 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: illibero
Date: 2006-03-19 01:58
I've been meaning to upgrade to a professional clarinet for a while now. Things finally got serious when I went to play test a few clarinets with my teacher at a certain shop. Narrowed it down to an R13 and an RC. The RC was way, way better than the R13 in my opinion, and the store manager seemed to think so too (most probably because of the higher price!)
The price was the main problem, and my mother would be the person paying for it. I went to try it again, and still thought it was really good. A week later (yesterday) we were set on buying the RC, but before that, we decided to go to another shop. They had two RCs, and they seemed to play very similarly to each other, but didn't take my breath away like the other shop's. However, the price difference was too significant to be ignored: more than half a thousand dollars difference. My teacher wasn't with me to give me her opinion this time, and my mother doesn't know much about clarinets. My mother tells me that with five hundred dollars, I could buy lots of other things, and this was what swayed me to buy a clarinet I didn't really love. We only payed a deposit on the clarinet, since the shop needed to do a technical check on the clarinet before they could give it to us, so I have to wait till monday to pay the difference and pick it up.
Last night, I couldn't get to sleep because I was still thinking about "the other" RC I had tried first. I'm not sure whether it is *actually* better than the one we bought, and that I may just be constructing a grass is greener on the other side kind of thing in my head. There's a lot more I want to say, but I can't really express it... is it realistic to expect your first pro level clarinet to be "the one"? Did I find "the one" with the first RC? WIll the one we paid for mature into a better clarinet than the first one i tried? This post is getting a bit long.
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Author: Morrigan
Date: 2006-03-19 03:08
You'll never find 'the one'.
The one that you've purchased will get better and better, because if it has problems or things you don't like, you'll get used to them and a lot can be done with mouthpiece, reed, ligature, and pad configurations.
Remember that the way it plays now may not be the way it plays forever. With the money you've saved, go get a really good mouthpiece and stock up on some boxes of reeds.
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Author: Tom A
Date: 2006-03-19 04:41
I don't have experience in buying many top line instruments, but what Morrigan says makes sense. If it's not too late, can you take the lesser quote to the first shop and try to get them to match it?
----------------------------------------------
Baldrick, you wouldn't recognise a subtle plan if it painted itself purple and danced naked on a harpsichord singing "Subtle plans are here again". - Edmund Blackadder
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Author: stevensfo
Date: 2006-03-19 07:12
I know exactly how you feel, but I think the others are right.
When you went to play test, did you take your own MP/barrel along and use them for each clarinet?
What was the difference you experienced? Feel of keys, tone?
I'm not sure, but perhaps even the shop itself could have made the clarinet sound better - size, acoustic properties, furnishings etc. We once rented a house with marble on the walls. The sound of the clarinet was amazing!!
Steve
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2006-03-19 08:27
stefensfo: size, acoustic properties, furnishings etc
My thoughts exactly. An instrument does not sound "alone". What you hear is a product of the clarinet, echoes from the walls muffled down by the carpeting etc etc. Even the light (eg sunny vs overcast weather) has an influence, not on the sound but on how you perceive it, not to mention the scent in the shop. Remember that your brain is part of that very complex equation.
I'm inclined to think that you can take your own familiar horn with you, play it in shop A and next day play it in shop B and they might sound differently.
--
Ben
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Author: BobD
Date: 2006-03-19 09:05
I wonder what your feelings would be if you were paying for the horn yourself.
Bob Draznik
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Author: Synonymous Botch
Date: 2006-03-19 11:50
I wonder if the first store gets higher prices because of favorable acoustics?
My "music room" has a large open space, with few furnishings and a hardwood floor... in that space I rival Ricci Morales, Kenny Davern and departed great players. In my teacher's studio, it is another story entirely.
*****
If the instrument tunes well, responds well dynamically and encourages you to practice - that's terrifice. And as a parent, I'm with Bob D - show a little gratitude for your Mother's largesse - she paid RETAIL for a stick.
