 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: JustBored
Date: 2025-08-22 19:09
I'm looking to buy a new A clarinet. What maker's model has the most accurate intonation in your experience?
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Author: SecondTry
Date: 2025-08-22 20:20
I recommend that you try many brands and many clarinets within those brands.
As you probably realize, intonation is but one factor and a relative one at that.
That said, I think that Ridenour and Yamaha are good starting points. Of course there may be things about the instruments you test, or the offerings these makers produce, outside of intonation that find you drawn to, or hesitant to adopt their wares: nothing disparaging meant to the makers but rather how instruments are such a personal preference and how no maker can be all things to all people.
Remember, you're not buying a brand but a single instrument. To point, there are really good Buffets along with the ones with intonation challenges and probably individual clarinets of other brands known for better intonation that are below average for that brand's good intonation reputation.
Good luck.
Post Edited (2025-08-22 20:27)
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Author: Dan Shusta
Date: 2025-08-22 21:49
JustBored,
Please don't get "fixated" only on intonation.
Allow me to ask you some questions to think about...
After many trials, if you found a clarinet that had "the best" intonation...
1. but hated the keywork...would you buy it and play it?
2. but was quite resistant...would you buy it and play it?
3. but cost $10,000,,,would you buy it and play it?
4. but you didn't quite like the tonal quality...would you buy it and play it?
5. but the weight of it was uncomfortably heavy, would you buy it and play it?
6. but had an unfortunate reputation for cracking, would you buy it and play it?
SecondTry is right...you have to try out many clarinets. Bowever, please remember that intonation, however important that is to you, is really only one factor to take into consideration.
All of the above are simply my opinions.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2025-08-23 01:33
Well, yeah, I certainly agree with the above, but here are my considerations.
If you already have a certain professional line Bb horn, there are the least amount of “switching” problems if you stick with that brand/model - mainly as mentioned above regarding key placement/comfort (familiarity). Back in the day more was made of “matched pair’s” of (blank). I’ve come to think of that now as how similarly the short tube notes play in terms of intonation and resistance (in that order). The notes that stand out as most variable are the open (chalumeau) G, the throat Bb, and open D (two ledger lines above staff). I don’t think any dealer compares the tuning and resistance of EVERY note.
All that said, I’d say the top Yamahas have the most constant intonation from horn to horn (so you’re good if you only have few to choose from). Also, I find the Yamaha A clarinets are about as free blowing as any manufacturer save for Wurlitzer.
…………..Paul Aviles
Post Edited (2025-08-23 02:46)
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Author: Fuzzy
Date: 2025-08-23 10:45
"What maker's model has the most accurate intonation...?"
The one with a good player.
Fuzzy
;^)>>>
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Author: JustBored
Date: 2025-08-23 17:13
Most A clarinets I find have intonation issues that are much greater than on the Bb clarinet. For example, the Buffet E13 Bb clarinet has very good intonation in my experience. It's not perfect, but still quite acceptable. But on the Buffet E13 A clarinet, there are more tuning issues like 12th being more out of tune and more notes in the first register being flat.
On the Selmer Signature clarinet, the Bb clarinet has excellent intonation in all registers. The Signature A clarinet has some tuning issues like notes in the first register being sharp to compensate for the 12th being a bit flat on the middle intervals like d/a, c/g, b/f#
This makes it difficult for me to find an A clarinet that I like.
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Author: lmliberson
Date: 2025-08-23 18:57
Fuzzy has it correct: while you might find some clarinets tuning better than others (and not consistent from one to another of the exact same model), the plain truth is that clarinets don't necessarily play in tune - it's that clarinetists must learn to play them in tune!
To play in tune is an endeavor that never ends.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2025-08-23 22:49
And when choosing an A clarinet, you don't have to get the same make/model as your Bb to make them a matching set as the same make/model A might not play as you want it to, so try as many different A clarinets out as you possibly can to find the best match for your Bb and ultimately for yourself.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
Independent Woodwind Repairer
Single and Double Reed Specialist
Oboes, Clarinets and Saxes
NOT A MEMBER OF N.A.M.I.R.
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: PutnamFellow161
Date: 2025-10-23 18:51
SecondTry wrote:
> I recommend that you try many brands and many clarinets within
> those brands.
>
> As you probably realize, intonation is but one factor and a
> relative one at that.
>
> That said, I think that Ridenour and Yamaha are good starting
> points. Of course there may be things about the instruments
> you test, or the offerings these makers produce, outside of
> intonation that find you drawn to, or hesitant to adopt their
> wares: nothing disparaging meant to the makers but rather how
> instruments are such a personal preference and how no maker can
> be all things to all people.
>
> Remember, you're not buying a brand but a single instrument.
> To point, there are really good Buffets along with the ones
> with intonation challenges and probably individual clarinets of
> other brands known for better intonation that are below average
> for that brand's good intonation reputation.
>
> Good luck.
>
>
> Post Edited (2025-08-22 20:27)
From my experiences in high school, it was a struggle getting my Ridenour clarinet in tune. On my R13, I don't have that much of a problem. You get what you pay for.
Post Edited (2025-10-23 18:53)
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Author: SecondTry
Date: 2025-10-23 19:21
> > Post Edited (2025-08-22 20:27)
>
> From my experiences in high school, it was a struggle getting
> my Ridenour clarinet in tune. On my R13, I don't have that much
> of a problem. You get what you pay for.
>
>
> Post Edited (2025-10-23 18:53)
I respect that, even if others couldn't reproduce your issues on the RCP clarinet, and could on the R13.
