 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Ken Rasmussen
Date: 2000-09-28 04:15
I've been diligently hunting for a Selmer Series 9 bass clarinet by checking Ebay, looking in the classifieds (Sneezy & Castle), running the search engines, emailing and phoning music shops, following leads and suggestions, and I'm not having much luck. Is anyone aware of any other methods for searching? I suppose if I continue to do all this long enough it will work eventually, but my wife is getting tired of me using her computer so much. Sigh.
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Author: mark weinstein
Date: 2000-09-28 04:49
Have you tried Robert Gilbert ... RDG, Inc. 943 La Cienega Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90069 (310) 652-4671. He is in West Hollywood, CA and stocks Buffet and Selmer. Excellent reputation, but he's not cheap. Patience will eventually payoff in your other searches. Have you seen the Conn 482N on eBay? I mention that because you mentioned the Selmer Series 9. Good luck. mw
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Author: Dee
Date: 2000-09-28 10:56
Also try checking newspaper ads, pawn shops, and schools.
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Author: Lelia
Date: 2000-09-28 12:09
Normally I'd recommend my usual bottom-feeder markets, but not for a bass clarinet. In four years of actively looking, I've never found a good quality bass clarinet, or *any* bass clarinet in salvagable condition, at a flea market, yard sale or "junktiques" market. In that time, I've seen hundreds of Bb soprano clarinets and a few A and Eb, but the big clarinets, no. Someday I might get lucky at an estate sale, but that's a long shot.
The few bass clarinets I've found in the cheap markets seemed to be discards from schools, since the dealers generally had other band instruments in bad condition for sale at the same time, probably bought as a job-lot (a group of items sold for one money) at a surplus auction, or even pulled out of the dumpster after the auction when they failed to sell. The occasional bass clarinet that turned up was always student quality (mostly Bundy) and so seriously deteriorated that I didn't want to mess with any of them. I think most schools don't get rid of bass clarinets until they're "parts horns," while private owners tend to be serious musicians who consider these purchases carefully and keep what they buy for a long time, not beginners likely to quit and sell their instruments. Bargain basses just aren't lying around out there the way the smaller clarinets are. Good luck....
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2000-09-28 15:55
Above info is V G! I've bought from all aboves for years, but the best sop cl's I have found were at [home - type] garage sales, LeBlanc, Evette -Sch. !!!! partic. in well-to-do neighborhoods. I did find my Selmer Bass cl at a pawn shop - music store, my Sel Alto cl at the "Horn Traders" in OKC, my Sel Mark 6 alto sax at a pawn shop run by "retired" tpt'er- conductor [friend]. So much for my goodies, have bought on EBAY with some success!! Don
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Author: mark weinstein
Date: 2000-09-28 17:30
I agree with the comments above. Whenever (anytime of day or night it seems) a DECENT Bass gets listed on eBay ... everybody is bidding like it was a free sales tax day in Dallas!
I think Lelia is correct & it probably has less to do with the venue & something more to do with the SUPPLY (andlots of demand!). e.g. its not that Garage Sales are lacking; people really holding onto Bass clarinets or choose to sell them through other (established) channels. When was the last time a Diamond Engagement Ring was found at a Garage Sale?
I recommended RDG because they (& Ken) are on the West Coast, & because other Dealers consistently recommend them to me, whenever they don't have something I am looking for.
However, many of the Sneezy sponsors regularly "traffic" in Used Clarinets & I would give them all a shout, too.
Patience & Type A don't always go hand-in-hand, I'm evidence of that. :-) mw
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Author: Ken Rasmussen
Date: 2000-09-29 02:11
Thanks guys, I enjoyed your perspectives on the problem, and I also enjoyed your concern for my predicament. I'll do what I can with your suggestions.
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