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Re: HELP! no clue what to buy

Author: NOLA Ken
Date: 2020-07-07 19:31

I'm an admitted Ebay clarinet junkie. I've been buying clarinets and accessories off of Ebay for about four years now after returning to playing after several decades away from it. But I must say that I spent a great deal of time studying that site and other clarinet-related web sites learning about the different makes and models of clarinets and types of Ebay vendors before beginning to actually purchase. Ebay can be a quagmire for the uninitiated. One has to know what a "clarinet-shaped object" is and be able to identify them before being able to avoid them. I don't know that I would advise missymarie8 to go the Ebay route first not knowing any more about clarinets than she apparently does unless she is first prepared to deal with any problems that can arise. I've made some really great purchases, but some clunkers as well. And some great clarinets that just didn't work for me. The first thing I discovered was that I had to find a good instrument tech to work out problems with the instruments I bought. Finding a skilled, knowledgeable and honest tech added a whole other layer of complexity to the issue.

I think if I were her I would identify good potential models (Yamaha, Selmer, Buffet, Leblanc) and see if I could find a brick and mortar store that has one in her price range. If buying off of Ebay (or Reverb, which I've not tried and which looks a tad more expensive), I would try to learn to identify and stick with vendors that are identifiably music stores and not individuals selling just an instrument or all kinds of miscellaneous stuff. Listings by stores that indicate that they have a tech on staff would be safest, although they may be a bit more expensive. If she can locate a good instrument tech in her area before buying, she might be a bit safer in buying of Ebay or Reverb knowing that she has a resource for bringing the instrument into good playing condition if needed. Maybe her daughter's band director can help her with that.

Hope this is at least somewhat helpful.

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