 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: S.J.
Date: 2002-09-09 08:29
Question: Who is the manufacturer of Woodwind and Brasswind brand Clarinets and Flutes? Are these instument coming ou of Taiwan or Korea, someplace like that?
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Author: Synonymous Botch
Date: 2002-09-09 12:06
The short answer is, "Be afraid, be VERY afraid..."
These are the sort of shiny, out of tune in two weeks, poorly made kiddie career killers that will one day make excellent fenders
(once recycled).
Before you crack open the College fund, find out if your local repair shop will even service these.
Don't be surprised if the response is less than favorable.
Bundy/Vito/Yamaha/Buffet/Selmer plastic horns have proven reliable.
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2002-09-09 14:04
Please answer the question, S.B. Since you would have us believe you know who makes these instruments (else your comments are extremely unprofessional and irresponsible), why not share that knowledge with us (along with the source of your information)? Or is your comment based on several that you have tried out? Please tell us. I realize this may be a difficult concept for you to grasp but there might actually be a few people who read the list who are intelligent enough to decide for themselves. Perhaps these stencils are junk. Rather than take your unsubstantiated word for it, however, I would like to know who makes them.
Just wondering,
jnk
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Author: RonD
Date: 2002-09-09 17:08
Why not call the retailer and ask them? If they don't know or won't tell, I would be very carefull.
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Author: bob gardner
Date: 2002-09-09 17:40
I would agree with RonD. Also ask what kind of warrenty you get with each horn and who will provide the work.
i find it hard to believe that an outfit like ww&b would sell junk under their brand name. They have a lot riding on the name.
what ever
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Author: GBK
Date: 2002-09-09 18:55
I called WW/BW this morning to get the question answered directly.
The WW/BW brand of clarinets and saxophones are both of Taiwanese origin (the woodwind retail rep on the phone did not know the exact Taiwanese company).
After a bit of persistance on my part, (and reluctance on hers), the rep admitted that the WW/BW flutes are made by Blessing. I assume that it is not supposed to be public information.
ALL WW/BW instruments come with a 1 year manufacturer's warranty.
The rep was courteous, and very accomodating. I thanked her for her honesty...GBK
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Author: RonD
Date: 2002-09-09 19:38
I suggest that you call the repair techs in your area and ask if they will work on these Chinese instruments, if they won't at some point in the future you are going to have a big problem as all instruments at some point will require some maintaince.
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2002-09-09 19:53
GBK, you silver-tongued devil, you really talked her out of the info, didn't you? I'll bet the CIA could use a guy like you. I will check with... uh... *someone I know* about that.
Regards,
John
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2002-09-09 20:50
Jack Kissinger wrote:
>
> Ron D. wrote:
>
> "I suggest that you call the repair techs in your area and ask
> if they will work on these
> Chinese instruments"
>
> Hmm. Let's see is Elkhart on Taiwan or mainland China?
>
>
> http://www.homestead.com/ekblessing/homepage.html
1st - we were talking about clarinets (which a WW&BW person said was made in Taiwan). 2nd - just because Blessing is in Elkhart doesn't mean the instruments are made there. I didn't see country of origin at their site.
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Author: Synonymous Botch
Date: 2002-09-09 21:19
Gee Jack, nice to know my opinion means so much to you.
It doesn't take a PhD to describe these horns.
I've played them, and it doesn't matter where they were made...
for $129, you buy three months of heartache for your kid.
And I quote from the previous thread, written by a respected scion..
And I quote,
"Kirk wrote:
>
> Cindy,
> With VERY limited resources, I was able to get one of
> "those" clarinets, that most here think belongs in my cat's
> litter box.
"Those" clarinets, if they're some of the imported junk I've seen, don't belong to a cat's litter box unless you to insult your cat. They're worse than a waste of money - you end up fighting with something that's in such a bad shape to begin with that all the pleasure is drained away before you start.
