A few
tips on picking out the best Shofar for you...
1)
Always ask questions, lots of them. The better you are informed,
the better decision you can make in picking out your Shofar.
2)
Never buy a Shofar based only on it being Small, Medium, Large, or
X-Large. Always find out how many inches a size represents.
Example: Small = 26-29", Medium = 30-33", Large = 34-38", etc.
Without a number of inches being assigned to a size, you could get
almost anything.
Example: You order an X-Large, and you receive a 33"
Shofar. Without dimensions discussed up front, you got what you
ordered - an X-Large.
3)
When buying a Shofar, the smaller the range of inches on a size, the
better chance you will get the size you want and the best deal.
Example:
A) X-Large = 45-50"
B) X-Large = 49-50"
With Example A, you may get a 45" Shofar.
With Example B, the smallest you will get is a 49" Shofar.
4)
The standard measurement for Shofars in the U.S. is around the
curve. A 49" Shofar will measure 49" around the curve,
not from tip to tip.
5)
Shofars can be finished in several ways. Be sure you know which
way yours will be finished.
You can get:
A) Completely Natural Shofars
B) Completely Polished Shofars
C) Half Polished & Half Natural Shofars
D) Completely
Polished Shofars, Sealed Inside & Out
(Please click on each of the above descriptions for a picture
example.)
6)
Always ask to see a picture of the exact Shofar you will be getting.
7)
Generally, the larger the Yemenite Shofar, the more notes or tones you
will be able to play.
8)
Generally, the larger the Yemenite Shofar, the larger the mouthpiece
will be,
and the easier it will be to play.
9)
A Shofar is not picked out by a person's size. Many small people
play very large Shofars.
10)
The Shofar Man recommends to anyone that is serious about blowing the
Shofar to get one that is big enough. Do not buy based on your
budget. Buy based on what G-d wants you to have. The Shofar
Man recommends nothing smaller than an X-Large Yemenite
Shofar, 39" to 42" range, for the serious person, but more
preferably a 44" or larger Shofar. The
Shofar Man recommends nothing smaller than a Size A Rams Horn, 18"
to 20" range, for the serious person. Remember when buying a
Shofar that the smaller the horn, the smaller the mouthpiece will
be. The smaller the mouthpiece, the harder it will be to
play. Many people make the mistake of buying the smallest ones as
something to start with and have a very hard time trying to learn how to
play because of the small mouthpiece. It is actually easier to
learn on the bigger Shofars with the bigger mouthpieces.
11)
Beware of claims that a Shofar makes 7, 8, or 9 notes. Always call
and ask to hear the Shofar before you buy it. If a claim of
hitting 7, 8, or 9 notes is made, they should be able to do it for you
on the phone. If it sounds to good to be true, it is.
12)
Beware of claims that Shofars are individually fine-tuned. With
the exception of modifying the mouthpiece, there is no way
to tune a Shofar. If a Shofar was not cleaned out properly at the
factory, you can sometimes clean them out a little better to improve the
sound.
13)
Beware of guarantees that sound too good to be true, because they
usually will be.
Example: 100% Money Back Guarantee for Any Reason, No Questions
Asked. Full Refund of the Purchase Price.
In this example, if you return it, you will pay shipping both
ways. If it's to Israel, return shipping from the USA with
insurance is very expensive. The only way to get insurance on
Israel bound shipments is by Express Mail, which costs around $40 to
$50.
Guarantees are only as good as the company backing them. We have
people call all of the time, saying things like, "I ordered a
Shofar from a company, and they told me I could return it for any
reason. It doesn't produce sound. I have tried to return it,
but they do not answer the phone or will not return my email."
We have also had others say, "I returned a bad Shofar to a company
that guaranteed my satisfaction for any reason, and I never got my money
back."
Buyer Beware: Deal only with a well established, reliable, and
reputable company. The Shofar Man's Customer Service Department is
open Monday through Friday 8am to 6pm CST. We always answer our
phones. Pick up the phone, call us, and see for yourself.
14)
"WARNING!!
BUYER BEWARE of so-called Scentless (Odorless) Shofars"
Click Here
to Read an email received from a person that purchased what was called a
scentless (odorless) Shofar from a company in Israel.
15)
To see what our customers are saying about The Shofar Man's products and
service, click here.
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