 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: crelias11
Date: 2019-12-23 00:56
I took my R13 to the local repair guy who is very good. Need adjustment again 3rd space C key (my fault) He told me he has fixed the clarinet before from the previous owner. She bought it new and never liked the sound or key feel. It was apparently defective from new-chipped tone hole, 1st hole in lower joint. My repair guy fixed it and it was fixed when I bought it just never disclosed to me by the music store selling it on consignment. The horn was purchased at that music store new. My question is-is this R13 made in 2013 according to Buffet using the serial #, worth keeping or is it going to be a problem like many newer R13s are. I was told Buffet is not standing by their warranty. It has silver keys, mint condition except for the tone hole issue and I paid $2,199 for it. Not a mark on it or the case-mint, hardly used. She might have had it less than a year. Clarinet is my second instrument. I just got an acceptable ligature, reed mouthpiece combo that is workable. Should I unload it and buy a LeBlanc? I am still getting my skills back and I play for fun but I am fussy about how my instruments play
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2019-12-23 03:10
I'd stand by your own fussiness. If the clarinet plays well in tune and produces a good sound then it would be worth keeping.
If you find another horn that plays better in tune and has a better sound, then buy that one and sell the Buffet. That's how I came to own a pair of Yamaha CSGs. Of course my latest new Bb horn is a Buffet R13 Greenline which plays better in tune and has a better sound than my Bb Yamaha (what goes around, comes around).
And I think Leblanc has gone out of business so I'm not sure where you'd get a new one of those.
...............Paul Aviles
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Author: kdk
Date: 2019-12-23 05:14
crelias11 wrote:
> He told me he has
> fixed the clarinet before from the previous owner. She bought
> it new and never liked the sound or key feel. It was apparently
> defective from new-chipped tone hole, 1st hole in lower joint.
>
Questions that ask "Is it worth keeping (or buying)..." usually depend on why you are asking the question. What do you want from the instrument and will it provide what you want?
It's not clear from your post whether there's a connection among these three sentences. Did she feel the sound and key feel had something to do with the chipped tone hole? It doesn't seem to me they are likely to have been related.
If that's the case, and the "defect" was not the reason why the previous owner didn't like the instrument, then you have to make a decision for yourself between two possibilities:
(1) You don't like the sound and key feel, either, in which case the chipped tone hole is irrelevant and you should consider selling the instrument and finding something you like better.
(2) You like the sound and key feel, but the "defect" bothers you. If the tone hole has been repaired and isn't itself causing a playing issue, then the only reason it would make sense to sell it is if you are concerned that the repaired chip will decrease the instrument's resale value. But that doesn't matter unless you do sell it. If you keep it because you like the way it plays, then the chip is again irrelevant.
So, it comes down not to the fact that it was "defective" from the factory, but to whether or not you like it's playing qualities. If you don't, sell it. If you do, keep it.
Karl
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Author: donald
Date: 2019-12-23 06:07
A chipped tonehole and/or tonehole repairs are not unusual or radical repairs. Many instruments actually already have such repairs done to them before they leave the factory, and if they are done well will give no further problems. For about 15 years I played an E flat clarinet that had had a tone hole chimney reconstructed- it gave me no problems whatsoever. The current owner is Principal clarinet of an orchestra in Paris, and all he cares about is how the instruments PLAYS.
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Author: Ed
Date: 2019-12-23 07:28
I would not hesitate to play this instrument.
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Author: Steven Ocone
Date: 2019-12-23 15:42
Repairing a chipped tone hole is not a big deal for a competent repair technician. When I overhaul a clarinet I work on every tone hole. If the clarinet plays good it's a keeper.
Steve Ocone
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Author: dorjepismo ★2017
Date: 2019-12-23 20:40
There can be a lot of variation between Buffets; sometimes you can figure out why yours is different, and sometimes you can't. But don't unload it and buy something else. Reverse the order and try out horns to see if you can find something you like better for a price you're willing to pay, and if you can, sell yours and buy that one. If you can't, then you've still got the best horn you can find.
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Author: Ed
Date: 2019-12-23 21:01
When evaluating equipment it is important to be able to define a number of factors. What is it you may not like, what you are looking for to be different, what factor other things have in this equation- mouthpiece, reed, your own playing.
Sometimes we try things thinking that we have found a solution only to realize a couple of weeks later we still play like ourselves. Often I would suggest spending a long time with the instrument and get used to it, learning to manipulate and adjust to get what you a looking for.
Unless there are serious issues, most Buffets are within a very workable range. Too often it is easy to get into that equipment search where we keep trying new things looking for that holy grail.
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2019-12-23 21:13
Those repairs are not a big deal and as long as it was sold as used and at a fair price, it's ok (even if they didn't specify the exact repairs).
If that's part of why she didn't like it... not an issue anymore. If she didn't like it regardless (unclear if they were done while she had it or before you bought it)... Is it an objective problem that isn't realistic to repair or just personal preference? Almost everyone's partners probably had someone else break up with them before...
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Author: m1964
Date: 2019-12-24 10:19
crelias11 wrote:
"I took my R13 to the local repair guy who is very good. Need adjustment again 3rd space C key (my fault) He told me he has fixed the clarinet before from the previous owner. She bought it new and never liked the sound or key feel. It was apparently defective from new-chipped tone hole, 1st hole in lower joint..."
I checked "that site' and the price of $2200 seems to be in line with the current pricing on a newer R13 in good/excellent condition.