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Author: corks&pads
Date: 2006-03-19 12:21
...the shop needed to do a technical check on the clarinet before they could give it to us...
Play it again, after they've done this check. If you'll search/read through the archives here, you'll see postings where buyers have taken a new instrument straight to their favorite tech for better adjustment than it had when it left the factory. Maybe that's what this shop intends to do for you.
Think about this ... the materials that go into the better models of instruments are carefully selected to meet high standards. The wood is turned, bored, and finished in a manner that makes the joints, barrel, and bell pretty nearly identical from one instrument to another. There's not really that much much that separates one instrument from another of the same make and model (and year)--except the adjustments that are done by those assembling the instrument.
When you hear about someone playing a number of new clarinets until they find just the right one, the chances are pretty good that most, if not all, of the ones that they rejected could be made to sound as good to them. High-quality though they may be, these are still mass-produced. They come out of the factories in satisfactory condition, but perhaps not always in optimum condition.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2006-03-19 12:38
Now to contradict all the good advice you've gotten.
If the RC you originally tried sounded/felt significantly better than the R13s, chances are that you found a much better horn for you.
See if you can arrange for either store to allow you to take one to the other and play those two side by side, do it. At very least, drag your teacher down to hear the bargain horn.
There is no "one" clarinet, but there are those that are better than others. A great clarinet is priceless........or $500 more (maybe).
...............Paul Aviles
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Author: LarryBocaner ★2017
Date: 2006-03-19 12:39
In my experience, a lot of the perceived differences between instruments auditioned at a dealer have more to do with setup issues (leaks, pad clearances, spring tensions etc.) than they have to do with the actual quality of the instrument. And I think that there are not very many music stores in the US (don't know about "Oz") who have the technical talent in-house to deal with these issues.
The $500 differential you cite is about the same as the cost of a setup by a top drawer artist/technician (eg: Bill Brannen). Someone of that ilk is not necessarily going to make a good instrument out of a bad one, but if, as I suspect, many of the qualitative issues you are experiencing are due to imperfect setup, then you have to weigh the price differential against what the potential for each instrument is. Sort of like: is a perfectly running Camry a better car than a Ferrari with a fouled spark plug?
Sorry if now I have really caused confusion!
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Author: genekeyes ★2017
Date: 2006-03-19 12:55
Unless the first instrument has been customized (unusual before purchase), $500.00 is a big difference for the same model Buffet in the same geographical area. Check prices with a few other dealers in the area and see which one is closer to the norm. If it's clarinet #2, I would go back to the original dealer and discuss it. You may be surprised. While I hate to even mention it, there is a possibility that your teacher is getting a hefty commission on the sale. While the teacher is certainly entitlled to be paid for the time involved in helping you pick out an instrument, that fee should not be buried in the cost of the horn....
I am not saying that this is the case........but it is a possibility. It would not be the first time this has happened.
gk
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Author: Bill
Date: 2006-03-19 15:25
Weighing in here: Get some sleep - you made a great choice (RC) and, yes, even air pressure and humidity affect sound. And reeds, and *mood*.
And there are a handful of fabulous artists out there who will "perfect" your instrument for you - for just about (or less) the $500 you saved.
All is well! Really!
Bill.
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Author: MD1032
Date: 2006-03-19 22:31
You'd have to compare the two side-by-side to hear the real difference, but it sounds to me like you used either two different reeds or you had two days with different humidities that made the reed suck on the latter day.
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Author: illibero
Date: 2006-03-20 01:39
Thanks everyone for all the replies. You've all been really helpful. I was hoping of getting on sooner to reply to some comments, but my internet was disconnected, grrr.
The first clarinet just seemed to blow the way I wanted it to: when I blew harder, the tone just seemed to get bigger the way I wanted it to, as if there was no limit to the sound. Every time I played something on it, I couldn't help but grin. The second one was also good, but it just seemed to play like a good clarinet and nothing more. However, I've been tossing and turning the mentioned factor of acoustics etc in the different shops.
