 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2024-11-22 00:30
I'm fed up of people not even questioning poor build quality and blaming themselves when the instrument is clearly to blame. It's not their fault, it's just their high expectations.
I wish players knew that the majority of all brand new clarinets sold are defective in one way or other and there's always room for improvement instead of barrelling on regardless with something they're not completely happy with and most are only going on the recommendation of their teacher, professor or peer pressure.
Some teachers and professors are very scheming and only recommend specific instruments bought from specific shops as they get some form of commission as a result and use their reputation as a weapon to hold the shops to ransom.
Just because something is highly respected doesn't always mean it's going to be good as one size doesn't fit all - the holy grail of instruments may have potential but most have to be reworked to reach that potential. And sometimes that holy grail of instruments is unsuitable for the player, who in turn believes they have no other choice in the matter.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: David H. Kinder
Date: 2024-11-22 05:53
I hope my dissatisfaction thread didn't inspire this post?
Getting back into playing after 20 years.
Ridenour AureA Bb clarinet
Vandoren M15 Profile 88 (non-13) mouthpiece
Vandoren Optimum Silver ligature (plate 1)
Vandoren blue-box #3.5 reeds
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Author: RBlack
Date: 2024-11-22 06:52
It is frustrating, and really SHOULDN’T be the case, but new instruments come in conditions ranging from not ideal, to downright unplayable.
Last year I tested out a flagship model from a big French brand, and was shocked at its condition. My old R13 played rings around it.
Near the end of summer I worked on a Buffet Festival (only a couple years old) that had toneholes in appalling condition.
If even the big brands and expensive models are not exempt, then what hope can anyone have?
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Author: Julian ibiza
Date: 2024-11-22 11:25
I think that with some kinds of musical instruments, there has long been an attitude that after you buy it new, then you have it adjusted to your personal preference. On string instruments this is often the case with the string height above the fingerboard. Some people like it as low as possible, while others like it a bit higher. Hence the instrument often comes with the action higher than anyone would EVER want, making it virtually unplayable. With clarinets that personal adjustment might apply to the spring tension... but really nothing else. I rather suspect that this long standing notion that the buyer should naturally have their instrument adjusted post-purchase for legitimate reasons, has led to a somewhat lazy and negligent approach to the whole business by manufacturers.
The lines between reasons and excuses have a way of sliding into a comfortable place.
Julian Griffiths
Tel. 34 696 798 853
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Author: Ed
Date: 2024-11-22 16:47
It is always amazing to consider the prices of the new instruments and that many players end up spending considerably more to make it playable. There are often issues with pads, key fitting, toneholes and more. You would think that for the cost, the instrument would be flawless. Can you imagine buying a new car and then having to spend to make it run?
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Author: SecondTry
Date: 2024-11-22 20:35
I completely agree with the line of reasoning here but it brought up for me a somewhat tangential question that it is not my intention to derail this line of thought with:
People have said that Yamaha Professional Clarinets are remarkable good and consistent right out of the box. If so, I would be interested in knowing what Yamaha is doing--if anyone does indeed know--from differences in manufacturing process to quality control to achieve such results.
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Author: Ed
Date: 2024-11-22 21:52
Quote:
People have said that Yamaha Professional Clarinets are remarkable good and consistent right out of the box.
It has been a while since I tried new clarinets, but a number of years back I went into a shop and was trying Yamaha clarinets. I played a few that I took out of the original packaging myself. After trying each, I recall saying that I could have walked out on stage and played a concert with any of them.
I am not sure if that is still the situation or not, but it was remarkable quality control.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2024-11-22 22:19
Yamaha are far more quality control conscious than other makers across the board where their instruments are concerned (although they're not completely infallible), but they can still make improvements here and there by using better silencing materials that are better suited to their applications, backing off the spring tensions on open standing keys as well as bringing in the RH pinky touchpieces on their student level clarinets to reduce the stretch.
If you think high end Buffets are priced into oboe territory, then they should have that level of attention given to them as you'd expect from a high end product. As previously mentioned about the new car analogy, you expect a flawless finish and a reliable product from the word go and not having to have significant work done within the guarantee period, either covered by the manufacturer's warranty or out of your own pocket.
While there are grumblings going on in several threads, I'm basing this topic more on personal experience as a repairer when the high expectation of owners is completely undermined by the problems they're having with instruments they've spent good money on only to be disappointed, to the point of some even completely regretting their decisions because the instrument they bought happens to be the most popular, most hyped, most highly recommended, or they were simply duped into buying it by a ruthless and unscrupulous seller and felt duty bound to leaving the shop with something they were coerced into buying.
Don't be that person who falls for any old spiel as it's your money you're spending, not anyone else's - try everything out and if your teacher or professor disowns you for not sticking to their ideal regardless if your choice is better suited to you and not the choice they made for you, then find a more open-minded teacher/professor pronto.
Let's just say whenever I have a Buffet clarinet come to me for work which I've not previously worked on, I just sigh and say to myself "Oh gawd - here we go again!" as I know I'm going back to square one again with that one. The Tosca I'm currently servicing, like the majority of Buffets with metal tenon rings, needs the tenon rings rebuilt as the joints rock like anything which only bumps up the price by a significant amount to correct that problem - a problem you shouldn't even have on what is touted as a high end clarinet.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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