BUYING A CLARINET ON EBAY
Buying a musical instrument on EBay can be a great experience -
or not. It is important to stick with brand name instruments. Don't
look for the lowest price - cheap instruments may need so much in
repairs that the cost will offset any preceived savings.
Now wait, there are some excellent clarinets on Ebay, but you have
to read between the lines and ask the right questions.
Phrases to watch out for:
- "I believe it to be Rosewood." I`ve only seen very
few that really are made out of rosewood.
- "All the levers work". Dead giveway that the person
does not play.
- "A nice bright tone." Anyone that plays clarinet knows,
you strive for a dark rich tone.
- "It comes with X number of reeds". Old nasty reeds
are not a selling point for a clarinet player.
Other things you should consider:
1. It should have a case. Even a crappy case provices some protection.
A clarinet without a case is 20 times more likley to be damaged.
2. The seller should level with you about where it came from. The
old "found it in the attic/basement" story is most likley
false. ASK FOR A SERIAL NUMBER. Stolen horns are sometimes unloaded
on Ebay.
3. IF they advertise the clarinet as being Overhauled, ask them
who did the work. If they can`t tell you, it was probably never done.
4. Beware the word "Vintage". While many old clarinets
play beautifully, many are also junk. Ask for a serial #.
5. Beware the phrase "Brand New, Never been played".
All clarinets have been played, even new ones are test played for
adjustments. The question you have to ask, How well was this taken
care of? Clarinets do not have odometers. A clarinet that is 1 year
old and well taken care of, is going to be better than a horn that
is 2 months old and never swabbed out.
The EBay listings below are limited to recognized, brand name instruments.
Take a look at the current offerings and read the remainder of this
article on choosing an instrument.
Good luck in you search for an affordable, quality musical instrument.
These
brand name clarinets are currently available on EBay:
Find Your Instrument
Now at www.stringseason.com and www.bandseason.com
