Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2016-07-18 15:01
WOW! Someone answered from Buffet! Thank you in advance. I'm shocked. As you can see I'm not the only one here that's angry. So angry that I'm walking away from Buffet. Three months ago you lost one of the finest clarinetists in the world. David Shifrin. I don't think anyone in the Philadelphia Orchestra are using Buffets. To my knowledge only one player remains with the Chicago Sym. This list is growing.
I won't email you. I'm done with that. All of the exact information is written above. So read it! Here is a short recap just for you.
I called the 904 821-0234 number a mess of times and left messages, because no one picks up the phone in Florida. Finally Cliff picked up the phone about 3 weeks ago; one day and he said that he transfers the messages to the required departments and needless to say no one ever called me back. Cliff told me that the double case is NOT under warranty, even when NEW. So the key is. If the key breaks from me adjusting it a lot and I send the horn back to you well the key gets fixed and a few months later the key breaks again, because of the dam case! I asked Cliff what to do. He tried to transfer me to the tech dept at 904 652-2203, and of course no one picked up. I called a few times and no one picked up. What a surprise.
I called the NYC Buffet show room and the lady there said that they've had a few issues with the cases and recommended buying a different brand. She also gave me Michael Wallace's phone number and email address. Guess what, we live close by. and yes after several calls on his cell going to voice mail he never called me back. Cliff said he'd call Nancy at RDG. Never heard back from Cliff nor Nancy and I did call Nancy about 6 times. Since everyone got my $7500 who cares about Bob, he isn't famous! Hmmm Maybe he is! He has a lot of friends coast to coast, from the Boston Sym to the LA Philharmonic.
So my good friend John Bruce Yeh with the Chicago Sym, set me up with Yamaha. Let's see how that goes next week. I won't allow any company to give me anything for free. If I like the Yamaha's I'll buy them, or I may buy a Selmer, or the Wurltzer reformed. I have plenty of money. John Yeh has been with the Chicago Sym since he was just 19 years old in 1977. He's starting his 40th season. John may test 2 or 3 horns. With Buffet it's like findin that perfect reed. Testing 20 clarinets is common.
Below is a young talented kid playing on a Yamaha clarinet. This is your new competition. This may be my new set of horns. This is kind of how the old Buffets sounded, but the old Buffets were even better. Enjoy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2Uz_Syj2zg
I'm not sure what to do Mr. Kloc. Your company looks to be in trouble. When the pads on EVERY horn don't seal it's hard to pick out a great horn. After spending $7500 on new horns which really don't play, I had to re-pad them myself. Thanks to studying with Hans Moennig. By the way the Moennig barrels don't work with the R13 horns. The bores are wrong and if Moennig was alive today he would redesign them and swear a lot in German. He liked me, but he was a small scary man. He had no problems with throwing out clients that needed repairs done. When using the Moennig barrels there are a lot of dead flat notes on both horns, mainly the upper joint. You should know this. Why are you selling Moennig barrels that make your horns worse? Why are you putting in a $5 plastic mouthpieces with a 2 strength reed in a professional horn? Why do the horns mainly tune to 440, when pretty much all of the orchestras and bands tune to 441 and higher. Why do the 64mm barrels cause so many flat notes above high C? High F and G are way flat.
I cannot accept this false comment that your employees care. Why does every horn leak? After I repaired your defective horns I got the horns to seal for at least 1 minute. It's not hard. I'm not a repairman. Your guys do this everyday, 8 hours a day! Whats going on in Florida? They should be able to seal a leak blindfolded.
Here's something to really think about. Since Bob Marcellus, Harold Wright and Iggie Gennusa have died why hasn't any player been able to get that sweet sound that these guys got? Here's a clue. Bob played on very old Buffets, older than the R13's for most of his career, Iggie and Harold both used horns from the mid 1960's or earlier. Buffet changed the bores. Why? I didn't know Harold Wright, but I smoked a few cigars and sipped bourbon with Bob, and studied with Iggie for 7 or 8 years ate lunch and dinner at his house and sipped vodka with him.
Email me if you wish at savagesax@aol.com I'll try to help out your company, but you need to go back to small bores and get those great Buffet sounds back. I just gave you one huge hint and I hope you move on it. Stop making new horns like the Divine and go back to basics. First learn how to seal a pad and then make the bores small again. Hans had to undercut a lot of holes to tune the R13's correctly. When he was done people like Wright and Iggie made you stop in your tracks. You couldn't believe how special that Buffet sound was.
I really have no interest with "Visiting," you at the Clarinetfest. It was a kind offer. We are WAY past that point. I will be working. Solving the issue is me leaving Buffet which I've trusted for 47 years.
I already bought a Marcus Bonna case. My first big step for getting ready for the Copland and the Mozart Concerto live recordings this winter on PBS TV. One time I played a concert under Copland and during lunch he told me that the concerto should be played with a jazz feel. Players try to play it as fast as possible. Well I'm playing it the way he wanted it. With a jazz feel and not too fast. He wrote it in the 1920's so that's the jazz feel he will get.
I wish you and Buffet the very best. It's close to 4 AM, I've spent enough time chatting and visiting with you.
Bob
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
|
|
The Clarinet BBoard
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
