 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: musicality
Date: 2011-12-29 08:13
Hey all, I've had the itch to play clarinet for a while now, and am trying to sort through the massive number of opinions regarding a good starting clarinet, while also trying to understand the pricing scheme that allows amazon.com to leave most if not all other sellers in the dust.
I'm of the persuasion that if something looks too good to be true, it probably is. This is why I'm hoping that someone could let me know how amazon (or one of the companies distributing via amazon) can, for instance, sell the Buffet E11 for $900 give or take, while most other sites are listing for $1495. If there is something fishy here, would someone mind giving me a heads up on how to sort the fact from the fiction when trying to find deals on a clarinet? Thanks everyone!
~M
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2011-12-29 08:49
There are a lot of reasons why a clarinet can cost less from one store and more from another. Most are general and are to do more with the store than the clarinet, but re the E11 specifically, there are actually several versions of the E11 and some are more expensive than others. The $900 E11 from amazon (seems to be sold by Weiner Music through Amazon) looks like it's the German model. The more expensive E11 you see is most likely the E11 France which is a different model. For someone who doesn't have experience and/or doesn't really follow what models are made it can be confusing.
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Author: rtmyth
Date: 2011-12-29 15:43
For any make, model, price, and age TRY BEFORE BUY.
richard smith
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2011-12-29 16:04
rtmyth is right on.
Clarinets are so variable within any given brand and model that you can not be sure of getting a good one without giving it an extensive play test.
A new clarinet evaluation can be confused by a poor choice of mouthpiece and bad set-up of the keywork.
If you're new to the game, it would be prudent to find a good teacher and take him/er with you shopping. Or, take the clarinet on approval and get someone knowledgeable to audition it for you.
Nothing is worse than wondering "is it me, or is it the horn?"
Good luck, and welcome aboard.
Bob Phillips
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Author: SteveG_CT
Date: 2011-12-29 16:27
I agree with Bob and Richard. Testing an instrument before buying is absolutely necessary when buying an expensive new instrument. For this reason I advise you not to buy a new intermediate or professional clarinet as your first clarinet. The only person who can properly audition a clarinet for you is you, and it would be better to hold off on laying out a lot of cash for a better instrument until you can reasonably test it yourself.
I'd personally recommend starting out with an inexpensive plastic student model and then upgrading to a better instrument once your playing ability has advanced. Another option would be a used intermediate clarinet, many of which can be had in freshly overhauled condition for prices similar to those of new student models. Basically just don't spend a bunch of money on an instrument that you may be wanting to upgrade in the fairly near future.
Post Edited (2011-12-29 16:57)
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2011-12-29 18:29
Quote:
Basically just don't spend a bunch of money on an instrument that you may be wanting to upgrade in the fairly near future. Not to mention, if you're just wanting to learn clarinet, how do you know how to test it to make sure it's a good one? I'd rather take a "chance" of getting a 300 dollar clarinet that is just "ok" than spending 900 - 1100 dollars on a clarinet, only to find out down the road that it's just "ok".
And I'd buy used. I suggest you find a freshly overhauled, used student clarinet. To learn on. After you've got some stuff down, and start to know your way around the instrument, you can probably sell it close for what you paid for it and then look to upgrade.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: Trevor M
Date: 2011-12-29 18:34
I think those cheap E11s are blemish specials from Weiner, and they're a reputable woodwind shop that's been around for decades. Clarnibass is probably right about them being older stock, although that's not necessarily a bad thing. There's been a lot of variation in E11s lately, though, so make sure there's a trial period if you get one. They're a good clarinet for a beginner.
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Author: musicality
Date: 2011-12-29 20:57
Thanks so much for the quick and thorough replies, everyone! I like the idea of buying a cheaper clarinet then upgrading so that I have the ability to test the more expensive upgrade myself. That always seems to be the issue when I start a new instrument (I play a lot of strings, but no woodwinds) - my ear is much better than my ability at the beginning, but it always seems I need an upgrade after a short amount of time. This makes me lean toward getting a cheap Hanson to start, so that if and when I upgrade I've not lost out (due to their buy-back policy). However, I realize the drawback is that in order to benefit from this logic, I'm "stuck" with Hanson later. Any feedback on this line of thought, or on the Hanson beginner Clarinets themselves if you feel compelled? I'm trying to avoid asking about specific brands because so many threads are already devoted to that around the internet, but I welcome any advice.
~M
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Author: SteveG_CT
Date: 2011-12-29 22:08
My advice would be to buy a used Yamaha YCL-20 or YCL-250. If you check around you can usually find freshly repadded ones for ~$250. I personally think that the Yamaha's are the best of the plastic student models. They are a tough sell when new because they cost nearly double what the other brands sell for but if you buy them used they can be a very good value.
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Author: gwie
Date: 2011-12-30 07:09
I'd recommend checking out Music ReMasters (www.clarinuts.com). They've got lots of fixed up used instruments at great prices.
One of my students wasn't able to come up with very much to replace his old instrument which was horrendously out of tune. We were able to get him a Yamaha YCL-34 (wood!) for just over $300. It plays very well and we're just thrilled with it.
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Author: LJBraaten
Date: 2011-12-30 15:15
One advantage of getting a Yamaha plastic model is that when you upgrade (to wood) it will make a good "outdoor" clarinet.
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Author: Vubble3
Date: 2011-12-30 17:29
dont worry
Buffet Bb R13 A RC Prestige
buffet chadash and moennig barrels
Lomax classic lig
b40 lyre
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