 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Jaray
Date: 2017-02-11 02:00
Hello,
I need some advice.
I've been looking to have some work done on my Bb/A clarinets (Both are R13s). My instructor recommended having them "Brannenized" by Brannen in Chicago. So I got in contact with them, and they agreed to overhaul my Bb because I purchased it new. Unfortunately, they won't take my A because of it's age. So I'm torn. Should I send in my Bb and find someone else who does similar acoustical/tuning work for my A clarinet? Or would it be wiser to find someone who does similar work that would be willing to take both? Any recommendations? I already know about Backun and Chadash.
Thank you
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Author: Steven Ocone
Date: 2017-02-11 03:05
There are other great techs who can work on your instruments and will do as good a job (and are probably less expensive).
Steve Ocone
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2017-02-11 03:18
How old is your Bb? How old is your A clarinet? Where do you live (or where are you when you're at school)? What do you want to have done to each of the clarinets?
I don't know that there's a reason for having the same shop do both instruments, but once you go down that road this time, you'll probably have to stay on it. Will the Brannen shop work on the Bb in the future if someone else local has done spot repair work on it after they've set it up?
In general, I prefer to have work done by repair people in shops that I can go to with my instruments and have some input into what is done and how the result will turn out. There are always choices to be made, and they can be made more easily, I think, when the repair person is someone you've worked with regularly and trust from experience.
But I live in the Philadelphia. Along the corridor from Washington D.C. to New York City there are a number of excellent people who are within a couple hours' drive at most. I can take my clarinets to them and pick them up personally - no shipping cost or, more important, damage risk and direct, face-to-face conversation is possible with the person who will be doing the work.
Obviously, not everyone feels that way or shops like the Brannens' wouldn't have the range of clientele they do. And I know that the repair people I go to, who are local to me, do work on instruments shipped from more distant places. I suppose in the end it depends on what access you have to alternative shops.
Karl
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Author: donald
Date: 2017-02-11 03:41
Send the instruments to Wesley Rice. He'll do a supergood job and not be a dick about it. Frankly.
dn
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Author: ClarinettyBetty
Date: 2017-02-11 03:54
Mark Jacobi overhauled my instruments. If you're willing to wait and pay a bit of a sum, it'll return as the best thing you've ever played on when you get it back. I've let people try my Bb R13 and they think it's incredible. He does stellar work!
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Eb: 1972 Buffet BC20
Bb: Selmer Paris Presence
A: Selmer Paris Presence
Bass: 1977 LeBlanc
https://gentrywoodwinds.com
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Author: na1965
Date: 2017-02-12 04:11
I second the endorsement of Wesley Rice. Wes has worked on a couple of my clarinets and I have been very pleased with the results.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2017-02-12 04:44
How old is too old?
I really don't understand that as the majority of A clarinets have had far less playing hours on them compared to Bbs and most A clarinets have been serviced far less than their Bb counterparts. Some players may have even had their Bbs fully overhauled more times than they've had their A clarinets serviced.
So even if your A is considerably older than your Bb, I doubt it has been played as much.
I work on instruments of any age - it's no object to me.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: gwie
Date: 2017-02-12 11:32
I would add a recommendation for John Butler, http://www.jbwinds.com/. He did a stellar job on an overhaul of an R-13 Bb for one of my students last year.
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Author: RKing
Date: 2017-02-12 19:38
I'll put in my plug for Guy Chadash. He took my R-13 and returned it better than new.
Considering what he had to do, the cost was reasonable and the turnaround time was faster than I expected.
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Author: Chetclarinet
Date: 2017-02-13 04:09
John Butler from Sugarland, Texas does great work and is very quick and reasonable. He advertises on this board and does all of my professional work.
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2017-02-13 08:07
Chetclarinet wrote:
> John Butler from Sugarland, Texas does great work and is very
> quick and reasonable. He advertises on this board and does all
> of my professional work.
I recently had a clarinet worked on by John, where I asked for more custom work with some toneholes and it came back MUCH better than when I sent it. He's definitely moved to the top of my list for future overhauls and repairs for his communication and quality.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: MartyMagnini
Date: 2017-02-13 21:17
If you want to stay around Chicago, there are plenty of options: Rick Sayre out of Lombard does great work. Walter Grabner out of Highland Park does great work, and is a frequent contributor to the board. These guys are at the absolute top of their craft. I have had work done by Brannen on a few different horns over they years, and its always great - no doubt they do great work. Their attitude can be a little condescending, and they refuse to work on certain makes/models of instruments. If it were me, I'd probably go with one of these other guys who would be willing to work on both my instruments.
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2017-02-13 21:32
The recommendations you get might be more focused on people accessible to you if you told us where you are. Are you in the Chicago area and were planning to bring your instruments to Brannen personally, or were you going to ship them from somewhere else?
Karl
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Author: Jaray
Date: 2017-02-14 05:25
I live in south eastern Michigan. I was planning on driving to Chicago as it is reasonably close.
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Author: j8649
Date: 2017-02-14 07:35
Send your clarinets to Wes Rice. He has overhauled several of my instruments, and he does a great job!
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2017-02-18 10:11
He's getting a bit old, but he's one of the very best and very close to you. Bob Scott. Extremely gifted. Such a nice man!
Robert Scott
2930 Sunderland Road
Lansing, MI 48911
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
Post Edited (2017-02-18 10:16)
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Author: Steven Ocone
Date: 2017-02-18 17:03
Eric Satterlee at Meridian Winds is in Michigan and does professional work.
Steve Ocone
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