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Re: Too worn to be made playable?

Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2018-08-23 18:45

Hi All,

I am interested in the "made playable" aspect of the query. Let me set the stage.

In the past 40-50 years, I've played a Selmer Mark VI alto, Mark VI tenor, and a Selmer 9* clarinet almost exclusively. Over the past year or so, I have sold all of them for very nice prices; all were still in exceptional condition and needed little if any adjustment. More recently, I picked up a very nice Selmer Series 9 bass clarinet and played it heavily.

My current performance instruments are a Selmer Super Series alto, a Yamaha YTS tenor, a Selmer Series II soprano, a Selmer Privilege bass, and a Yamaha CS Custom. All are definitely not vintage in any way.

So, what does that have to do with the topic and my "made playable" interest? Quite simply, all my newer instrument play rings around any of my vintage models. Intonation, response, ergonomics, timbre, etc. are vastly superior.

Don't get me wrong, I had a very strong emotional bond with the vintage instruments that I sold off. Each one played a significant part in my musical development and playing career. But it was time to move on (granted, being a tad older did influence my decision somewhat).

To DougR, should you decide to spend the money and endure the possible frustration of finding any parts needed to bring the CT FB clarinet up to speed, would it be better than buying a new clarinet? I found through the sale of my Mark VI saxes that finding a buyer who is willing to pay the going price for a vintage sax is getting harder; if you decided to sell a reconditioned CT FB, would there be buyers?

IMHO the bottom line here is does nostalgia trump practicality.

Cheers,

HRL

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