 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: fernan
Date: 2008-07-03 04:58
I managed to find myself in the situation of being able to purchase the clarinet I've "drooled" over since I was in high school (our first chair in the San Diego Youth Symphony played on one; I had a Buffet E11...)--the Leblanc Symphonie.
I haven't played clarinet seriously in ten years and would like to start the long road back from embouchure oblivion. Please, give me your honest opinion between the two--
Leblanc Symphonie Model
or
Leblanc Symphonie II
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Author: C2thew
Date: 2008-07-03 19:46
wait is this the newer leblanc symphonie that you are talking about or the old historic leblanc symphonies?
the older leblanc symphonies varied from 1,2,3,4 but were generally the same instruments with so slight modifications that they literally could have just stayed as symphonies. The older leblanc symphonies are VERY resistant and compact in size. These instruments are in my opinion designed for someone who has plenty of air capacity and who tends to overblow. The symphonie really takes some work to get a full sound, but even then it's way too much.
i haven't tested the newer backun symphonies, but the accessories included in the package would definitely make any clarinet sound fuller and more vibrant.
Try before you buy. Just because your friend had one, doesn't mean it will work for you. He might have had a lucky selection. YMMV
Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. they are but improved means to an unimproved end, an end which was already but too easy to arrive as railroads lead to Boston to New York
-Walden; Henry Thoreau
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2008-07-03 22:20
My daughter was playing on an old symphonie III loaner and absolutely despised how difficult the horn made it to get decent sounds. Her teacher, a symphony player with decades of experience, said it was the most resistant A clarinet he had ever played. I got her a new horn this last December, and the difference in her tone is night and day. It also contributed to her being chosen as Principal clarinet for her youth symphony group for the spring season.
Jeff
“Everyone discovers their own way of destroying themselves, and some people choose the clarinet.” Kalman Opperman, 1919-2010
"A drummer is a musician's best friend."
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Author: Bill
Date: 2008-07-03 22:55
The "Symphonie MODEL" so stamped is the oldest (the first) Symphonie they made.
Get the Symphonie II.
Bill Fogle
Ellsworth, Maine
(formerly Washington, DC)
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Author: Tony Beck
Date: 2008-07-04 05:02
I have an A-Bb set of Symphonie 3s and love them. They are not at all resistant, have excellent intonation and a sound that gets lots of complements.
I suspect that an older resistant Symphonie has problems. My Bb was a poor player when I got it, very resistant and very thin tone. After an overhaul it was completely transformed. My A played wonderfully when I got it 25 years ago. On returning from a ~20 year layoff, it was not at all the way I remembered it. A complete overhaul by David Speigelthal made it better than when I first owned it.
Symphonies are small bore horns. My limited experience is that they don't have the power of other clarinets. However, they blend well in ensembles, have a beautiful tone and probably the best intonation of any horn of their vintage.
Chances are that either of the clarinets you are looking at will need a complete overhaul. Have a good tech look them over for obvious problems, such as cracks, chipped tone holes and worn keywork. These can be fixed, but the price should come down according to condition.
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Author: fernan
Date: 2008-07-04 05:41
Surprisingly, although both claim to have been overhauled, after having both owners send me photos, the Symphonie Model (the older of the two) had newer pads and cork. I could not discern any obvious cracks, but that is a risk I will have to take. One of the owners (who is a mere two hours away in Los Angeles) asked me to come by on Saturday, which I think I will do.
Thank you all for your input. And, yes, my "drooling" over my friend's Leblanc was more than just drooling--I played it a few times. Oddly enough, when I quit nine years ago, he was the one who purchased my E11, which he preferred over his own Symphonie.
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