Life on the Road

When Nick started playing clarinet in the middle of his 5th grade year, I was fortunate enough to find a friend whose daughter was no longer playing hers.  With borrowed instrument in hand, we could test the waters without making a great financial commitment.

All the kids had started their instruments at the beginning of that school year, so it was amazing when he was caught up and flying within a month or so.  Definately something worth pursuing.

Given his age and maturity level, we were still looking for “inexpensive,” and he was thrilled beyond measure at the “cool” clarinet I bought on eBay:

Yeah, it’s red. 

Brand new, only $79.  Sure, it was a “student” model, and probably not even a great one at that…  But it worked.

And it kept on working, giving us more than three years of loyal service with a minimum of problems.

But now Nick is going to be going into High School, where (if you’re persuing music, at least) things change caliber.  And furthermore, he’s applying to the Performing Arts: Music program at an exclusive magnet school in the area called Coral Reef.

From my emails with the band director there, it because clear that at the audition he looks at more thn just their playing.  If a student isn’t taking private lessons, obviously they (their parents) aren’t committed to taking their music to the next level.  Ditto the instrument they’re playing.

The owner of the local music store said that I could “get by” with an upper end plastic clarinet, which would run about $500-$600, or I could go for the real thing and get a wood instrument.  He recommended a Selmer, which he quoted at about $1,300.

When asked for his recommendation, the Coral Reef band director didn’t mince words.  He said without doubt THE CLARINET TO HAVE was the Buffet R13, which 90% of his students played. 

I have also read in several different online sources that an astounding 85% of professionals use that particular horn.  85%?!  I would have been surprised to hear that even 25% of professionals agreed on something so personal… 

And the price tag on a Buffet R13?

Are you sitting down?

No, I mean it…

MSRP is somewhere in the vicinity of $4,400.

<gulp>

Of course you can get them cheaper, and there are any number of places online where you can find one for only $2,600-$2,900.

In spite of what the music store owner had said about older high-quality instruments only appreciating in value, I began a search for a good used R13.  Without a local market, the only place I was able to find them was our old friend eBay - but they were there…

Adhering to hubby’s rule of thumb that anything used should be half the cost of new (or less), we decided at the outset that we would not spend more than $1,300.  And that if, for the price of the lesser brand the music store offered, we could get this amazing professional clarinet - even if used - we would be in good shape.

Now I don’t mind eBay, and I’ve won and lost my share of auctions over time.  But pregnant hormones don’t help, especially when it’s something this important, rather than just some extra baby clothes or whatever…

We bid on a couple of older ones, and lost them.  There is a widerange of prices with the older horns, with some people more than others playing up the idea that these 60’s-80’s clarinets are “vintage” and “golden age,” and implying that “they just don’t make ‘em like they used to.  But of course there was some question of how to know what you were getting, exactly…  If the silver is tarnished, for instance, maybe it just needs cleaning.  But maybe it’s corroded and actually damaged. 

And does it come with a case?  A hard case or a soft case?  A Buffet case or a generic replacement case?  The original Buffet case, or a replacement?  And do I care??

They sold for anywhere from $700 to $1600 or so, with the average seemingly right around $1K.  But then some few didn’t sell at all.  And new ones were selling, too, up there in the upper $2K’s.

Then one came up that really looked good to our simple perspective.  It was a 2006, and the listing stated (plausibly, given the instrument and accessories included) that it had been purchased for the daughter, who was now more interested in pursuing other extra-curricular activities.  It was at $700 with no bids, and only a day to go.

Maybe this one wasn’t going to sell for as much, since it wasn’t “vintage,” eh?  We bid, watched, and hoped.

In the last hour it jumped from $850 to $1200, and in the last minute it was finally had - not by me - for $1332.

<sigh>  Back to square one.

The next one on the block was an older one that looked okay, but uncertain.

Then I found it… 

It was “vintage” and “golden age” and all that - dating from 1970.  But it had recently had an artist overhaul, and was in flawless shape.  Including the original Buffet hard case, even.

It still had a day to goon the auction, so there were no bids yet.  All the clarinets were lingering unbid until the final hours and minutes of their auctions…

So, I simply snatched it! 

The listing included a Buy It Now for $1029, and with that he would ship and insure it free. 

Having done my homework on the R13, then on the market in general, then on eBay… and having prayed together and gotten hubby’s approval to spend up to $1300 for the right deal…  This was a no-brainer.

If you had askd me this time last week if I could spend over $1K on a clarinet and feel like I got a terrific deal, I probably would have laughed…

Stay tuned for the updates when it arrives!