 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Robin
Date: 1999-02-22 15:23
I decided to repost this as a new thread since the old one was getting just a tad long. I wanted to comment in a semi-related way to the discussion on brand choice and brand loyalty. What I have to say will not be news to most of you, but might be helpful to anybody with limited experience on a variety of models who's currently shopping around.
I have a '67 Buffet (Evette) Master Model, and recently acquired a '57 Selmer Centered Tone (thanks to a tip from someone on Klarinet!) in pristine condition. I love both of these clarinets, but there are remarkable differences between them. The Buffet takes a LOT more work to play--call it "resistance" or whatever you like. Many anti-Buffet types like to pick on this as being a detriment, but I think that's an irrelevant criticism. The resistance requires greater discipline, if you will, in the way of greater breath control (support, whatever) and a dead-on steady embouchure. The payoff for all this hard work is its gorgeous tone, which seems specially suited for classical or orchestral music. The tone is beautiful, and it's more "in tune" than the Selmer. The keywork is also a smidge smoother on the Buffet.
The Selmer, on the other hand, is MUCH freer-blowing (the difference between it and the Buffet is a huge one). I can WAIL on this horn. However, as one of my English professors would have described it, it has a much more "loosey-goosey" feel when it comes to intonation. It is definitely best suited for jazz and popular music, and it's not nearly as "in tune" as my Buffet (and my chromatic tuner has verified this). I've experimented with both of these clarinets on both orchestral and jazz music, and it's obvious which type each is suited for.
So, which is better? Neither. They're both great clarinets. Which is my favorite? Well, to all the parents out there, do you have a "favorite" child? I doubt it. I wouldn't part with either of these horns, but I'm well aware of which one I need to play depending on the musical setting. I wouldn't even dream of picking up the Selmer to play Mozart or Weber, and conversely wouldn't prefer the Buffet to play Ellington or Gershwin.
My point is this: when you're shopping for a clarinet, consider not only how the clarinet "feels" to you--keep in mind what you're going to be using it for. If you're a jazz player, Buffet may not be the best horn for you (klezmer players out there--what's your opinion? I've never played klezmer music, but my gut feel is that I'd prefer using my Selmer). If you're an orchestral player, you'd probably do better with a Buffet. The LeBlancs I've played have been "just okay" for me--which goes to show what a subjective endeavor choosing a clarinet can be. I know many of our contributors here love their LeBlancs, and I don't doubt for a second that these are great horns--for them.
Note to Lelia and other cat-owning clarinet persons: My cats will sit with what appears to be rapt fascination when I'm playing the Buffet, but they flee in apparent terror when I start on the Selmer. Maybe they're just not big jazz fans, but I'm wondering if they're sensitive to the change in pitch and intonation between the two. I can't wait to see how they react when I finish fixing up my bass and start blowing on THAT monster!
Sorry for the long post--I just thought I'd share my own story on the limits of being "brand loyal." I used to think Buffet was the be-all and end-all (and still do as far as orchestral music is concerned)....UNTIL I got my hands on that Selmer!
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 1999-02-22 16:02
Robin wrote:
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And just to remend everyone, Selmer makes what I'd call "orchestral" clarinets, too - the Signature and Recital series have both been mentioned as very good for todays' orchestral player.
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Author: John Dean
Date: 1999-02-22 18:38
I too have recently acquired a Selmer Centered Tone (specifically to play jazz) to supplement my Buffet R13 and I echo everything you have said . However I did see Don Byron playing his version of Kletzmer on his Buffet with wonderful results. The point is everybody has their own preferred sound and way of producing it. I also found a Silver King metal clarinet at Xmas and that gives me a different sound again. I now want a Selmer Balanced Tone and that should satisfy my quest at least for the time being!
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Author: Katherine Pincock
Date: 1999-02-22 19:02
Robin,
Great comments! That's another detail that so few young clarinettists know to pay attention to. It's true that you can play almost any kind of music on any kind of horn but there's one exception I can think of: I wouldn't want to play a piece I've heard of called "Woodshedding" on my Buffet--the piece calls for you to crack your clarinet on the stand in frustration and storm off the stage! ;-)
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Author: Daniel
Date: 1999-02-23 04:04
John Dean wrote:
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I too have recently acquired a Selmer Centered Tone (specifically to play jazz) to supplement my Buffet R13 and I echo everything you have said . However I did see Don Byron playing his version of Kletzmer on his Buffet with wonderful results.
I'm going to be going to see Don Byron in concert this Friday. Will report back Sunday or Monday when i recover from the weekend.
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Author: Lelia
Date: 1999-02-23 15:15
Robin wrote:
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[long snip] when you're shopping for a clarinet, consider not only how the clarinet "feels" to you--keep in mind what you're going to be using it for. [snip]
Note to Lelia and other cat-owning clarinet persons: My cats will sit with what appears to be rapt fascination when I'm playing the Buffet, but they flee in apparent terror when I start on the Selmer. Maybe they're just not big jazz fans, but I'm wondering if they're sensitive to the change in pitch and intonation between the two. I can't wait to see how they react when I finish fixing up my bass and start blowing on THAT monster!
Robin, your post is so good I hate to snip any of it. I think most of us would agree that some individual instruments really are better than others -- or to put it another way, some of the low-end, student-quality clarinets in particular are just plain inferior, while any instrument, no matter how high-quality the construction, can become inferior if it's damaged or in need of adjustment. But what a treat to have the chance to play and compare more than one excellent, well-conditioned clarinet. "Different" doesn't have to mean "better" or "worse". People who get extremely dogmatic about one clarinet or another miss out on a lot of enjoyment. I expected to have trouble remembering which instrument I'm playing and where I have to "lip up" or use an alternate fingering, since those things vary from one to another, but the differences between my clarinets are big enough to keep me alert most of the time.
Re. feline perversities, my cat is an equal opportunity soprano clarinet-hater so far. The minute I pick up a soprano clarinet case, whether it's the Buffet, the Conn, the metal Bettoney or the (admittedly pretty awful) rubber Fischer, she makes noises that would probably be unprintable on a family bulletin board if I could translate them, and she takes off down the stairs at a big, thumping trot. (You know how a cat can absorb invisible dark matter from the universe and make herself weigh about ten times as much when she really wants to make a point....) She runs from recorders, too. She'll stick around for awhile if I take out the alto clarinet, although she doesn't like it much. She tolerates small saxes and loves bass sax to the point where she'll purr and grovel on the floor in front of it! People on the sax sites have told me their cats run from a bass in horror, but not the Shadow.
My husband and I once had an old cat (lived to be 19) with perfect pitch. That cat became quite the music critic. He would sit in the doorway and offer a running commentary (generally a very rude one) while Kevin practiced his violin. Max knew (and remarked upon) the difference between sight-reading and good playing, and if Kevin had intonation problems, Max would sit there fidgiting, making grumpy little barking noises and shaking or pawing at his head as if his ears itched. He also liked to sit down on his haunches square in the middle of a string quartet rehearsal and criticize that, too. Shadow doesn't seem to react to bad pitch when I sight-read, but she learns to recognize wrong notes (and yammers at me about them!) when she hears them in things I play a lot, whether on alto clarinet, sax or keyboard. She knows when a piece is ending, too, and will get up, stretch and start coaxing me to play or feed her, before I reach the last notes.
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