:53
Perry Ritter has a good selection of used and consignment clarinets to try. He's on 55th Street, between Seventh and Sixth Avenues (close to Patelsons).
Century Pawn Brokers on Eighth Avenue and 45th Street - you never know what you might find there. I found a Selmer Mark VI alto sax there for $400 - that was in 1977.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: DougR
Date: 2005-11-10 01:30
I give Patelson's a lot of credit for staying in business in as cut-throat a climate as NYC is, and the city would be vastly poorer culturally without them (just as it is without Ponte's on 46th St.), but in my experience they never have anything I go there to get! And the staff always seemed a little annoyed at having to get up out of their chairs and HELP someone!
By contrast, Frank Music at 250 W. 54th St. seems to have pretty much everything, and frequently multiple editions to choose from, obscure or mainstream. Heidi Rogers (owner) is pleasant, patient, knowledgeable, and fun to deal with, as is her associate (sorry, can't remember his name).
If you really have music to get, that's my suggestion. You could call first (212-582-1999), AND they have a website.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2005-11-10 13:48
I agree that Frank is great, but there's no browsing. Everything is in the back room.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: larryb
Date: 2005-11-10 14:17
Heidi puts some very interesting music out for browsing in the bins - just the tip of the iceberg though.
Franks is usually great if you need music in a pinch, but the prices are very high (see the postings about Finzi music). I found it less expensive, for example, to order music directly from Baerenreiter (including shipping).
If you're in that building (250 W. 54th St), you should visist the Vandoren Artist Studio, where you can try every product they make (best to call ahead) and JY Woodwinds (Jimmy Yang), who sells his own barrels and mouthpieces and often has clarinets on consignment (he used to be a dealer for Wurlitzer but has discontinued). At Jimmy's, you might even run into Stanley Drucker or John Moses, and you can at least see their photos on the wall.
The building itself is quite interesting. In addition to the above, there are numerous Luthiers and bow makers, as well as NOLA Studios, where Charlie Parker cut many recordings for Dial Records in the 1940s.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
