 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Francesca
Date: 2000-11-12 21:52
I'm a senior in high school hoping to major in music next year in college. I have a brand new Selmer 37 bass clarinet, but most of the colleges I'm looking at are telling me I have to play the soprano clarinet. (Grrr....) A music store is having a sale, and their floor model clarinets are up for grabs. The one I fell in love with is a 2 year old Leblanc Opus with the auxillary G# key. It was previously owned and the upper joint has a surface crack in it that has already been pinned. They're offering $2495 for it. It seems like a deal to me, but then again, anything is better than going to college with a 6 year old plastic Buffet. By the way, the store let me take the instrument home to pracitce on and show my instructor. It sounds beautiful and I didn't even have to pay a down payment to take it home! How cool is that?
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Author: bob gardner
Date: 2000-11-13 00:02
A new Opus will go for $3200 so you would be saving $700. If you are happy with it and the pin job is ok then i would say it is a good deal.
I have an Opus and think it is a great horn. Should last you FOREVER.
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Author: Fred
Date: 2000-11-13 02:03
It's a great horn and it should last you forever . . .
But is a $700 discount adequate compensation for buying a used horn that's been cracked and pinned? If you love it and keep it forever, you'll probably be OK. If you ever need to sell it, you will take a beating. How much do you think they would have sold a 2 yr old used Opus for without the crack?
What does your teacher think of the horn AND of the price?
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Author: Anji
Date: 2000-11-13 02:26
I get the feeling that the Bass clarinet is your prime instrument. There are LOTS of good horns in the classified section, for considerably less money.
Cindy Fields (clarinet doc) and Dave Spiegelthal are particularly reliable and trustworthy rebuilders. Why not give them a shout?
$2k is alot of money and the truth of depreciation is real. The college may be the best resource for a good second instrument.
The Opus is a GORGEOUS player, but may rapidly loose value.
A solid R-13 (fresh pads and all) may be found for half the money the store is asking for the LeBlanc in question.
I would rather have the cash difference ready for pizza.
Best of luck,
Anji
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Author: mark weinstein
Date: 2000-11-13 13:51
... $2495 + sales tax for a horn that has been cracked (& obviously played enough to be cracked) ... NO. IMO, this is **not** a good buy. Good luck. mw
ps Just because you can take something home with *no down" doesn'ty mean anything more than payments for a LONG time. May we inquire as to the interest rate you are being offered & by whom?
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Author: William
Date: 2000-11-13 15:09
I play on a set of LeBlanc Concertos and love them. They are accousically the same as the LeBlanc Opus, the most noticeable difference being the absence of the alternate Eb key. Plus, a new Concerto will cost about a thousand dollars less. IMHO--Although the extra Eb key makes some situations easier, for 99% of your clarinet career, you will probably not absolutly need it. I never have and I think that at my age, iv'e seen and played it all. Bottom line--the Concertos play and sound the same as the Opus and you probably do not need the extra key--Plus, you can buy a new, uncracked Concerto for little more than 2K. Good luck!!!!!
PS--the clarinet world needs more good Bass players--keep it up. :>)
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2000-11-13 16:25
Francesca -
Even though you want to specialize in bass clarinet, unless you want a career in a military band, you will have to be a good soprano clarinet player, too.
I agree that the price the store wants for the Opus is a bit high, but if you've fallen in love with it, you should get it. It wouldn't hurt to try a Concerto or an R-13, to get a feel of how the Opus in general and this particular horn compare. Your teacher will certainly be helpful and may be able to get the store to lower the price.
Good luck.
Ken Shaw
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Author: mark weinstein
Date: 2000-11-13 20:24
Some random thoughts ....
First, there is (& has been) an almost new Leblanc Opus on eBay right now @ an opening Bid of $1500. No Bids after a number of days. Here is the URL/Link :
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=496302443
Second, I know where a (brand spanking) new Leblanc Opus can be purchased for $2000. (the resale market for PREMIUM clarinets varies from time-to-time) Contact me if anybody wants to know where ... offlist/offbbs. This clarinet was given away by Leblanc * is owned by an aspiring professional who plays a nice pair of Buffet R-13's.
Next, there have been some recent sales @ the mail-order firms where Leblnac Concerto's have been priced in the mid-1700's.
Finally, about a year ago I got a chance to play a (then new) Leblanc Opus which had come to OKC via the Leblanc Rep & the (then just ended) TMEA (annual TX show). This Opus was *EVERY* inch a lovely instrument, very, very nice. The finish & feel of this instrument was beyond premium! FWIW, it was offered at $2900.
Best regards & good luck to all !
mw
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Author: Ken Rasmussen
Date: 2000-11-14 03:10
You will be well payed for your time if you can stand to do the shopping. Mark's suggestions all seem correct to me. If you want the cracked horn you should offer a cracked price--say $1,400 or whatever. I wouldn't offer that much personally, but you love the horn, so you would. I'd say that $2,000 ought to buy an uncracked premier instrument in the used market.
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Author: Daniel Bouwmeeszer
Date: 2000-11-16 00:40
Clarinets are like horses. If they're injured, you can throw them into the fire....
Pay 700 $ extra and get yourself a new one (or a non cracked 2nd hand clarinet)... When you buy a baby, it's for life.. (if you take car of it) take the right choice
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