 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: kfeder@hotmail.com
Date: 2003-11-10 19:52
I am considering purchasing a new plastic clarinet to have as a reliable backup when my other horn is in the shop. From reading on this BB I noticed that a lot of people have recomended the Vito V40 as being one of the best of the plastic horns. What about the other Vito models such as the Pete Fountain?
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Author: diz
Date: 2003-11-10 20:23
Just checked - there is a resonite 'Pete Fountain' model - I looked up my Leblanc catalogue.
Without music, the world would be grey, very grey.
Post Edited (2003-11-10 20:34)
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Author: BobD
Date: 2003-11-10 21:40
Yup, both wood and plastic PFs available. Both plus the V40 are good horns. However, in my opinion based on owning and playing ten "other" Vitos plus 2 V40s the "others" can be very good also. Setup, mp and reeds contribute much to just how any one plays.
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Author: kfeder@hotmail.com
Date: 2003-11-11 01:58
I checked the Brook Mays website and the ridenour clarinet was listed at $749....is that a plastic model? How would that compare to the vitos which go for around $425?
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Author: Joel Clifton
Date: 2003-11-11 02:32
Vito 7212! It's the best plastic clarinet I've every played!
Of course, it's also the only plastic clarinet I've ever played, but they're still the best.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2003-11-11 09:28
I've serviced and played many dozens of 7212 clarinets, and even more dozens (because they are more popular here) of plastic Yamahas. The Yamahas - these being fully made in Japan as far as I know - have my vote for standard of manufacture and for playing.
The Vitos bring to mind non-level tone hole edges, wobbly pivot screws, spongy over-thick pads in an effort to accommodate the above two items, fuzzy-sounding notes, 'burrs' at the bottom of tone holes, a tendency to warble on 1-1 Bb, Valentino (low quality synthetic) corks that creep off keys leaving a slimy mess, centre tenons that break off rather easily, poor adjustments, bridge key connecting surfaces non tangential.......
Just one of these, the sliding-off-the-key 'corks', is quite an expense to put right, especially if it is attended to in a piecemeal fashion as they fall off.
Hmm!!
Do Yamahas have these sorts of problems when they are set up in USA?
For the Yamahas I see, there is only one thing I would like to see improved, a smaller gap between the F/C key and lever, and a corresponding thinner, tougher silencing material in the gap.... perhaps a more rounded contact 'edge' on the F/C lever. The present linkage cork gets quickly chewed up.
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2003-11-11 11:59
Gordon (NZ) wrote:
> The Vitos bring to mind non-level tone hole edges, wobbly pivot
> screws, spongy over-thick pads in an effort to accommodate the
> above two items, fuzzy-sounding notes, 'burrs' at the bottom of
> tone holes, a tendency to warble on 1-1 Bb, Valentino (low
> quality synthetic) corks that creep off keys leaving a slimy
> mess, centre tenons that break off rather easily, poor
> adjustments, bridge key connecting surfaces non
> tangential.......
Interesting. My oldest son started on a stock 7214, as did every other kid in his school that took clarinet, and absolutely none of them had these sorts of problems. This was some years back, but I've looked at 7212s since then and there were not these serious defects on any I've seen. I wonder if Vitos in NZ come from a different supplier than those in the US.
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Author: BobD
Date: 2003-11-11 13:54
The two Yamaha student plastic horns I have are nice instruments , both purchased used for between $250 and $300. The low end Vitos I have are nice too having been purchased used for around $75. Of course I do all maintenance on my own horns so my repair prices are quite low. For a backup horn a good used low end Vito can't be beat.....IMHO.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2003-11-11 14:27
Mark, that is odd! NZ is far too small a market for a special run of lower quality Vitos. Don't you even have the synthetic key corks? BTW they may not slide off in a cold climate, not that NZ is tropical.
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Author: BobD
Date: 2003-11-11 14:50
"The majority of things in the world are such that one would not believe them if one were told about them......."
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2003-11-11 15:04
Gordon (NZ) wrote:
>Don't you even have the synthetic
> key corks? BTW they may not slide off in a cold climate, not
> that NZ is tropical.
No, the ones I've looked at (I haven't looked in a couple of years, though) all had real corks.
BTW - Detroit has a relative large temperature swing annualy - from a highs in excess of 100F to lows below -10F (38C to -23C) which will cause failures in just about anything.
