I do think those give you an interesting look to your clarinet, at least. I dunno if that's what most clarinet players need, tho. Maybe some rhinestones, instead, like Pete Fountain.
RC... PRESTIGE?
- Thread starter gallagher
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I haven't tried cocobolo myself yet. But from its sound I must recognize it's pretty impressive. Gotta get a barrel.
I don't really know if a 70s topline Buffet clarinet could sound better than a 2013 topline Buffet, but from what I know about electric guitars I can definitely say that there are periods when Fender (stratocaster, telecaster or any other model) were much better than in recent years. No one really knows why. It could be anything. The wood, the machines, the people working on them. There are some mexican Fenders from the early nineties which are almost as good as the American ones which cost double.
I have an American Fender. I've tried many from many different periods and each of them is a different quality. As I said before recent ones are not the best.
I guess there's not that much information about the periods when Buffet clarinets were worse and better since there must be 10000 Fenders for every Buffet, but I wouldn't be that sure about the relation between quality and closeness in time. It's not like cars, you know? In case nowadays cars are better than classic cars, which I'm also not very sure about.
"Just to reiterate my position, I think that "professional" is supposed to mean, "This is the best we can make." "
That would be the definition for topline (Prestige, Tosca). I consider r13 and RC to be professional, but not topline. No one would think about RC if you say topline. They would think about Prestige, for sure.
I don't really know if a 70s topline Buffet clarinet could sound better than a 2013 topline Buffet, but from what I know about electric guitars I can definitely say that there are periods when Fender (stratocaster, telecaster or any other model) were much better than in recent years. No one really knows why. It could be anything. The wood, the machines, the people working on them. There are some mexican Fenders from the early nineties which are almost as good as the American ones which cost double.
I have an American Fender. I've tried many from many different periods and each of them is a different quality. As I said before recent ones are not the best.
I guess there's not that much information about the periods when Buffet clarinets were worse and better since there must be 10000 Fenders for every Buffet, but I wouldn't be that sure about the relation between quality and closeness in time. It's not like cars, you know? In case nowadays cars are better than classic cars, which I'm also not very sure about.
"Just to reiterate my position, I think that "professional" is supposed to mean, "This is the best we can make." "
That would be the definition for topline (Prestige, Tosca). I consider r13 and RC to be professional, but not topline. No one would think about RC if you say topline. They would think about Prestige, for sure.
Emphasis mine.
FWIW, a clarinet sounds like a clarinet. A sax sounds like a sax. An electric guitar sounds like an electric guitar. 99% of the time, all other things being equal, people that don't play the instrument in question cannot tell any difference in tone. Those of us that do play the instrument in question might be able to. For instance, I was able to identify student model saxophones in a "taste test" some manufacturer had a few years ago. It wasn't that difficult. The student models were much brighter sounding, almost tinny, and the performer sounded like he was having a more difficult time playing. However, other sax players failed the test.
What any pro model instrument should do for you, as a player, is make your life easier. If you think the tone is better for you on whatever horn, that's just a bonus. Is the keywork on that Prestige better than on the R13? Is the horn just easier to play? That's what you should look for.
The instrument, itself accounts for maybe 10% of your tone. The mouthpiece, reed and ligature account for another 10%. The other 80% is all on you.
> I consider r13 and RC to be professional, but not topline.
We'll agree to disagree, because I don't think "more expensive" = "more professional." Again, I think the R13 is just a different pro model. Is a Tosca inherently better than the R13 or is it just different?