I did use my own mouthpiece and the same reed for both clarinets. However, the second visit to the original store i went to, i forgot to bring my setup and had to use their setup, which was the same (B45 mouthpiece, vandoren regular #3) but with a BG ligature. This might have complicated the situation for me. To BobD, one of the many reasons I'm at war within myself is because of the money: I'd prefer the first one, but the price of the second is amazingly good. The point of the $500 saved being spent on better equipment and repairs .
The second shop is offering me a BG Super Revelation ligature to go with the clarinet at no extra cost. The owner of the first store is pretty tight fisted about everything, and it's pretty doubtful that he would go any lower than what he's offering. The majority of you think i should go ahead with the second clarinet, and i think i'll have to agree with you.
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Author: Don Poulsen
Date: 2006-03-20 14:55
If I may throw in one more possibility--the psychological one. You fell in love with the first instrument, so you may unwittingly "hearing" any subsequent instruments with a biased ear. "They couldn't possibly be as good as the first." And, you may be subconciously thinking that something priced $500 less couldn't possibly be as good. (Most all of us fall into these traps at some time in our lives; maybe not with clarinets but with cars, etc.)
The best test would be to take two instruments you want to compare to the same location and use the same mouthpiece and reed. Have someone hand them to you randomly so you don't know which instrument is which. Then see if there is a significant difference.
And if there is, it may just be that some regulation needs to be done on one. An out of regulation instrument can be stuffy, squeaky, hard to blow, etc.
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Author: Katherine Handcock
Date: 2006-03-20 17:30
I'm in retail sales, so I can give you some suggestions that would work on me ;-) Well, to be fair, I'm all about getting the right horn to the right person, even if that means directing people to other stores, but I do know what goes on behind the scenes in retail, and that can give you some advantages.
You should definitely try to compare both instruments with your own equipment and in the same place, after the technical check. If you still like the one at the first store better, you should make an effort to speak to the owner about it. Be very up front: tell him that you like the instrument he showed you, but that the difference in price is too significant to justify based on that alone. Tell him what the other store is offering (price, any additional accessories like the ligature, etc.) and that you'd like to give him the opportunity to either match the price or show exactly why it's worth paying that much more.
Remember, you have a lot of power in this situation: if you make it clear to the owner of the first store that you're prepared to walk away from the deal, he is literally watching income disappear. I have taken arguments like these from customers to my manager many times, and there is almost always some compromise that can be made.
Hope this helps out! Remember, whichever way you go, you are getting a good instrument.
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Author: john gibson
Date: 2006-03-20 18:56
Dude
Maybe you're anal. Don't mean to offend.....but I think we clarinetists are WAY TOO skeptical and analyze WAY TOO much. Can you play the damned thing or not? $500 is a lot of reeds and lessons. I can tell you that musicians who CAN PLAY.....CAN PLAY just about any instrument thrown their way. Is it worth the 5 bills or not? There's a music whop here in town and whatever his name is.....Marsallis brings his sax in for work.....and the tech tells me......"can't figure out how he blows the thing at all!"....So she fixes it up and voila! Back to basics. It's up to you.
Save the 5 bills and practice....practice.....practice.
(wish I had the time to follow my own advice. I'd be a star)
JG
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2006-03-20 19:04
Some of us are more prone to "heart decisions" over "head decisions" and I think that is the case here with this clarinet. However, that said, I have also had a hard time trying to compromise on something different once I've fallen love with the previous instrument. That's why I've lost more money than anyone I know on new clarinets.
Ask the first store owner if he/she would match the price and tell them your mom is paying and she wants to save the $500.00. Maybe they'll compromise the price a little (even half the distance would be good). Then get the one you want to begin with and be happy. You'll forever be comparing the two in your head and wonder if you've made a mistake.
If the second store owner will let you return the clarinet within a 42 hour period or so, you would be able to go in and compare the two instruments first hand. That would more of a head decision that would satisfy your heart.
