 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Amy
Date: 2001-12-16 01:00
I am a junior in high school, and I am looking for a new clarinet. I first considered the E11, which is a step-up. When I talked to my band director, however, he said that I should get an R13 professional model. The price difference is extremely significant, and my parents are hesitant to spend the amount for the R13. My dad went to talk to my director, and my director said that he thought I had the talent and ability for an R13, but it was really a matter of what we could afford. He made this analogy: an R13 is a BMW, an E11 is a toyota, and the one i currently own is a Yugo (hehe, that's the truth). Anyways, I plan to continue playing in college, and I wanted to know what type of instrument most college clarinetists play. Also, any advice on what I should do would be greatly appreciated.
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Author: Mary
Date: 2001-12-16 02:27
If you're planning to play in college, particularly as a music major, and/or imagine that music will be an important part of your adult life, go for the pro model if you can at all afford it. Used R13s aren't hard to come by at a better price. The E11 is a good instrument, but the R13 is substantially better. I recommend E11s to my adult students who play for themselves for recreation. Good luck! And make sure you try before you buy, whatever you choose- Buffet, or any other brand.
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Author: Fred
Date: 2001-12-16 02:45
What price range are you being quoted for the two instruments? If you are not receiving a proper discount, you might well be able to get an R-13 within your budget.
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Author: Ken
Date: 2001-12-16 03:37
Have you committed yet to being a music major in college and do you have a burning desire and solid direction toward devoting your life and work to music, either as an instrumentalist or educator? If not, save Daddy's hard-earned doe and keep driving the Yugo, maybe buy a used Toyota when that one peters out.
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Author: Amy
Date: 2001-12-16 15:24
Okay, here's the deal. I don't plan to major in music, but I do want to continue playing in college simply because I love the clarinet so much (perhaps a minor - if that's possible?). The E-11 was priced at $800, and we found an R-13 that had been played one time and had a key that was to be fixed - it was priced at $1675. I know I am definitely going to buy a new clarinet; it's just a question of which one I buy.
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Author: GBK
Date: 2001-12-16 16:43
Amy...check some of the larger and reputable dealers who are always mentioned on this board. You can get a much better price than the $1675 clarinet you described.
Clarinets are selling today at record low prices. Make some phone calls - It will be worth the effort...GBK
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Author: Mary
Date: 2001-12-16 21:31
Check this site's classifieds- there look to be a couple possibilities. The catalogues will also be below the $1600 mark. I'm all for supporting local music stores, but if money's an issue, you still want the best clarinet you can get. You should be able to get a used R13 for less than $1000.
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Author: diz
Date: 2001-12-17 04:02
Believe me - take a student model instrument if it's all you can afford. I heard the principal clarinet of the Sydney Symphony give a demonstration to school students, and he made the most wonderful sound on a plastic Yamaha. Once you've graduated and are earning money (won't that be fun!!) then shout yourself a nice Selmer or leblanc. Hope this helps, diz in Sydney, Australia
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Author: james
Date: 2001-12-17 05:14
Hey, get the E11. Your sound is your sound. Don't get something becuase your band director told u too. Get a used e11 and you can get an even better deal. And if you want improvements on one, just get a better mouthpiece
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2001-12-17 14:04
Don't waste your money on the intermediate level instrument. Go right to the R-13 and you'll be glad you did. It will last you for years and years to come and won't have to be replaced to step-up unless one day you decide you want a
Festival or Prestige or another higher dollar Buffet.
For your dad, if you buy a BMW you will be happier for a longer time because it will outlast the Toyota.
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Author: David Spiegelthal
Date: 2001-12-17 14:35
Brenda,
A properly maintained Toyota will last every bit as long as a properly maintained BMW, however, the BMW will be more fun to drive, and will cost quite a bit more to maintain. I'm afraid this was a poor analogy!
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Author: Josh Schultze
Date: 2001-12-17 19:24
Amy,
I can agree with a some of the people here. If you get the E11 then you can spend more money on a better mouthpiece. However there are great advantages to buying a professional clarinet.
One of the best reasons is that once you have a professional clarinet you can no longer blame the clarinet for errors that you make. You can't play through a piece of music quickly saying to yourself "well it would sound better on a pro instrument". Once you get a pro instrument the task of listening to your playing and seeking active ways to improve become a very serious challenge. In other words when you have a wonderful pro horn there's no one to blame for your errors except yourself. (As a side note I would like to say that when my instructor would play my Normandy 4 he would make it sound much, much better than I ever could. Which goes to show that it's more about the clarinetist than the clarinet.) However there is still a big psychological component that seeks out flaws in everything but one's own playing.
Another reason why the pro horn is a good idea is that you no longer "chase" the technology by looking for something better. When you have a carefully selected pro clarinet then you stop looking for something better. You have a good clarinet and your efforts go to make it sound better.
What I suggest is that you find out how much your father is willing to pay, about $800 from the sound of it, and then get a after school job and earn the difference. If you can't do three days a week, then work only during the summer. And I'm sure that in just one summer you could easily earn the difference.
Also we teenagers are expensive! Most of us have our parents pay for our food, clothes, transportation, entertainment, braces, school, books, backpacks, gifts, music lessons, reeds, uniforms for marching band, cds, the list can go on. I'm no mathematician but my parents really shell out a lot of dough for me every day. I really would not want to make my parents feel as if they are not doing enough for me. Because there are some kids at school who obviously can't afford to be in band because of the costs involved. So I got job at the local ice cream parlour three times a week. And in the summer that becomes 5 days a week.
If you have no way of making some money for yourself then the decision of how much to spend on a new clarinet is entirely your father's.
So look around and see which stores are within walking distance to your home and see if you can get some part-time work. Help yourself and your father on this one. He will appreciate it because you've shown incentive and you'll appreciate it because you earned it.
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2001-12-17 20:11
David, you're right about the poor analogy, but Amy mentioned her dad said a R-13 was a BMW and an E-11 was a toyota--so I just bounced off that. The BMW is a high-maintenance vehicle to say the least! Actually, the Toyotal is probably less trouble (I've owned both).
Anyway, it's hard to compare instruments--but Amy could find a great buy on an E-11 that might be a good deal for her---but she could probably find a good deal on an R-13 that would be a better deal in the long run.
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