 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: popap15
Date: 2011-12-27 21:45
So I had the opportunity to try out an Accent "Artist" clarinet recently at Marshall Music. I noticed immediately that the instrument looked like a Buffet imitation. The case was almost identical to a Buffet professional case apart from the "Accent" logo in place of the Buffet plaque.
As for the actual instrument, I was for the most part unimpressed. The clarinet had a strange register key that wrapped around the body of the instrument to a tone hole on the front of instrument. Aesthetically, the clarinet wasn't anything special. The wood wasn't beautiful to look at and neither were the keys. The instrument looked very generic, very machine-made, as if no individual care was put into making the instrument.
This seemed even more obvious when I played it. The sound was very generic; an average, everyday clarinet sound with no uniqueness or color to the tone. It just wasn't special, it was just average. A painful average. This clarinet didn't scream professional to me when I tried it, definitely not in the league of an R-13, maybe not even an E-11. Did anyone else get the same impression from this instrument? What are your thoughts?
Post Edited (2011-12-27 21:47)
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Author: Ursa
Date: 2011-12-28 20:59
The Accent clarinets are, in fact, made by Buffet. And as with snowflakes, no two Buffet clarinets are alike.
I do a lot of business with Marshall Music, but really have a problem with them selling stencil instruments under the Accent label. A student with an entry-level Accent instrument, wanting to trade up, will likely only be able to do so at a Marshall Music store--and the selection of pro clarinets at Marshall's is poor.
Incidentally, I've had generally mediocre results when having woodwinds serviced by Marshall's. It's entirely possible the Accent clarinet you auditioned wasn't in top playing condition...but chances are, the clarinet was a dud to start with. Keep shopping.
Post Edited (2011-12-28 21:07)
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Author: grenadilla428
Date: 2011-12-28 21:46
I was told that Accent was made by a few people who worked for Buffet in the past, not by the Buffet company.
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Author: Ursa
Date: 2011-12-28 22:18
I just did some poking around on the Accent web site...the current Accent clarinets, with the wraparound register keys, look identical to current Schreiber instruments.
Looks as though Accent replaced the Schreiber-built Buffet stencils in their lineup with Schreiber-designed instruments.
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