 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Samuelgh
Date: 2017-05-09 02:16
I saw an advert for a second hand pair of Howarth S3 clarinets on the Howarth website for £3000. Here's a link to the photos:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/howarthoflondon/sets/72157673736588363/
Does anyone know how the Howarth S3 clarinets compare to a Buffet, Yamaha or Selmer equivalent and whether this is a reasonable price?
Thanks!
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2017-05-09 02:49
The S3 has the narrower 14.65mm bore of the Howarth clarinets (the S1 and S2 having a 14.75mm bore) and is an alternative instrument to the ultra popular Buffet R13. But like a lot of handmade clarinets, the popularity and high volume production of the Buffet R13 at a price not many could compete with was most likely the reason they stopped making clarinets. How can anyone compete?
£3000 for a set of pro level clarinets. That's £1500 per instrument which is a steal considering they were all handmade as individual instruments in a far more labour intensive manner instead of finished keys (with corks and pads already in place) meeting up and being fitted and adjusted to the finished joints at the end of the production line to produce a finished clarinet.
Ok, so I may be biased as I used to work for them (as an oboe finisher), but I much prefer how the S3 clarinets play compared to R13s (and I'm a Selmer player). This set is probably among the earlier ones that were made as they don't have the adjusting screw on the LH F/C key foot and have the metal bell ring.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/howarthoflondon/sets/72157673736588363/
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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