The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: nmorris3
Date: 2008-04-08 01:20
Hello everyone.
I'm a beginning band director looking to buy a clarinet. I can't decide, please help me.
I'm either going to get a new Buffet B12 for $600
or...
The director of bands at the college in my town is selling a 6 year old E11 for $500. Now obviously he has taken care of it...but
Do I need an E11? Would I be best buying the B12? Would it make a difference for me, the percussionist, playing along with my beginners? Or am I a fool and it is totally worth it?
Help,
Thanks
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2008-04-08 01:28
Get the E11 !!!
A new B12 can be bought for less than $600 but the E11 is a much better instrument.
However you will need to keep the wooden clarinet humidified in the winter months.
You may want to consider a Forte Clarinet which costs less and is a really, really good plastic Clarinet. That would be my first choice for you.
http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com
Post Edited (2008-04-08 01:37)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: BandieSF
Date: 2008-04-08 01:40
Agreed. Especially for beginners, the E11 is much more common. And even after beginning years, those feisty little buggers are great (I use one for marching season myself as well as began on one). Before the price of all the metals went up, any new E11 sold for around what you're being offered ($500). If it's been well taken care of, the E11 is the best choice.
-----
Current set-up:
Classical:
Strength 4 1/4 Legere Signature Series
Vandoren M13 Lyre
Jazz:
Strength 3 3/4 Legere Quebec
Pomarico Jazz*
Clarinets:
Buffet E11 Student Model
Buffet R13 Greenline
<http://operationhighschool.blogspot.com
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: feadog79
Date: 2008-04-08 01:46
I find Tom Ridenour's clarinets to be fantastic. I own a Lyrique Pro and find it to be superior to the Buffet R13. He makes a plastic Lyrique called the Lyrique 146 that costs $625, and I would be willing to bet it's better than the Buffet B12. It also comes with one of his hand made mouthpieces, which is a definite plus.
J. Wilson
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: GBK
Date: 2008-04-08 02:02
An E11 is a wooden, silver plated, version of the B12 and is sold in a nicer case. Nothing more, nothing less...GBK
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: pewd
Date: 2008-04-08 03:57
most bands here specify E11's for beginning students -
so I'd advise getting an E11. They can be bought here locally for $800 , new.
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: patrickryan04
Date: 2008-04-08 10:38
feadog how is the tone of the Lyrique pro that you own? Is there any area where the horn falls short of the standard R-13? I am asking because I am thinking about ordering a Lyrique pro.
1st Armored Division Band
Clarinetist
Dixie Band
Woodwind Quintet
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: feadog79
Date: 2008-04-08 13:47
To me, the tone of the Lyrique is sweeter and darker, and the scale is much more in-tune across the instrument. The blowing resistance is incredibly even, and the instrument allows for a lot of flexibility; I find it requires less effort to play expressively on the Lyrique than it did the R13. I would say that the R13 had more power in the chalumeau, but this came at the expense of the upper register; the Lyrique is FAR more sweet and smooth in the altissimo. However, I just finished playing Beauty and the Beast with the Lyrique, and never felt as though I had trouble making myself heard in the chalumeau. I'm playing on a Grabner K13 mpc, which I feel projects very well (still dark, but with a "ringing" quality). I liked the tone of the mouthpiece that Ridenour gave me with the instrument, but it doesn't project as well as the Grabner.
I'm relatively young, and there were two retired band directors in the pit for this show who complimented my tone greatly; they were shocked when I told them I was playing a hard rubber instrument. One of the directors conducts a community band in the Pittsburgh area, and was so impressed by the Lyrique that he asked everything he could about it so he could pass the info along to his band members.
J. Wilson
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2008-04-08 18:13
Buffet's website wasn't any help at all as there aren't specs for the E-11 bore.
But in the Woodwind Brasswind catalog that came in the mail today page 29 Clarinet Comparison chart has the B12 buffet bore size at 0.575 and the E-11 bore size at 0.573
They are different bores.
http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: BobD
Date: 2008-04-08 21:00
"most bands here specify E11's for beginning student"
Well, I've never heard a band speak or write....mostly playing and occasionally singing. I can't imagine why any knowledgeable person would recommend any wood clarinet for a beginning student. The E-11s are touted for "Intermediate" players but even that idea is questionable. I've owned two of them and they were nice horns but I never considered them either Beginner or Pro horns.
Bob Draznik
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
|