I bought a B12 Clarinet from eBay and it turns to be a bad one..cheap but really no use at all.

Fully reconsider before make your move!

i didnt mean to say that they just stopped making buffet clarinet lol omg no-they just stopped making Evette clarinets lol sorry bout that

To SystemXpert: That is great advice, I always asked questions too.

The only thing I can think of is to avoid people who are selling a clarinet that puts "I don`t know anything about musical instrutments" in their statement.

That and avoid no-name clarinets that are advertsied as "Designed by French (or European) master craftsmen". I`ve seen this on some Jean Baptiste saxes & clarinets.

Just wanted to post about the Evettes, as Buffet really didn`t stop making them, just changed the names

Plastic Evette became the B12.

Wooden Evette became the E11.

Evette Master Model became the E12.

Evette & Schaeffer became the E13.

Evette and Schaeffer Master Model is an R13 with cosmetic flaws (this one is debateable as Buffet won`t give much info on this - some say it is an acceptional sounding E13 - either way it`s a good clarinet)

As for buying from Ebay, I got my Evette (plastic) and my Evette and Schaeffer Master Model from ebay and they were both great buys. I just bid an amount that left room for repairs. The Evette needed a couple of pads - but I only paid 80 dollars for it, so the repair bill was peanuts - got a great clarinet to play "at the cottage" for about 100 dollars.

My Evette and Schaeffer Master Model plays beautifully, and all I did was replace 6 pads, and one tenon cork. I knew these repairs were required when I bid on the horn, so only bid 225. for it. So for very little money, I got a great pro horn that will hold it`s own in the orchestra.

I have found if you do your homework, and have patience, you can get great buys on ebay. I assume there will be repairs required - maybe an overhaul, unless the seller says otherwise. I just bought a real junker horn (30 dollars), because I liked the case - very retro. I bought a book on woodwind repair, and will use the junker to learn basic repairs - if I screw up, it was a piece of crap anyway, so nothing lost. Who knows, once it`s repaired, maybe it will sound great (I`m not holding my breath on that one.)

I`ve bought a flute off ebay but that was after having the guy fax me a full report by a professionally trained music repair man before I had bidded on it. I even called the repair guy he was taking it to myself to see if it was legit.

Ebay is one of those "taking a huge chance" type places.

I bought a Buffet R-13 off eBay about 2 years ago. Bought it for $350. Overhauled it for an additional $350. Clarinet was originally made around 1948. Plays beautifully.

I would say that if you know WHAT to look for (logos, key shapes, etc) and you`re willing to spend UP to 25% of the cost for a new instrument (same make & model), you might do alright. You`ve also got to be willing to have the insrument overhauled yourself. I`d never trust the seller to do this for me.