My philosophy for buying instruments of that high price is, "If I don't love it I don't buy it."
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Author: illibero
Date: 2006-03-21 02:18
Well, we went and paid the balance on the second clarinet today. Apparently, there wasn't much to change during their technical check, only a few minor adjustments to some keys. I play tested it again at the shop, and did notice that it did play slightly better than before. I've just finished playing it for half an hour at home, can't really say that I'm getting a huge thrill. I don't hate it, and I do know that it is a better clarinet than a lot i have tried, but I can't help but think that the other one was a cut above.
To give myself closure, I might go back to the first store, with my new clarinet, and try them both side by side. That way, if the first one is actually better, I'll know for sure that I wasn't delluding myself about its qualities, and if it isn't better, or the difference is marginal, I'll know that I have a darn good clarinet. You've all been unbelievably helpful in putting my worries to rest, thanks heaps!
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Author: Hiroshi
Date: 2006-03-21 07:11
one:Every instrument has the possibility of mal-affect during shipping.
two:Manufacturers' craftmanship is getting lower and lower.
So, my favorite shop disassembles and rebalances 'all' the instruments 'before' putting them on the store.Trying unchecked instruments seems waste of time,they say, and I agree with them.
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Author: Morrigan
Date: 2006-03-21 09:22
I notice you're in Australia - are you in Melbourne by any chance?
Anyway, my final advice is that somebody will eventually buy that other clarinet and they may or may not be better than you, but try to remember that practicing and having lessons will be the difference between the clarinet you now own and the one you could have owned.
You DO have a good instrument!
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Author: Phat Cat
Date: 2006-03-21 12:32
I find this thread supremely ironic. There us a great deal of obsession on this fourm about set up and changes in sound due to bells, barrels, ligatures, reeds and even plating of keys and ligatures. Here is someone buying their first serious horn who has found a horn that "took their breath away" compared to another. And the recommendation is save your parents dough and get the cheaper one that didn't play nearly as well for them? Surely we jest.
My recommendation is to see if you have some sort of return privilege on the horn you don't like. If so, return it and get the horn you love. And offer to work a part-time job to pay the difference back to your folks.
To the OP: you only have one first love, so go for it!
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2006-03-21 14:09
I agree with Phat Cat. Why bother with all the barrels and mouthpieces in an attempt to get the sound you got on another horn?
Any one remember the recent description by Greg Smith about Marcellus' "A" clarinet? I doubt he was imagining things or that Marcellus himself would rather have had a couple extra boxes of Morres.
Schade.
............Paul Aviles
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Author: D
Date: 2006-03-21 17:04
Reading this thread my inital response was going to be, walk away. Step back, get a part time job so that some of the money going in is your own - then your Mum knows you are serious, and she doesn't have as much control over your decision. Ask your Mum to put the amount she is prepared to pay in a high interest account. Earn a lump sum yourself. Then whatever you get she is out of pocket the same. You can't make these decisions based on money alone.
Now getting to the bottom I see that you have the clarinet. Well, I would definatley say go back and see the first one again if you get chance. Otherwise you will always always wonder.
You might go back and find it is not as good as you remember.
But if it is then I would do some serious talking with your Mum - and get a partime job to earn that extra $500.
Incidentially, a friend of mine found a great way of finding a clarinet. She found a shop with a large stock and made an appointment to go try loads on a day when they were quiet. The got out lots and lots of the brands she was interested in trying (no CSOs) and in the price range she was prepared to look at. Then she blind tested the lot knowing whatever she picked up she could have if she wanted. After narrowing it down to a couple she found that it was one make she like the best. They got out the entire stock of those models and she tried the lot. Got to get lucky with a good music store admitedly, and you can play with the set up afterwards for ever. But there has to be something you like about the thing the in first place!
Best of luck
D
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Author: Al Amir
Date: 2006-03-22 11:15
I agree with Morrigan. Keep your money to buy the best mouthpiece you can find. You won't pay it more than 200 $. And you 'll see the difference.
