 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Andy Brendler
Date: 2000-06-09 16:04
First, let me state that this is an amazing site. And what a terrific group of helpful people you all seem to be.
My 9-year-old son will be taking the clarinet next year when he begins 4th grade. The music teacher had the kids listen to different instruments before they picked. She said, "If you don't like how it sounds, you won't stick with it." His choices were clarinet, viola, French horn and alto saxophone. (The first three make sense to me. The last may have been due to peer pressure. No offense intended, but as a former, mediocre alto -> tenor -> baritone saxophone player I think I'd rather listen to the first three.)
Now for the question. How foolish would it be to buy a used clarinet from a site like eBay? Since most of the sellers CLAIM to know nothing about the instrument they're selling and hence offer no warrantee, I suppose it's largely a matter of luck. But if I could get something like a Bundy Selmer 577 for around $60-100, would it potentially be worth it?
Also, I can't find anything on the web about the older Evette clarinets made by Buffet Crampon in Paris, France. Are these decent clarinets -- when one is lucky enough to find one in good condition?
Thanks,
Andy Brendler
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Author: larry
Date: 2000-06-09 16:08
there are two possibilities:
you might get a good deal; or you might get ripped-off
caveat emptor
good luck
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Author: C. Hogue
Date: 2000-06-09 16:23
Larry is right about on-line auctions. You can get a good deal, but the prices are low because the buyer assumes a lot of risk. You can wind up with a piece of junk.
That said, I've bought three (wooden) clarinets on-line and have been quite satisified. If you search this forum, you will find good advice on increasing your chances of a satisfactory used clarinet purchase. The big theme is: stick to the Big Four clarinet brands -- Selmer (maker of Bundy), Yamaha, Leblanc, and Buffet. Ask the seller questions BEFORE you bid -- like "are there any cracks?" "do the keys press down easily?" and "do the pads look good?" I'll also ask which parts are marked with the brand name and if some parts are marked differently. And I won't bid if I don't get the answers -- several times I've gotten answers after the auction ended. A waste of time.
I always assume I'll have to pay between $100 and $200 to fix up a horn, either to replace pads/corks or for an overhaul. Look carefully at the pictures too.
I suggest buying a new Hite Premeiere mouthpiece (about $25) regardless for your beginner regardless of whether the clarinet you purchase comes with one.
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Author: Andy Brendler
Date: 2000-06-09 16:31
Thanks for your suggestion that I search this BBoard. I had just been doing that and had already found a wealth of answers to my questions. (I had first just scanned a bunch of headers. I didn't realize at the time that this BBoard had such a great search facility.) I was just coming back to reply to my own post with an apology for not having searched before asking my question when I found your and another reply. And both were polite and helpful! You would have been perfectly justified in being at least a little sarcastic! :-)
Thanks for your comments. As I said, this is one of the nicest and most helpful sites I've stumbled across in several years of Internet surfing.
Andy Brendler
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Author: Dee
Date: 2000-06-09 16:47
I also suggest that you check out the major mail order dealers, such as Woodwind & Brasswind or International Music Suppliers, for prices on new instruments. The contact information can be found through the menus on this site. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at the prices of new student grade instruments.
By the way, a student grade instrument is recommended for young beginners. They cost less and are more rugged. If a child sticks with it for several years and develops a significant interest you can always upgrade then.
I also agree that they should get a decent mouthpiece right away. Unfortunately the ones that come with the instruments are generally not good.
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2000-06-09 17:06
Dee wrote:
<br>-------------------------------
<br>I also agree that they should get a decent mouthpiece right away.
<br>----
<br>And if you do please buy the student mouthpiece from Pyne, Hite, Fobes, or Jewel. When they get better add Pomarico, Gregory Smith and ClarinetXpress to the same list. Let them know that you heard about them from Sneezy.Org - it really helps me out!
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2000-06-09 17:20
Andy, I pretty-much second all of the above. Its hard to turn us off, isn't it?, clar's. are our favorite subject. O f the student [plastic] cl's I've worked on, I like the Vito [from LeBlanc] and the Buffet B xx series for overall quality. As to sax, I suggest starting on cl then graduating [prob. to an alto] several years later so as to be able to play both well! As to EBAY, yes, plan to spend $50 plus even on the best-appearing ones for at least some repair and a better mouthpiece. Luck, Don
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Author: Willie
Date: 2000-06-09 17:25
I agree with the advice above. I would like to add that the French horn, though it sounds beautiful , is very difficult for a rank begginer. The hornist in our band took my horn and played the entire chromatic scale and only had to use one valve for one note. A good ear for pitch, a chromatic tuner and a very patient instructor is a requirement for this instrument. If he does choose it, its wonderful sounding instrument (except when I'm playing it).
