 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Megan
Date: 2002-06-30 03:14
Hey everyone! I have to buy an R-13 or equal valued clarinet for college (gonna be a freshman at UGA next year, WOO HOO:) and I was just wondering with all the contraversy I've noticed about Buffet in the past couple of years if it was still the best horn to get. I've played a couple of LeBlanc Horns, and I like them but I don't want to go so far as to buy one without knowing all the facts. So any info on pro horns is greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
Megan
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: James
Date: 2002-06-30 03:47
Personally I think the R-13 can be the best horn on the market. The only problem is that they aren't really consistent. You have to go through a lot of R-13s to find a very good. I'm actually going throught the process of that right now. I really think they are better than everything else that atleast buffet has the offfer. I don't think they are the holy grail though. I am a big fan of the Leblanc Concerto thought they are a little bit more expensive than an R-13. Just to warn you now, this may not be the best place to get advice from, there are such a wide range of oponions on brands and stuff it could just give you a nice long migrane. Good luck with your search.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: jbutler
Date: 2002-06-30 04:01
Megan,
Why don't you contact the clarinet professor at UGA? Not only will you get his/her opinion, they may also know of some good used instruments on the market. There are usually some (used instuments) for sale at universities, especially in music departments, when someone upgrades and needs to sell to offset expenses. Good luck on your search.
jbutler
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: jim lande
Date: 2002-06-30 04:09
Still?
This topic comes up about once a month. By all means search the archives. The sneezy "consensus" is that you need to get the right horn for you. By the way, some folks think that it is more important to get the right mouthpiece -- and that the best mouthpiece for you will change over time as you develop. Note that clarinet makers must make various trade-offs. If a clarinet is better in one respect, than it will be worse in some other respect. Try as many horns as you can and don't worry about the name.
The R13 may be better in one respect: resale value. Because so many people say that it is the best, you might be able to get a hundred more if you decide to sell it in a few years. So, if you only plan to play for another year ....
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: John Moses
Date: 2002-06-30 05:44
Simply: in NYC and the other big towns I've toured in, most of the professional players play Buffet. The R-13, regular or silver, is still the benchmark for the finest clarinets.
Other makers pay the big guys big bucks to promote their instuments, but I've seen them come back to the R-13 more than once.
JJM
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Colin Farquhar
Date: 2002-07-01 07:14
Hi There:
I was in your situation last year at this time. I went to various stores, and tried out horns, and really clicked with a Leblanc Esprit. When I got to my university (Trinity Western), I found that in our relatively small group of clarinentists, I was the 'odd one out', as the rest of the group plays R-13's, except one person with an Oehler system clarinet. My clarinet teacher is Buffet person, but doesn't try to tell me that they are 'the best', as he too realises that different people have different ideas of what's 'right'.
Colin Farquhar
(You should have seen the looks on their faces when I hauled in my 1932 Selmer RI though... hehehehe
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Rob
Date: 2002-07-01 18:30
When was the R-13 ever "the best horn to get"? If this were truly the case, Leblanc, Selmer and Yamaha (as well as others) would have left the business years ago. It saddens me to see a young person of impressionable age make decisions based on myth and marketing hype. While it may be true that the R-13 is a good value for the money, and perhaps even a professional grade instrument of passable (though inconsistent)quality, that in and of itself does not make it a superior creation, nor does it make it the best coice for everyone, as it most certainly could not ever be.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Mandy
Date: 2002-07-01 19:42
Buy which ever YOU really think is the best horn.When I was looking for my clarinet I was absolutely all set to buy an R-13 but when push came to shove I tried lots of horns and finally plumped with a Yamaha CS-V and it is FANTASTIC! Keep an open mind.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: jbutler
Date: 2002-07-01 22:23
Mandy,
You've got it RIGHT! There is <b>NO</b> one instrument that is <b>"THE ONE".</b> Play a Yamaha, LeBlanc, Buffet, Selmer, or whatever suits you. Just play with a good mouthpiece (many available) and a good reed (anyone found one yet?!). Now go practice some more!
Later,
jbutler
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: JackOrion
Date: 2002-07-02 01:24
I've got an equation for this problem. Figure out the price range you are able to afford. Try as many pro horns as you can from the low end to the highest you can go. Keep an open mind, and if your ear and heart don't tell you which one you should get, then buy the cheapest pro model.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