Al
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Author: ghuba
Date: 2006-03-22 13:22
What strikes me about this thread is that one basic step was missed that might have gotten the first clarinet at the price in the second store -- go back to the original offeror and say that another legitimate dealer is offering the same clarinet for $500 less.
While I am not suggesting that all stores will match prices, many will. After all, these stores all purchase their R13s at approximately the same prices so there is either profit left at a price $500 less or a wise dealer knows that you will make a lot from a new R13 purchaser over the years on aftermarket items (reeds, mouthpieces, barrels, etc.) purchased at close to list price. And, a dealer has no particular emotional attachment to a specific R13 so to him or her, the one being sold to you is no different than the one that will come out of the next factory sealed box.
If you want to ask for a price match, ask to speak to the manager (or owner if it is a small store) and explain the situation. Do not get confrontational or express frustration; the store gets to set the price and set it so high you will not buy it, if they want to do so. Just quietly ask them to match price, remind them that you are a loyal customer who after buying the horn would like to come back for servicing and reeds and mouthpieces, and hopes to be in a long term relationship with them. If the first store wants to know who second store is, tell them. You may hear from the first store owner that the second store is not an authorized distributor and their warranty is different (this may be true as not all items are officially imported as opposed to being purchased as what are called "gray market items" that do not carry a manufacturer's warranty and they cost less; this practice is rampant on watches and cameras and some computer equipment and you have to decide if an official manufacturer's warranty is worth the difference in price from a warranty offered by the store).
It may be too late to ask the first store to match on this particular purchase. But others on the Board who have not asked for price matching should be aware that this is not an uncommon practice, at least in the US, and it never hurts to ask. [BTW, I believe that $500 AUS is somewhat less than $500 US, so you probably not asking for as much of a price match as some US readers are assuming.] Do not be embarrassed to ask. BTW, for those of you who think that it is only folks with limited amounts of money who ask for such matching, do not fall into this trap. Some of the biggest haggling I have ever seen occurs on very high ticket items. And, even the giant Internet music store in the US that some of us do business with will lower prices (somewhat) if you call them rather than accepting their first Internet listed price.
George
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Author: ghuba
Date: 2006-03-22 13:36
One more comment on pricing ...
It is not uncommon for a business to ask its employees to get three different price quotes on the same item from alternate vendors. It is not unusual for several quotes to be almost identical but for one to be a "low ball" bid. Then if you want, you go back to the high guys and ask them to match or beat the low guys.
If you consistently do this in your personal life, you will see that your discretionary funds (money you have to spend on stuff like clarinets and TV sets and stereo equipment and cameras) might get stretched 10-15% further.
Price matching is VERY common in business on items that cost more than say about $3 US, so I would not be surprised if someone would price match on a $3000 item.
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2006-03-22 14:09
"even the giant Internet music store in the US that some of us do business with will lower prices (somewhat) if you call them rather than accepting their first Internet listed price."
Saved $20 when I bought from them exactly like this. I actually just told them in an email that I found it for less and they sent me back a link where I can add the product to the cart at the new lower price. Didn't have to make an (international) call to do it.
Unfortunately here almost every company has only one dealer, so there is monopoly on almost all products. If you know stores with a lower price you should really ask if they will match it. Even if they won't they might lower their price.
Good luck.
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Author: rc_clarinetlady
Date: 2006-03-22 14:32
I can't believe I'm even reading the comments in this thread. I haven't written in to this board for a long time but need to say this here.
I agree with Phat Cat completely. Our sound is a lot of what defines us as clarinet players and this person found one he liked right away. That's great! I'd pay $500 for a sound that blew me away. In fact I have. We are clarinet players and it seems we talk on this board incessently about reeds, ligs, barrells, bells, this and that equipment out the wazoo. This clarinet player walked into a shop and found a clarinet that blew him away and some of you are suggesting he walk away from it because of money?? He will spend more money than $500 in his lifetime trying to match that wonderful sound in barrells, mouthpieces, reeds, ligs etc than if he'd have just bought the clarinet he loved. And who knows, if he'd have gone to the owner like Katherine suggested he may have found why the first cl. cost more or received a better price.
