 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2002-12-31 15:31
Back in Sept. we had a discussion on the prospect of Buffet selling out to another company. What happened with that? Does anyone know for sure? My friend who owns a Buffet dealership says he has not heard about it except from me.
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Author: clarynet
Date: 2002-12-31 15:44
Haven't heard of that...sorry! All I know is that Boosey filed Ch. 11 and had to be sold-they are Buffet's only american go-through-hub, whatever you call it. I think they're out in Sacramento right now....
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Author: William Hughes
Date: 2002-12-31 17:27
The most recent gossip from the financial papers (Daily Telegraph), in early December, was that HG Capital looking to purchase the publication division of Boosey & Hawkes. Speculation all along has been that the publications division, the more profitable segment, would be sold separately from the instrument division.
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Author: William
Date: 2002-12-31 18:37
Buy your clarinets before some new board of directors or owner decides that cheaper production will result in more corporate profit. That's what I heard at IMS. Happy New Year..........
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Author: GBK
Date: 2002-12-31 18:54
As a long time Buffet player, unfortunately I must say that the last few times I went with a student trying to select a new instrument, the R-13's were less than impressive.
I will give Buffet the benefit of the doubt by saying that perhaps we needed to sample a larger selection, but I am a bit concerned...GBK
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2003-01-01 14:55
Yes, that's one reason I'm wanting to find out. I play-tested a large number of R-13s at my friend's store in November and found a couple that were outstanding and well within the range of the quality of others I purchased last year. He told me Buffet was sending him a shipment of silver-keyed R-13s for his same cost as the nickle-plated ones because their production was behind schedule. Those will be in next week and I'm hoping there are a couple of good ones there.
I really didn't find any significant difference in the quality of the ones I played in November.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2003-01-05 04:54
Brenda, sorry to deviate, but do you pay more for picking the eyes out of the instruments, or are the duds sold cheaper as a result of having been picked? If neither, then the whole process grates against my feelings of integrity relating to fellow human beings, yet I see no solution other than making the price adjustments mentioned.
Could we be told where you shop so we do not go there?
Or is it a case of all's fair in love, war and clarinet marketing.
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Author: Peter
Date: 2003-01-05 20:39
Gordon,
I'm not real sure what you were actually trying to say, but I think it was something to the effect that it's unfair for people like Brenda to get the first choice picks and leave the duds for other people to purchase, and pay the same price.
In a way, I agree. However, there are also people out there who won't take the time to go out and choose a good instrument from the pile and, frankly, the industry standard being what it is, they deserve what they get.
Anyone who's ever set out to find that one-in-a-thousand instrument (without being a top name that manufacturers want to cater to) knows full-well that people like Brenda work for the priviledge of purchasing the right instrument, whether for themselves, a friend or a client. In that way, they do pay more for their choices, after all, what's your time worth?
I've actually had to go to several different music stores to purchase an instrument for someone who asked me for help, because the "best" they had in each store was not of "best" quality.
I think that manufacturers should charge less for the duds, but who's to determine what constitutes a dud? Only the end player can do that, and let's not forget that one man's trash (poor clarinet) is another man's treasure (perfect instrument.)
What really should happen is that when someone of reputable abilities (however local) refuses an instrument, the dealer should send it back to the factory with a note to the effect that it is not acceptable.
If enough dealers did that, eventually the manufacturers would have to exersice better quality control. But they won't do that because it would probably cut into profits, after all, there is always someone who will buy the crappy instruments for the same price as the good ones.
Then again, perhaps, clarinets are among those items that must be tuned up and tweeked at the very last minute before it's handed over to its rightful owner/player.
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