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2003-11-11 15:39
I haven't worked on many Vito soprano clarinets, but I have worked on quite a few Vito/Normandy plastic bass and alto clarinets and they do seem to have a problem with insufficient or poorly-applied adhesive on the corks. Lots of slipping or missing key corks noted on those instruments. I have another bone to pick with Leblanc: bladder (instead of leather) pads on alto and bass clarinets. Why? The cost savings can't be more than pennies....
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2003-11-11 21:23
I agree, David.
In my early, less-knowledgeable days of repairing, inspired by LeBlanc's basses, I stocked up on a full size range of bass clarinet bladder pads. One of the most regrettable expenses I have made.
The bladder pads ARE airproof, and 'untreated' leather pads are not, but bladder membranes die so readily on basses. I've never quite worked out why. It could be higher finger pressure, which may be largely psychologically based when an instrument is well adjusted.
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Author: kfeder@hotmail.com
Date: 2003-11-11 21:55
What about the plastic selmers...are they any good, compared to the vitos and yamahas? I see some on ebay.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2003-11-12 00:09
It may be just my hands, but I have to contort my fingers to operate the keys on plastic Selmers. Very uncomfortable!
Selmer is now seriously shoddifying their cheaper instruments, even to the extent of using very weak plastic, nickel plated, as reinforcing (!!!) rings on the tenon sockets.
For what it is worth, my experience notes on plastic Selmers include:
- Over-stiff springs.
- Poor key cup and ring key alignment with tone holes.
- Pads overflowing over the edge of key cups - ready for abrasion damage. This is often because of the 2nd item above. pd sealing would otherwise be impossible.
- Large diameter ring keys which make it more difficult for those (children)with small fingers.
- When I improve poor key geometry, it is not uncommon for the metal to break. This is most unusual on other brands.
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Author: leonardA
Date: 2003-11-12 00:50
I have a Vito Resotone which I got on Ebay for under $50, and it does very well. I haven't ever played a Vito V40, but it does get a lot of good press. Anyway, my others have commented that the Vito Resotone is a good insrument for the money also. Plenty of them on ebay. Has a nice tone too.
Leonard
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Author: clarinetdaddy
Date: 2003-11-12 02:07
In Germany at the MusicFest last year I tried a Jupiter plastic clarinet that played better than all of the other plastic models that they had on trial basis by all of the different vendors and makes. Yeap! I never would have thought that I would like the Jupiter but it really played good for a pastic and cheap!
Miles
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2003-11-12 05:03
Gordon enquires, re the shabby state of Vito student instruments in NZ: "Do Yamahas have these sorts of problems when they are set up in USA?"
Don't know, Gordon, but it is my understanding that low-end Yamaha Clarinets sold in the US are built by Vito in Kenosha. I do not own any recent Vito student instrument, thus can't verify your findings, but I have not heard from anyone in the US about this manifestation of poor quality. Perhaps I've not listened hard enough, but the techs I speak with have not mentioned anything even close to what you describe.
While my favored plastic Clarinet is the V40, student Vitos definitely can fill the bill as reliable spare instruments (at least in the US). And there is certainly no shortage of used ones at remarkably favorable prices. Of course, on occasion even a V40 might sell for much less than 100 bux. This can be an ezxcellent buy.
Regards,
John
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Author: Katrina
Date: 2003-11-13 04:05
I have one student who has a Jupiter, and when I saw the label on the case I was thinking, "OK, here's a kid who won't be able to play long 'cause the horn'll be in the shop and will probably not be fixable."
I was pleasantly surprised! The horn works great for him and was and is in fabulous shape! I believe their manufacture has improved, as the earlier horns were deemed to be highly unreliable here on the BB. This is, of course, only hearsay, and my experience is based on ONE horn...
My $.02,
Katrina
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Author: BobD
Date: 2003-11-13 21:33
I hear Jupiter is following up with the Uranus model.......I'm not really knocking the Far East instrument industry. They are coming on strong in the saxophone line and certainly they'll catch up on the clarinet product line.
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Author: kfeder@hotmail.com
Date: 2003-11-13 22:50
It seems that the V-40s are considered a lot better than the reso-tones...Any comments on the experience of purchasing Vitos from Woodwind and Brasswind? Or maybe there are other good dealers. I am in the Los Angeles area.
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Author: BobD
Date: 2003-11-14 13:26
One never knows how one will like any clarinet before one plays it. Personally I would find trying and returning clarinets through the mail very frustrating.
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