As stated, we buy individual instruments, not brands, but are cognizant of brand reputation on such matters in the hopes that it will make our selection more efficient as we limit our shopping to those vendors with reliable reputations.
A word though on comparing these instruments and vendors; I own models of both makers and have no horse in this race:
That said, RCP clarinets, for whatever limitations they may have (for example, in my case I find them requiring more effort that my R13, something some people like) are known for their intonation, while Buffets are far more hit and miss. I'd sooner buy a RCP or Yamaha instrument through the internet from a reliable vendor, sight unseen, than a Tosca, let alone an R13, even if offered at comparable price, from an also reliable vendor.
There are exceptions to this and it includes vendors like Mike Lowenstern, who set up their instruments before sale and not just pass along the best the factory could do.
In my opinion RCP clarinets don't walk in the shadows of Buffets. Still more, today's R13 isn't "your father's R13." Buffet acknowledges that the wood from Golden Era of making R13s is now reserved for Festival level clarinets and above. Meanwhile, RCP horns, in their construction from hard rubber are extremely dimensionally stable (allowing that good factory intonation to remain the case) and far less susceptible to cracks.
I am not so sure that you get what you pay for in Buffet. Love my 1960s R13s though I do, an entire cottage industry revolved around (Brannen Winds) sending your new Buffet to these guys to first turn into a top notch instrument.
All this said, I think the part about players playing in tune (provided the instrument isn't a complete wreck) needs emphasis that has otherwise lacked supporting data on why this is the case:
Designing (in addition of of course playing) a clarinet is an inherently imperfect acoustical exercise in making the most notes play closest to pitch as possible, recognizing that there are often tradeoffs where to make one note play better in key, other notes might suffer.
Post Edited (2025-10-23 19:30)
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Author: Ed
Date: 2025-10-23 20:27
Years back, the best in tune and most even A clarinet I tried was a Yamaha
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Author: SecondTry
Date: 2025-10-23 22:42
PutnamFellow161 wrote:
> Imagine taking a ridenour over a buffet tosca
Not exactly. I said, sight unseen I might take an RCP horn, which Tom personally sets up, over a factory untouched Tosca where tuning was the issue.
I will leave nameless a big long time in business outfit with a much larger once mail order and now internet presence than its brick and mortal revenue stream, where I have tried Toscas in store that, either as a result of poor setup or too many people playing them (carelessly) simply wouldn't play certain notes, forget play well.
That adjustments in keys and intonation might make them better instruments: for sure.
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Author: PutnamFellow161
Date: 2025-10-23 23:02
Ridenour has his clarinets manufactured in China (lol) and we all know China makes garbage instruments.
Post Edited (2025-10-23 23:40)
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Author: SecondTry
Date: 2025-10-24 00:51
PutnamFellow161 wrote:
> Ridenour has his clarinets manufactured in China (lol) and we
> all know China makes garbage instruments.
>
>
> Post Edited (2025-10-23 23:40)
No, I'm not of Chinese extraction, nor is it relevant here.
Let's get something straight though. China makes a wide range of products, from the yes, inexpensive quality assurance lacking stuff my daughter use to buy as an Elementary school student for birthday party favors at Oriental Trading Company, to high tech satellites.
Or maybe you'd prefer your toaster US made and $525?
In this world there is tendency, with notable exceptions that the marketplace over time almost invariably weeds out in higher prices and/or less quality, to get what you pay for. This is no different for China than it as any other country that otherwise hasn't remained in the stone ages.
That Ridenour's clarinets are, yes, made in China does not mean that he hasn't spent considerable efforts sourcing production from reputable vendors that he quality controls, all as he, to repeat, personally sets up every instrument that leaves his shop for sale.
I have to laugh about how, especially in this day and age with dwindling quality African Blackwood supplies, your "high end" wood instruments are even that much more susceptible to dimensional changes and cracking while Tom's hard rubber instruments keep their shape and don't crack.
Does the average new Buffet, Selmer, Yahama or Backun likely exceed the average Ridenour clarinet: sure, probably.
Are there Tosca's out there which never should have left Paris and were best left, as in the old days before the Greenline, to feed the factory Winter furnace as use to be the case with the wood shavings from wood instruments that now make their way into the Greenline instruments: you bet.
Again, conflict of interest. I own both brands and profit from neither.
Post Edited (2025-10-24 00:53)
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Author: PutnamFellow161
Date: 2025-10-24 01:02
Cracks aren’t a huge deal as long as you get it repaired. I’d rather take a Buffet R13 that is prone to cracks over any Ridenour. It sounds and plays way better.
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Author: SecondTry
Date: 2025-10-24 03:27
I will agree that a good R13, particularly from the golden era is apt to be an instrument I too prefer over a Ridenour.
But on this thread's subject of intonation, I'd put a Ridenour horn up against any R13 for being overall closer to proper pitch.
Do know, if you don't, that Tom's responsible for the Leblanc Opus line and incorporated some of what he developed there into this own brand.
Cracks aren't a huge deal until "they are." And non-cracking dimensional changes, which Tom's already close to correct pitch instruments are not much subject to, is also a thing.
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Author: Jaysne
Date: 2025-10-25 02:38
No brand is going to have the "best" intonation. Even the most expensive brands are going to have notes that aren't in tune. It's the nature of the beast.
I say to go to your local musical instrument store and try as many different horns as possible, and then pick the one you like the most. Otherwise, you could spend your whole life trying to find "the best" horn.
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