 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: llamaboy12
Date: 2010-01-07 00:16
hello everyone! i am a freshman clarinet performance major in need of an A clarinet. the bad news is that i do not have a job because of my busy schedule, my parents do not have room for another loan in their budget, and i am not very educated on loans for my situation (or in general). i have been borrowing a barely playable A from my school, and i desperately need one as summer festival applications and auditions are approaching fast. can i get advice from anyone who has been in a similar situation, or anyone about loans in general? thanks!
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Author: moolatte
Date: 2010-01-07 00:23
By barely playable, what seems to be the trouble? Perhaps it is the mouthpiece. I'm not too knowledgeable about A clarinets, but I was told you could use a Bb mouthpiece on an A clarinet. If you're more familiar with Bb clarinet, and love your Bb mouthpiece, try playing with that mouthpiece on your A clarinet.
If it doesn't fit, try taping the cork on the mouthpiece until it fits.
If that's not the case, try checking the instrument for leaks: Take each joint individually, cover all open holes, and blow. If air comes out, there's a leak somewhere.
Don't get a loan. You might not ever pay it off.
Post Edited (2010-01-07 00:23)
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Author: kdk
Date: 2010-01-07 00:29
Are you able to have access to the A clarinet you're borrowing when you play these auditions? If so, then it would be more worth your while and *much* less expensive to have a qualified repair person go over the instrument - at your expense if your school won't (or can't) pay for it - and get it playing as well as it can. Moolatte is correct (and you probably already are aware) that you use the same mouthpiece for Bb and A, so if you are having problems with the A that you aren't having on the Bb, the cause is probably mechanical and a repair person may be able to make the instrument very playable.
Karl
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Author: clariknight
Date: 2010-01-07 02:07
Contact your school's Financial Aid department and the Bursar's office. You may be able to take out a federal loan if you are eligible, and if this doesn't need to be used to pay for school then you can use the money for anything else you need (i.e. clarinet). If not, then the bursar's office will let you know whether or not you can take out a private student loan to be used for non tuition expenses. If they okay it, google student loans. Sallie Mae provides most these days, but you can get them from a variety of banks. One I have looked into in the past is Citibank, but due to their current financial situation it might not be the smartest plan to borrow from them. Bank of America is also a big student loan bank, so check them out and compare the rates. You'll need a cosigner to get any sort of decent rate, so your parents (or some really nice uncle or grandparent) will have to do that. You'll also need the school's approval for the loan. Good luck!
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Author: llamaboy12
Date: 2010-01-07 04:47
just to clarify... i do use my Bb mouthpiece (which is a very good vandoren m30) on the A, its just that a.) the instrument is very very old, and there is probably little one can do to make it play better (it most likely has been worked on allot in the past) b.) they let me use the instrument during school, but during the summer *when i need it, they will not. c.) clariknight: i do plan to speak to someone at the bursars office when school starts up again, but what i had in mind was a student loan i could acquire independently, maybe with my parents cosigning. furthermore, its very strange to imagine i would need the school's approval for a loan...
once more, what i'm looking for is information on what type of loan i could acquire to buy an A (most likely R13), and/or which establishments have the best interest rates/payment plans.
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Author: USFBassClarinet
Date: 2010-01-07 11:38
Hello,
I just have a student loan though USF. I simply went to the financial aid office. I have a 0% interest on mine for the first year I get out, and something like 1% after that. (I think it likes 1.75 or something). I can do whatever I want with it. They don't ask questions about what you do with them. They only thing is that you don't get the actual cash until after the add/drop week when they send out the extra scholarship money.
Good luck!
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Author: kdk
Date: 2010-01-07 13:19
Not to belabor the point, getting this one to work for auditions might buy you more time to arrange for buying your own clarinet for the summer. Words like "probably" ("probably little one can do to make it play better") and "most likely" ("it most likely has been worked on allot in the past") indicate guesswork, and a competent repair person could either confirm your guess or not. Depending on what you consider "very very old" it could (no promises) still have useful life left in it (or not). IMO, it's still worth considering unless your goal is simply to have you own clarinet ASAP and the coming auditions are a pretext. Nothing wrong with that, either, but be honest with yourself about why your need is "urgent."
Have you checked the major instrument outlets to see if any of them offer financing arrangements? Typically, store financing would be through a credit card company, but the store would arrange for it. For instance, Weiner Music has this on its Contact Us page:
INSTRUMENT PAYMENT PLAN
Call us for our financing plan. Some restrictions apply.
I don't know what's involved, but it may be helpful, and Weiner may not be unique (although I can tell you, having already looked, the Woodwind & Brasswind doesn't seem to offer financing at all).
Karl
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2010-01-07 13:25
Another alternative would be to look at the Lyriuque A clarinet, where you can get a high-quality A clarinet for less than $1200. Tom also can arrange terms if you don't have all the cash to pay for it up front. My standmate in our concert band got one, and it's really a nice instrument, on par with my Lyrique Bb clarinet. Plus, you can order a basset lower joint if you need one later on! 
Jeff
“Everyone discovers their own way of destroying themselves, and some people choose the clarinet.” Kalman Opperman, 1919-2010
"A drummer is a musician's best friend."
Post Edited (2010-01-07 13:25)
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