Clarinet help?!?!?

Question:i wanna buy this clarinet. but idk if its a good one. it says brand new 2008.....but for 100 bucks that seems unbelievable.....please look at it and see. is weimar a good brand???plz help. im a freshman . i been playin since sixth grade and i plan to continue thruout high school....
http://item.express.ebay.com/Bb-CLARINET...

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: i wanna buy this clarinet. but idk if its a good one. it says brand new 2008.....but for 100 bucks that seems unbelievable.....please look at it and see. is weimar a good brand???plz help. im a freshman . i been playin since sixth grade and i plan to continue thruout high school....
http://item.express.ebay.com/Bb-CLARINET...

I've actually never heard of a Weimar clarinet. But, they don't seem to cost very much. Yes....the $100 for a new clarinet is unbelievable. If you expect to be playing on the instrument for years to come I would invest in a 'better' student or intermediate clarinet. Wood is preferable. A Buffet Bb E-11 is a good choice (soprano). You can get them used. I started out with this one.
http://www.buffet-crampon.com/en/instrum... (buffet site E11)

Check with your music teacher. They can help you find a good used or new clarinet. Or know someone that is selling one.

Here is the Woodwind & Brasswind site for pricing reference.
http://www.wwbw.com/Clarinets-c61+429490...
New E-11 is $1,054. There is also a nice Selmer.

I now play on a Buffet S-1. (no longer made but, similar to a Buffet R13)

Good Luck!

i bought mine in 7th grade for 365$and i still have it today.. although thats not saying much caz im in 8th lmao but in all seriousness- for that price- i doubt it... unless its used... think its a better idea to ask your scool music teacher about it theyr usually really nice if u seem interested in their subject;)

looks ok good price for new.ck 2kool4skool.com they have money back garentee at about the same price.

I would not buy ANY musical instrument off ebay. They are often cheap rubbish and cannot be fixed when they break.

Go to your local music store and deal with them. If you have problems they will help you there.

If the price seems too good to be true then you know it is rubbish.

Alright I personally have not heard of this clarinet brand. Just to check it out i did a google search and saw this forum and many other people have been questioning the brand. (http://www.datadragon.com/cgi-bin/pmessa... First off in the title it says Marching Band clarinet which means that it might be meant for outdoors unlike other clarinets. Meaning you might not want to use it in the concert bands. I've been playing clarinet for 5 years (since 4th grade and i'm also a freshman in high school). I'm in the marching band at my high school and it seems that this clarinet might be better for marching. But i recommend Selmar (this was my beginner clarinet and still use it today in marching and concert band when i'm not using my wooden one) or Buffet clarinets (a wooden E11 is what i have). But if you want to continue through out high school with a new clarinet i would suggest putting the investment in a Buffet E11. If you do a google search or an eBay search you might be able to find it at a lower price.

Simple answer: NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT!

If it is too good to be true, it probably is. Call your local music store. The one I do business with often will have used instruments for very moderate prices. The biggest problem with these eBay instruments is not that they are crappy (although most are), but is when they need repair. Now, no matter how much you spend on your instrument, it will at one point need repair. I spent over $2000 on my trombone, but a small weld broke on the valve mechanism about 7 months into owning. I got the new part and had it fixed, no problem. Most of these eBay specials are made in Korea and have no way to find parts when they need repairing. In fact, most repair shops at this point will not even look at them, lest they break something by accident and can't fix it. Do your homework (which you are already doing) and go to the music shop. Ask them about rebuilt clarinets and used clarinets. They can help you find a winner.

ABOVE ALL ELSE: DON'T BUY THAT CLARINET!!!!

Here's the real deal:

Weimar is an off-brand like Cecilio or LaFayette. And therein lies a tale...

My own soprano saxophone is a LaFayette. Like most off-brands, it plays, and can be used to decent artistic effect. But it has its limits--it will not support virtuoso playing in extreme registers like a good Selmer or Yanisigawa will. After ten years of irregular playing, the thing is falling apart a little--one of the rollers on the bottom keys has disappeared, and some of the inlay on the other keys went away. It's an OK instrument for my occasional amateur purposes, but I know that if I want to play soprano any more, in the near future I'll have to replace it. And I want a good one next time !!! :-b

So do you want this Weimar? Definitely not! Because you can do better at the same price.

Ebay isn't absolutely the wrong place to shop--in fact for you it might be the best. You also might consider local pawn shops or, if you like the idea of getting super-cheap cost and immediate repair bills, http://www.shopgoodwill.com

But look for beginner clarinets with quality brand names like Bundy, Vito, LeBlanc Normandy, or Buffet (or even Selmer). A used Bundy will play the socks off your new Weimar and will be much more durable. The other brands will be even better--if you can find a Buffet E-11 then you'll be at the top of the beginner food chain.

Be aware that, when you buy used, you should anticipate spending maybe $120 or so in the next few years to get a complete re-pad and cleaning and adjustment at a professional repair shop. Even at that, it's a bargain compared to owning junk that will break and be very hard to fix properly.

THAT CLARINET IS JUNK- you can find it on Ebay under other names like La Fayette, only difference is the name stamped on it. If you want a good inexpensive plastic clarinet the Bundy is OK- check with instrument shops or repairmen and you can find good used ones for around $200.00