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So, I just bought a brand new, Fox 400 oboe on friday...it's so nice, especially compared to the crappy student selmer I played on for the last couple years. My sound is so much better, the response is great, dynamic contrast is easier...the only problem I have with it is that I have to resist playing it too much so the new wood can get used to the climate.

A senior clarinet player of ours just recently started borrowing a wood intermediate clarinet from our first chair clarinet, and he sounds worlds better than he used to, too!

I just find it interesting how while it's the person playing the instrument that makes it sound nice, the quality of the instrument still makes a huge impact. Any other nice instrument miracle stories? =]

Freshman year, my student trumpet broke during band camp. We made an emergency repair, but it was time to get a new horn. About 6 months of searching later, and my director calls me into his office. There on the chair is an old case, he opens it, and its all blue velvet. Moves the cloth and there is a BEAUTIFUL 1960 Bach Stradivarius Professional Bb 37 silver plated trumpet. I almost cried. Complete with a beautiful trigger as well. Well I got told the price...2400....way over my price range. My director pushed it down to 1800, and after me playing the horn and getting attached to it for a month, my mom goes we can't afford it. So about a week later my grandfather passes away. And the night after the funeral, my mom calls me into my grandmothers bedroom and tells me "your grandfather heard you playing that trumpet and turned to your grandmother saying she has to have that horn, it sounds great and the excitement I had when I showed him the horn was immense. so in honor of his wish we are going to split the price and buy you that trumpet." I almost cried of happiness. The horn has been in my possession ever since, and is my baby. I love it with all my heart, and not only is it a beautiful horn, but it is a gift from my grandfather. The last gift he ever gave anyone, and it is worth so much more then the price tag. It never fails to put a smile on my face, and it was probably the best present I ever got.

Oh boy do I have stories. :3

10th and 11th grade I played a Buffet-Crampon beginner clarinet. Beginner mouthpiece and everything. But one day I decided to upgrade mouthpieces, and went for a Premiere produced by Hite, because I didn't want to get too professional since I switched to tenor sax later. But my sound improved so much..

Last fall, I played a dull, beat up Yamaha tenor, and none of the notes below low C (And C# included) would NEVER come out. Ever. The one time would be when I put a new reed on and blew my frickin brains out, and then it wouldn't work. I mean, I could play them, it's just that the horn was so old. It sounded gross and I kept having to fix it. So this semester for symphonic band, I'm using the brand new Yamaha tenor that was supposedly possibly going to me the last semester. Yeahnope. I used my own basic 4C mouthpiece and everything, and it sounded so much better. I loved its sound and I couldn't believe that I didn't sound like a monster. Eventually, both of the 4Cs that I had chipped and were no longer usable, since I'm the only tenor and it's easy to hear when those icky airy notes pierce the air. So again, I went for a Premiere by Hite, since I don't have much time left playing this sax before I graduate. I'll just say, it's a bit difficult to get on, but I sound like a GOD now. It's awesome.

So new mouthpieces and new instruments ftw!

I say save for something nice...it's worth the wait. I got lucky because most of it is being paid for with money left from my grandparents. And it seems like every school has the plastic selmer ones- I hated the one I had to use so much. Compared to that, this oboe responds well, sounds nicer, has every trill key...I'm considering going back to school tomorrow after my AP exam just so I can play it more. XD

I realized my sophomore year that music was my future and began preparing for college on my plastic, used, Bundy with the corks held on with scotch tape and a marching band mouthpiece. Yeah. Bad. I also used Rico Royal's back then.
Basically, I wasn't making much progress because I just didn't sound good and had no faith in myself.
And then my great grandpa told me he wanted to buy me a brand new clarinet and wrote me a check for a little over 3,000 dollars. (imagine how i felt when we cashed the check and i got to hold that money...lol)
I bought a Buffet Crampon R13 Greenline clarinet, a Vandoren 5rv mouthpiece, and a box of Vandoren reeds.

The difference is AMAZING.

Ooh, my sister just got an R13. Something cool about them is they use the same cut of wood for the whole clarinet, so if you align the pieces right you can see the same grain throughout the whole instrument. If they somehow mess up, they make E11's (which are also pretty darn good clarinets) out of the "scraps", but it's still really nice wood, just not the same cut for the whole clarinet.

d'awww your so sweet, thank you!

Dear god, I'm not rich. 320,000 pennies translates to 3200.00 dollars. I'm nowhere near my goal, with savings from my band account, pennies from the band room floor, and leftover change from friend's wallets. XD I've tried looking online for good used ones, but they either have the removable bells or have had "minimal" damage... but looking at those photos, just a little more than minimal XD If I could find a good used horn for 500$, I'd be in high heaven XD And D'awww, that's sweet :3 I could just picture it smile