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Author: Fred
Date: 2000-06-09 17:27
We're glad to help when we can.
In answer to some of your questions, the Evette by Buffet is generally a pretty decent intermediate horn and would likely suffice longer than would a beginner instrument like the Bundy. But I totally agree with some prior comments that the mouthpiece needs to be a top priority and sticking with the biggest four manufacturers is a big plus.
Unless the ad states that it has just had an overhaul, I would plan on spending $100-200 on the horn when you get it. You may get lucky and not have to, but even if you do . . . you may come out better than buying a new beginner model, and used intermediates cost little more than used beginner horns.
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Author: paul
Date: 2000-06-09 19:13
Ditto on the used intermediates being good bargains. A huge flood of half heartedly used Buffet E-11s (good wooden intermediate clarinets) come back to my local high volume retailer every Spring - monthly lease returns. While the retailer tries to make another huge killing, there is no way these horns can be sold at the original new price. So, the store tries to sell them at anywhere between 1/2 to 2/3 the original retail price with minimal rework if any. At around 1/2 retail, you can get a good used intermediate for the full price of a student grade horn. Not a bad deal at all. For example, I talked with the folks at this very same store to buy a premium pro grade clarinet that had been hogging shelf space as the demonstrator/display horn for a couple of years. They wanted to dump the demo horn on me, but I asked one small, and apparently uninformed question: "Do you have a new horn instead of this demo horn?" The clerk looked in the storage bin and came back with a complete horn/case kit in a sealed plastic outer shipping bag. I got a two year old horn that hadn't been touched since it left Buffet's factory for the price of the demo model. Not a bad deal at all.
So, if on-line auctions scare you as much as they scare me, see if you can check out your local retailer's stock of used horns in both student and intermediate grades. At least then you can see for yourself what you are getting before you reach for your wallet. Who knows, a few novice level questions might just fetch you a great deal.
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Author: ron b.
Date: 2000-06-09 22:30
All the advice above is excellent. Since you can't look the item over on-line as you can at a music store, preferably with someone who knows instruments, you're taking a chance. Because most on-line horns are sold as-is with the seller knowing very little, if anything, about it you need to gather all the info you can beforehand. Be prepared to spend some money getting it fixed and, as they say, bid accordingly.
ron b.
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Author: Paul Lester
Date: 2000-06-10 15:37
When ever I bid on a horn on EBay, I alway assume a total overhaul will be required regardless of what the seller states. After receiving the horn if less is required, I'm pleasantly surprised and count my blessings.
Cheers,
Paul
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Author: Pat Parkin
Date: 2000-06-10 21:04
Andy, Regarding your question about older Evettes, you should stick to DXXXXX serial numbers between about D5XXX and D30XXX. Sometime between D30XXX and D46XXX the quality of the wood and keyword went way down, to the level of the West German made wood Evettes. In my opinion, as long as there is no damage, and the instrument only needs an overhaul, paying up to about $350 for a DXXXXX s/n Evette would be worth it. For a "Master Model" Evette, you might even pay a bit more. There are some Evette "Sponsored by Buffet" clarinets out there, but I don't have any experience with those. Hope this helps.
Pat Parkin
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Author: Pat Parkin
Date: 2000-06-10 21:26
Andy, I should have added that a well adjusted DXXXXX s/n Evette can be a very nice instrument, but that there is always some variability from one to another.
Pat Parkin
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Author: Larry G.
Date: 2000-06-12 20:28
I purchased a Buffet R-13 clarinet online using an escrow purchasing company. The company I used was www.trade-direct.com, but there are numerous others online. The use of the escrow company took the risk out of purchasing a sight-unseen clarinet. The charge for this service cost me 5% of the purchase price ($45 in my case) which was well worth it. I suggest you look at the website and learn more about this service. Good luck.
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Author: KlarinetteKiddie
Date: 2000-06-14 23:11
Yeah, definitely expect the worst and hope for the best! If you can avoid the whole online ordeal, it's probably for the best, but if you're willing to give the clarinet an overhaul, you might have a good deal! ;o) Also, if you know a decent clarinetist and you are planning on staying away from online auctions, you could ask if he/she would be willing to shop with you, play them, etc. Good luck and don't give up the search!
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