Does it hold suction?
If the chip in the "defective" tone hole was fixed (which is not a complicated repair as mentioned above) and the joint holds suction, then that is not a problem anymore.
I'd take your Buffet to a store and compare to other instruments- sound and tuning.
Record yourself while playing yours and other clarinet(s) using an app on your phone that allows for recording of high quality sound. Go home or to your car and listen through the headphones- not the speaker of the phone. Compare the recordings.
Then you can decide if you got a dud or a "good" R13.
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Author: crelias11
Date: 2019-12-24 16:19
Thank you for your response. I don't think the suction was that great in the lower joint but then the key was out of alignment this last time, my fault I think. I only got about a 3 second suction and he has a machine to test the leak. I'll know more when I pick it up in a few days. He explained how he fixed the chip. What site did you use to get the value of the newer R13. I did find out where and when the clarinet was purchased new. Buffet said it was made in 2013 but the buyer bought it in 2017 kept it less than a year. I am still researching. Not sure why the 4 year time between when it was made and when it was sold. Maybe the former buyer bought it new but was really used. I'm not a professional but I don't want to be taking it to have the leak fixed all the time but this time I think it was me and the way I was holding it to put it together. He will check out the tone hole again. Thanks for your help. I might go clarinet shopping again after the holiday. Before I bought this one I tried 7 or 8 different clarinets, different brands new and used and picked the one I have switching out mouthpieces and barrels and now a new ligature which I really like.
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Author: kdk
Date: 2019-12-24 18:17
crelias11 wrote:
> I'm
> not a professional but I don't want to be taking it to have the
> leak fixed all the time but this time I think it was me and the
> way I was holding it to put it together. He will check out the
> tone hole again.
Leaks don't just pop up like that - they result from worn/torn pads or misaligned keys. Misaligned keys are user-caused. Good quality pads will hold a seal for a long time - years in most cases. The chip, if it's repaired *correctly* should not leak and should probably never cause a problem again, certainly not a recurring leak that needs repeated trips to the shop.
The bottom line is that IMO you're worrying about the wrong issue. If the repair person is competent and has made the repair properly, the chip is now a dead issue. Any other mechanical problems can be fixed by a competent repair person. A good repairer can get any clarinet of this quality to hold a good seal. You should focus simply on how the clarinet plays and how it tunes.
> Before I bought this one I
> tried 7 or 8 different clarinets, different brands new and
> used and picked the one I have switching out mouthpieces and
> barrels and now a new ligature which I really like.
I'm not certain what this means, but when you try equipment, you should test only one thing at a time. It you're trying clarinets, use the mouthpiece and the most comfortable reed you've been using. It becomes very confusing when you're changing several variables at the same time.
Karl
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Author: crelias11
Date: 2019-12-24 20:26
When I tried clarinets I used the same mouthpiece reed ligature setup for all. The first adjustment was needed because I purchased it on consignment sale. This time it was my fault. The instrument has been used so very little that the corks are tight and require cork grease each time. I will see how it plays when I get it back. I am sure the chip repair is a quality job.
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Author: m1964
Date: 2019-12-24 22:55
I grease tenon corks every time I assemble my clarinet.
As Karl said, you may be worried about issues that are insignificant or even non-existent.
If you have a teacher, see if he/she can assist you to check your instrument.
Since you are not a professional player, you probably would not have experience and knowledge needed to check a clarinet thoroughly- which is why I would look for someone else who has such experience to help me.
In addition, I have seen 2 clarinets that were "serviced" by a supposedly "very good" tech and both times the job was not done right.
One of them belonges to a techer who did not know what was wrong, except that "it was difficult to blow". In fact, the upper joint was leaking from all pads. I re-padded the joint and she felt improvement immediately. But by herself she did not know how to check suction...
My 2p
Post Edited (2019-12-26 03:52)
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Author: crelias11
Date: 2019-12-25 01:49
I play bassoon so I know all about leaks. I do know how to check for suction on a clarinet. My repair man learned his trade from the same people who trained my bassoon repair guy and he is one of the best in the East.
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Author: crelias11
Date: 2019-12-25 19:12
he is local Bob Warfield in Dillsburg, pa. He found the chip in the tone hole after another guy missed it. The original owner of the clarinet only played it a few months and bought something else. I called the music store that sold it originally and they claim they didn't keep records and couldn't tell me why it sat around for 3 years. I was told by Buffet it was made in 2013 then not purchased until Nov of 2017 acording to the original owner and I bought in August 2018. The original owner didn't like it. I think it just needs a little more tweaking like any new instrument. I now understand a chipped tone hole isn't a big deal. As a bassoon player I just have to watch the unlined tone holes. I do know how to do the suction test on a clarinet and have to be more careful assembling it and use more cork grease the corks are so new and the whole instrument not played much. I'm used to silver keys the previous owner was not. Now that I have a good reed, mouthpiece ligature set up things will get better. The pitch is quite good except for the usual problem notes.
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Author: m1964
Date: 2019-12-26 04:03
If you play bassoon you should be able to "deal" with clarinet's issues-I think that bassoons have more complex mechanics comparing to clarinets.
I like LaTromba cork grease - I bought bigger jar of LaTromba synthetic grease and found it worked better then Buffet, Vandoren or D'Addario stick-type grease.
LaTromba is so slick that I need just tinny amount of it.
Good luck with your "new" clarinet!
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The Clarinet Pages
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