 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: mcdaniels
Date: 2009-11-12 21:38
hi everybody. i've poked around this site a bit and found a lot of good information, but this is my first post. i could use some help...
first, i played clarinet for about 7 years back when i was in school and got fairly good. that was 25 years ago and now i'm interested in picking it back up. i've been practicing and relearning on a reso-tone. recently, i got a good deal on a signet special and sent it to the shop to get cleaned, repadded, etc.
i just got it back and it looks good and sounds good in the lower register, but for the life of me i can't play the upper register (which isn't a problem on the reso-tone). i even used my old mouthpiece but still can't hit those notes. so my question is: is it likely to need more adjusting in the shop, or would the signet just be harder to play? i appriciate any input.
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Author: cigleris
Date: 2009-11-12 21:58
You don't say whether the Signet instrument played well in the higher register before it went to the shop to serviced.
Peter Cigleris
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Author: mcdaniels
Date: 2009-11-13 00:50
couldn't tell ya. it had a bent key that kept me from playing much. the bent key was fixed, but still having problems with the upper registry
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2009-11-13 03:38
I don't think the Signet is a good instrument but any clarinet in good condition will at least play in the upper register. It may not play well in tune or have a good tone but it will play. So there's either still something wrong with it or there's something wrong with the way you're playing. I suggest you find someone that plays the clarinet and have them try it to see if it's the instrument or you. An experienced teacher/player will be able to identify the problem where ever it is, it or you. It will be worth the price of a lesson. ESP http://eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: mcdaniels
Date: 2009-11-13 11:53
hmm, from what i was able to research the signet was one of the better of the used instruments available. i suppose it's relative. yeah, i'll take the clarinet to my next lesson and have the teacher give it a look.
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2009-11-13 16:42
Sorry, I should not have said that the Signet was not a good instrument, I was thinking of a different, cheaper, student model. What I should have said was that it was not near the top of the line instrument, sorry about that. ESP
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Author: mcdaniels
Date: 2009-11-14 00:34
No worries. I realize it's not a top of
the line horn, but I'm not a top of the line player
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Author: Gandalfe
Date: 2009-11-14 18:06
At the risk of boring those who've heard this before, after a 30 year break I started back up on sax and the next year my wife was thinking about starting back up on clarinet. So she pulled out her Selmer Signet and I pulled out a used Buffet R-13 Festival. She said, geesh that was a lot of money, why couldn't she just play the Signet.
We pulled out a tuner and I had her play the full scale of the Signet, marking the notes that were more than 10 cents out. Then we did the same for the Festival. The difference was astonishing. With the great intonation and the buttery-smooth key works the Festival was a slam dunk. That's all it took. The Signet was gifted to another late bloomer (mostly because she'll never play it).
Now five years later, we still see adults in community band with lousy instruments either just CSO (clarinet shaped objects) or grossly out of adjustment and falling apart. It is obvious that these folks are in the band for the friendship and camaraderie, not the music.
The moral of the story is, get the best instrument you can afford. If you can't afford a decent one, then save up. If you think this may just be a passing fancy, remember the resale for a Buffet is much better than a Signet.
Jim and Suzy
Pacifica Big Band
Seattle, Washington
Post Edited (2009-11-14 18:07)
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Author: Joarkh
Date: 2009-11-15 11:32
Well now, what exactly is a "Buffet R-13 Festival"? I was under the impression that R 13 and Festival were two different models.
Joar
Clarinet and saxophone teacher, clarinet freelancer
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2009-11-15 12:58
Joarkh wrote:
> Well now, what exactly is a "Buffet R-13 Festival"? I was under
> the impression that R 13 and Festival were two different
> models.
No, the Festival & Vintage share the R13 bore design and are part of the same family.
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Author: Joarkh
Date: 2009-11-15 14:47
I see. So a clarinet called Buffet Festival would be the same as an "R-13 Festival".
Joar
Clarinet and saxophone teacher, clarinet freelancer
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