Author: WhitePlainsDave
Date: 2015-01-30 19:48
"I have been saving for awhile and I am looking to buy a buffet."
"The serial number on my clarinet [Selmer 10G] is Z1019. It is a good horn which is why I am planning on holding onto it, but it has been my only clarinet for awhile so it has been subjected to "the elements" at outdoor concerts when I was living in CA."
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Sara. I'll bet the prior posters were all doing their best to simply answer that you asked of them.
What I want to know is why you think the best place for your money is with a new Buffet, rather than investing what most likely would be a small fraction of that cost to bring your 10G back to all but new condition. 10G's are solid instruments.
Do you feel the instrument has just seen to much play out in the elements, that monies spent on overhaul/restoration are not worth it? Is is that you want to have 2 clarinets? Is there something that you feel is lacking in your 10G, let alone that a Buffet will address?
I play mostly Buffet. I'd never buy any clarinet sight unseen unless it were the Ridenours selling me one of their instruments (because I believe in the consistency hard rubber gives them, and because Tom tests all clarinets before shipping to customers.)
Buffet's vary. And with utterly no disrespect directed to those shops that pretest your instrument before selling it to you, presumptively weeding out bad instruments, and/or fixing/addressing issues before such instruments are sold to you, that service not only comes at a cost, but players can differ on what they think is the best clarinet of a bunch of them.
If I were you I'd save that money and, with Ridenour's book in tow, take a trip to the NY area (I am presuming you originate from Rhode Island) where you can visit Buffet in NYC, and Weiner out on Long Island, and try many clarinets. As I understand it, if you see an instrument you like at Buffet NYC, while they can't sell it to you directly, they can arrange for you to purchase it through a dealer. (Call ahead to both places.)
Granted, you likely won't be able to take the friend of a friend's teacher on a road trip, but I'd rather be armed with Tom Ridenour's book, and a tuner to check intonation and 12ths.
I have no financial interest in what you do. But I'm not far from either shop and can likely offer a second opinion if you need it.
Good luck.
P.S. Paul's reference to the suction test. (I don't know if Paul's aware of your outstanding question on this otherwise good suggestion on his part.)
The suction test can be done different ways, but regardless of style, its intent is to check whether the instrument and its pads sit well enough on tone holes that the instrument resists air being sucked into or out of it.
In one form, this test has the player properly put together only the top and lower joints, leaving the bell, barrel and mouthpiece off.
With what ideally is the bare skin of a player dressed in summer shorts, the open end of the lower joint is placed upon against thigh skin, while the fingers cover all holes, as if playing the instrument's lowest "E," while the mouth covers the opening in the top joint, alternating puffing into and sucking out of the clarinet via this opening. Both actions should be resistant, indicating a good seal.
Given our current winter weather and more likely dress in long pants, each of these 2 aforementioned clarinet sections can be tested in isolation: the top joint's holes being covered by the left hand fingers, and the bottom of the joint by the right hand--vice versa for the bottom joint.
I prefer the first method as it also rules out issues with the seal between the joints being air tight.
Post Edited (2015-01-30 20:32)
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The Clarinet BBoard
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