Klarinet Archive - Posting 000490.txt from 2004/02

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausmann1@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Chinese Clarinet
Date: Sun, 29 Feb 2004 00:24:08 -0500

As promised, I will give a review of the Glenn Edward clarinet I tried out
today This is how I am going to report it to the boss on Monday.

1. The instrument actually plays fairly well in tune, with some sharpness
in the throat tones. My Bundy 1400 beats it hands down for intonation,
however.

2. The tone is actually acceptably good!

3. The plastic stock mouthpiece with it plays surprisingly WELL! A
plastic ligature is supplied.

4. The keywork has several questionable points:
a. The Ab key bumper does not hit squarely on the body. As the
small cork pad on it wears, this key will surely click.
b. The thumb ring sticks and is very wobbly. Needs to be
swedged, which should not be the case on a NEW horn!
c. The register key is off-center relative to the thumb hole, and
to the LEFT side of center as you face it. If anything, it ought to be
off-center to the RIGHT.
d. The left 4th finger tone hole is drilled IN LINE with the
other holes, rather than being offset a bit as it is on most
clarinets. This causes the finger to tend to pull off the hole when
reaching for the poorly-placed left pinky C key.
e. The C#/G# key touch is extraordinarily large and wide of the
body, about even with the C key, and interferes with use of the much
smaller C key touch. The part going out to the key touch curves oddly VERY
high over the body of the clarinet.
f. The bridge connector on the right-hand ring keys is adjusted
well, but is bent awkwardly to achieve that.

5. A poorly-made copy of a Reedguard is included, as well as two reeds
which are labeled to appear at first glance like Rico Royals. (Probable
patent infringement and/or trademark issues)

6. The case is the standard greenish Chinese hard case as seen on Simbas,
etc., with latches similar to the lousy ones on the Yamaha YCL-20
cases. One of the two already does not latch securely. Judging from a
similar case I have seen in a school, the inside of these cases is formed
of cloth-covered Styrofoam, which quickly breaks down.

Additional note: The bore widening at the bottom of the lower joint is
different from most. It stays narrow longer, so the clarinet does not fit
correctly on the clarinet peg of my Belmonte sax stand.

I also had a Glenn Edward alto sax. Unlike most of the Chinese saxes I
have seen, which are Selmer copies, this one appears to be a Yanagisawa
copy. It suffers from an uneven scale, a VERY flat low D, and a G# pad cup
that bounces quite a bit. The included plastic mouthpiece blows easily,
but produces a lousy tone, stuffy and nasal. The case latches are better
than on the clarinet case, though. No "reedguard" included, but the (one)
reed is marked like the clarinet reeds.

Bottom line, I would not care to own either one, and would not be happy
selling them, either.

Bill Hausmann

If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is TOO LOUD!

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Klarinet is a service of Woodwind.Org, Inc. http://www.woodwind.org