I think our writer will now try to find mouthpieces, barrells, etc. to get that sound he heard before and it may not ever happen on this second cl. Parent's also get really frustrated when they have to keep shelling out the bucks to make a cl. right when they feel they've already spent a truckload on a professional instrument.
I think our thread writer is disappointed. I wish him great playing days ahead but I think all clarinets will now be measured against that first RC for him. Best of luck. R
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Author: illibero
Date: 2006-03-22 22:43
Sigh. So *now* I'm getting all the pro-first-clarinet purchasing voters. After I've already bought the second one. I have to say that all the arguments are pretty convincing.
About my own playing: this is my fifth year of playing now. People consistently comment on my powerful sound and pure tone. This was all while I was still playing plastic student clarinets. Two of my teachers have said that I seem to have the ability to make a plastic clarinet sound like a wooden clarinet (I do know some of you believe tone has nothing to do with the material etc.)
I'd occasionally try my teacher's Prestige and some of the olders students R-13's, but I felt that I sounded exactly the same and the way the clarinets "blew" felt pretty much the same as well. The only thing that felt slightly different was the keywork. I guess clarinets are suppost to sound a feel like clarinets! I bought a B45 mouthpiece which made my tone even more powerful, but made my articulation sound harsher.
After all this, I'd come to the conclusion that the effect the equipment has on tone is very trivial. My main decision to purchase a pro clarinet was because of the alleged superior tuning and better craftsmenship compared to a student clarinet. I felt justified in this when I tested the R-13s at the first shop, they just played like a regular clarinet, nothing as "legendary" as some people on this board seem to make them out to be. I'm not overly pedantic about setups, except maybe about the reed I use, but reeds generally turn out good in the end after a bit of playing.
However, the RC I tried there did seem to be different. I generally play with an open oral cavity and throat to give a full sound, no that it made much difference on previous clarinets, but that I thought it would be a good habit to get into since teachers and players on this board suggest it. On the RC, I could easily manipulate the tone colour by changing my throat/oral cavity. Some may prefer a uniform tone that isn't so flexible, but I'm very into jazz clarinet as well, so this came as a bit of a thrill to me; that I could do almost anything I wanted with the way this clarinet sounded. The dynamics were pretty wide, namely the forte was supremely loud and I didn't feel like the reed was going to stick if I blew any harder.
The second RC, the one I have now sitting next to me, plays like an above average RC should: warm, resonant low notes, good tuning in the middle and upper register, but somewhat (slightly) lacking in projection.
In regards to sending this clarinet to an artist who can perfect the instrument for $500, I don't think AUD 500 can get that, since a normal repad for a tenor saxophone already costs $650 dollars here. And with spending more on a better setup to "match" the first clarinet, even if that did work, wouldn't it mean that with my new setup which creates the same sound as the first clarinet, I could have had a godly sound *on* the first clarinet with the new setup? It's like with soccer boots or any other sports equipment, an amateur player buys the most expensive boots that a professional is wearing to make himself the level of a semi amateur. The professional wears those boots to make him a superstar.
Sigh, I'm really confused now.
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Author: wjk
Date: 2006-03-23 02:26
I would not get too stressed; I have purchased a few clarinets and more than a few guitars so far. Keep in mind you can always sell or trade in an instrument you are not totally happy with. We all have stories of "the one that got away." You may find as time goes on, you really love your instrument. If not, trade or sell it. This is really a great learning experience and a very interesting thread! Best of luck.
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2006-03-23 03:55
wjk,
You remind me of an old and dear friend. He's a guitarist, and he has 7-guitars. His marriage contracts explicitly allows him 7. Yet, he's always on the look-out for an eigth guitar.
