Klarinet Archive - Posting 000466.txt from 2000/08

From: LeliaLoban@-----.com
Subj: [kl] taking up the clarinet again
Date: Thu, 17 Aug 2000 08:23:48 -0400

Christine J. Killian wrote,
>I haven't played the clarinet in about 10-15 years, and I'd like to start
>again and possibly eventually join a local ensemble. Which means I need to
>buy an instrument....

Welcome back! I found this list as an adult comeback player, too. There are
quite a few of us here.

You mention possibly joining a local ensemble. If you do that, you'll
probably be playing outdoors some of the time, so I think that owning a
plastic clarinet and mouthpiece would be a good idea, even if at some point
you want to upgrade to a pro-quality wooden clarinet. Decent plastic
instruments such as the Vito and the *recent* models of Bundy (underrated,
IMHO, although the Bundies I remember from the 1950s and 1960s were awful)
often sell used for very little -- the going rate at flea markets is $35 to
$80 regardless of condition, and even in fully-overhauled condition (so that
you know what you're really getting...) they're very affordable from dealers.
I think that sometimes students are so eager to prove their maturity with a
pro quality clarinet that they oversell the differences, to convince their
parents that they *desperately need* the more expensive and prestigious
clarinet, and as a result, maybe kids have given the student models a worse
rap than they deserve. I think the best plastic student clarinets are really
pretty good. I have a Bundy from the late 1980s or early 1990s that I
wouldn't be embarrassed to play outdoors, where I certainly wouldn't take my
best wooden clarinet.

Re. mouthpieces, I think the plastic Hite Premiere is another fine choice.
Like the excellent Fobes that David Niethamer recommends, the Hite plays far
better than the low cost (only about $20-25 now, I think) might lead someone
to expect. Hite also makes mouthpieces labelled for advanced players, but
IMHO, the Premiere is higher quality than the labelling for beginners would
suggest.

It's so suitable for beginners and comebackers because it's unusually easy to
play, free-blowing, with little resistance. That's helpful for someone
reviving an embouchure that fatigues quickly, after years of not playing. I
have no connection with Hite, BTW, except as a happy owner of a Hite Premiere
that's my backup mouthpiece. I could play it outdoors where I wouldn't want
to risk dropping an expensive, hard rubber mouthpiece on concrete or exposing
the rubber to high heat. The Hite comes in handy when I'm tired or
recovering from a respiratory bug, since my best rubber mouthpiece (an old
no-name, probably from the late 1930s since it was with a 1937 Buffet that I
bought used) has high resistance and requires "blow your brains out" air
support. My intermediate and beginner quality clarinets from flea markets
actually play *better* with the Hite than they do with the rubber mpc.

That brings up another issue -- the *combination* of mouthpiece and clarinet
is important. That's another argument in favor of buying locally, where you
can try things out conveniently in the store setting, without having to ship
back the losers by mail.

Good luck with your comeback!
Lelia

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