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Clarinet shopping experience

Author: jerry
Date: 2001-06-15 01:19

This is a touchy topic and it is not my intention to slander anyone. I wish only to relate my recent shopping experience while out of town.

I just returned from a three day vacation (I have some catching up to do on the BB) in Las Vegas, NV. While I was there I decided to visit Kessler's to check out the R13's they have on sale. After researching the bus routes, my wife and I rode the bus, and with a couple of transfers, we finally arrived at Kesler's, after about an hour (each way) in near 100 deg. heat.

We were greeted by a very pleasant and atractive young lady. I explained where I was from and that I was there to talk clarinets and maybe try out a few (I had my MP with me). She refered me to Dave (son of the owner, I understand) who was with another customer. When Dave finished he greeted us and he too was pleasant. As I was explaining the reason for my visit and brief background of where I was from, and my clarinet experience, he allowed himself to be interrupted by another customer. In my oppinion, he took waaay too much time (4/5 minutes) with them before getting back to me -- I felt as though my presence (asking questions, etc.) was getting in the way of business. Once he again turned his attention to me, I found that he is a bass player and not a clarinetset, but he told me that he does know how "To test play them", and that his dad plays clarinet. Dave's, dad passed behind him during our discussion and admonished Dave because there were customers waiting -- implying that he should be taking care of them, huuummm!

Dave brought out (from somewhere in the back) an R13(silver) and an E13, and suggested that I try them to see what the difference might be -- suggesting that there is no discernable difference and that maybe I should upgrade to an intermediate. I thought I had made it clear that I was interested only in the R13. But with the confussion of being interrupted, I suppose this was lost in the translation. However, because it was the only one available at the moment, it was suggested that I try the R13(silver) --(the R13(NK)'s were "...at the other store.") they all play about alike. I declined.

I thought that I might try a couple of the R13's and if I found one that suited me, I would ask that they "mark" that one for shipment to me for my teacher's evaluation. As most of you are aware, I know not how to check out one of these guys. Dave kindly explained that they have a three-day +/- evaluation policy and they would be happy to ship one to me. They had none in the store for me to run *my* test on so that part didn't work too well.

Bottom line, when we left the store my wife was furious about the way she thought I was treated. I was not as upset as she was (I still had hope) but I was very disappointed. She and I discussed it, and it has been decided that I will NOT spend that much money at Kessler's.

I felt that the people at Kessler's are very nice and that I had just happened to catch them at a busy time. I think that Mr. Kessler senior was not fair in his crabbing at Dave. I cannot kick the feeling that Dave is a bit naive in his ability to assess the quality of the sound of a clarinet (from a player's viewpoint).

Now, we could have spent $60 on cab fare (to and fro) and avoided waiting at the bus stops in all that heat. Then *I* would have been furious.

But what the hey! Out of every venture comes a good story. And afterall, its a clarinet story.

Cheers, everyone.

~ jerry

BTW - we left the clarinet money at the Aladdin.

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