In Tokyo a few years back, we visited "all" the music shops, and he tried out guitars.
When he finds that #8, he sells off the least satisfactory instrument to get back to his quota. (His contract gives him this wiggle room.)
Maybe we should all have GAS up to some nominal point --like 7-clarinets.
Or, whould that be 7Bbs, 7As, 7Effers, ...?
And a Mk VI soprano sax, ...
Bob Phillips
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Author: rc_clarinetlady
Date: 2006-03-23 04:15
I would think that one question you have to ask yourself is, do you love the clarinet you now own? If the answer is "yes" then just be done with it and move on. If not then perhaps you should find out what the return policy is for it and continue your search. I think we all suspect how you really feel.
Like I said before, your sound and tone is what defines you, more or less, as a clarinet player. We all strive for that sweet sound. This new clarinet you're buying now will most likely be your main clarinet for a long time so make sure it's the one you love. Don't compromise. We have strong feelings for our clarinets and baby them with great care. Just make sure you're thrilled after spending the kind of money you're mom is spending on it.
Now that you've played more on the instrument you currently own, go back and compare the first one. You will probably have your answer one way or the other and can put this to rest. If it's the first one you like better talk to the shop owner about compromise on the price. They're all in business to make money. If he doesn't sell instruments it's money out of his pocket. Perhaps he's willing to help get the instrument you love in your hands and make some money for himself with a compromise of some sort. You can only try and see what he says. Best of luck. I'm getting ready to enter the same endeavor here soon. I have to replace my 32 year old beloved R 13. I'm not looking forward to the process but I am looking forward to the end result. R
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Author: illibero
Date: 2006-03-23 05:38
I was not jumping with joy when I brought the one I currently have home, if that answers your question about whether I "love" the instrument. I feel so frustrated, mainly because I'd told myself before I went on this clarinet purchasing expedition that I was not going to buy the "wrong" clarinet and not to be pressured into doing so. It was really the price that pressured me into choosing this one rather than any person.
With regards to refunding it, I think the chances are pretty much impossible. No business would throw away money like that. I've spoken to the first store's owner through email, and he said there was no way they could match the price of the second store. The only thing he said he could do would be to include such things as a mouthpiece, ligature and barrel of my choice, along with free servicing for two years. That actually sounds very enticing. The problem I had was that the owner was never at the store when I went. Instead I got the sales manager who was not very willing to negotiate on anything. Bear in mind that my mother is a very good bargainer.
My mum says that when I play both clarinets side by side, and the first clarinet really is that much better, we might be able to buy that one as well, and put the other one up for hire. I'm pretty sceptical about that. I don't think many people rent professional clarinets, and it seems the rental instrument market is dominated by students instruments. If anyone has any ideas on how to convince the second store to let me refund the clarinet, please tell. This is the third day it has been in my possession.
Thanks for all your replies.
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Author: graham
Date: 2006-03-23 11:09
The dog that has not yet barked in this story is the teacher. Can you get an early meeting to let her play it and listen to you playing it? It is notorious that instruments that sound great to the player can sound no better, or actually worse, to the audience.
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Author: wjk
Date: 2006-03-23 11:35
It is hardly unprecedented for one to buy more than one musical instrument in one's lifetime. Should you purchase, for example, a Bb, an A , and a C clarinet, you have "more than a few clarinets. " Similarly, for standard performances, one might be compelled to acquire an acoustic, and electric, and a semi-hollowbody guitar. Assuming one can afford these instruments, which is also hardly un-precedented, I really see no harm. It is also in the realm of possibility that one's spouse/other family members might condone such purchases, particularly if they see how much pleasure the purchaser derives from the instruments. There may also be instances where a spouse also has musical interests and pursuits, and actually derives pleasure and satisfaction from these instruments. In the course of one's lifetime, in my humble opinion, one's needs/ wants/ interests may change. If you have an instrument you don't like, you have the option to sell, trade or "rent" it. There are "options" fortunately!
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The Clarinet Pages
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