Author: gwie
Date: 2018-02-14 11:08
Just keep in mind that whatever is in inventory may have already been picked over, especially at a big shop close to big schools.
More recently, I have been sending students looking for R-13's to check out the work done by Jonathan Copeland, who is an expert technician and player and does complete restorations on R-13's that then sell around the $2000 price point. In many cases, they outplay new instruments simply because of a superior setup that many new instruments just don't have.
Also, the issues you describe with your current R-13 might not be unfixable. While it might seem easiest to just buy a new horn, if there are characteristics of your instrument that might make it worth holding on to, you might be surprised at what folks like Lohff & Pfeiffer can accomplish with a major overhaul, including pitch correction, voicing, etc.
And as others have mentioned, times have changed. Maybe twenty years ago the R-13 was really the only choice out there, but today you could go out and get any one of the following clarinets at the $3500-$4000 price point and they would be competitive in this segment:
Buffet R-13
Backun Model Q
Yamaha CSVR
Uebel Superior
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The Clarinet BBoard
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