I have a page here on "What to get a beginner", and it lists some very nice student instruments, all under $400 USD new and half that if you look at used, reconditioned ones, that will satisfy someone for a long, long time - and they all have reasonable resale value.
Buying a cheap new clarinet is akin to buying cheap new furniture - it looks nice to begin with, but costs more in the long run."
I've even played these, mice-elf. Have you, Sir?
Perhaps I don't have sufficient erudition to bring the point across, but you don't need ten-dollar words to describe crap.
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Author: S.J.
Date: 2002-09-10 03:31
Jack Kissinger,Why be so anal babe? I just want to know who makes these horns. Simple as that!
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2002-09-10 11:49
S.J. wrote:
>
> Jack Kissinger,Why be so anal babe? I just want to know
> who makes these horns. Simple as that!
Please, if you're about to call someone "anal", have the courtesy to add your email address so you and whoever you're addressing can take the banter off-line.
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Author: S.J.
Date: 2002-09-10 16:17
Mark,You and Jack are a couple of old ladies,relax guys, get out your horns and....blow!
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2002-09-10 16:43
S.J. wrote:
>
> Mark,You and Jack are a couple of old ladies,relax guys,
> get out your horns and....blow!
Hi S.J.
Get off and over it - I don't need your attitude here.
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Author: S.J.
Date: 2002-09-11 04:10
Mark," Get off-and over it" ???? At least the spelling is alright. But what does it mean? Are the veins bulging in your neck yet? OK, get to the next thread! Ready, set, type....
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2002-09-11 17:33
While visiting the NAMM Summer Show I played for 5 minutes on a Blessing "Elite" clarinet from Taiwan with the result that it was out of adjustment after that length of time playing. N.B. - This is not a valid test, and WW&BW may be getting different instruments of higher caliber, but was frustrating enough for me to try another one which lasted about 10 minutes before obvious problems developed. The booth manager asked me to leave since a group of people had gathered and he did not want them to hear (only my reading on the old hook treatment) my observations (perhaps you would say that it was because of the quality of playing but I have been know to collect coinage on street corners for doing the same thing in earlier days). I do not think it fair to classify all Pacific Rim imports as shoddy because their manufacturers are capable of making excellent quality goods and perhaps do make different grades of instruments for different customers. If you have direct experience with a brand name and model it is worth sharing, but generalizations are often flawed and not applicable to all instruments.
My greatest complaint about imports (and for that matter domestic producers) - here I go with a generalization which I just condemmed -is that the manufacturers give the market what they demand and quality and durability are not necessarily high on the agenda of music industry purchasing agents. The NAMM Summer Show was my first exposure to the panorama of products purchased by the music industry (music stores, schools, mailorder and internet dealers, etc.) which we are exposed to as consumers of these products. As I have learned through experience and research - 85% of woodwind players have been playing less than three years time. This huge market segment, from the quality of goods that I saw for sale to primary distributors, is cost-price driven and not quality oriented. Most of the products were of low quality and low price - e.g. swabs, cork grease, reeds, ligatures, mouthpieces, etc. Why should the instruments themselves be of better quality than that demanded of other segments of this market? Manufacturers will make a product to the quality demanded by the market. Off my soapbox now.
The Doctor
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Author: /
Date: 2002-09-14 13:05
Geez, they were right about you guys. . .all you do is argue.
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2002-09-14 16:01
/ wrote:
>
> Geez, they were right about you guys. . .all you do is
> argue.
And you added exactly <b>what</b> to this thread?
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Author: /
Date: 2002-09-14 16:35
It's a sad fact. . .my single post reflected more intelligence in it than all of yours.
Maybe you should try and assist someone in the future rather than acting "anal." I will no longer respond to this thread. Hopefully you'll do us all a favor and follow suit.
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2002-09-14 18:53
/ wrote:
>
> It's a sad fact. . .my single post reflected more
> intelligence in it than all of yours.
Thank you for your vote of confidence.
Perhaps you should visit and contribute to a BBoard where the intelligence and maturity level matches your own.
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