 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: stewpidaz
Date: 2009-01-11 02:06
I am a senior in high school, and have been playing since the 6th grade and I currently play on a beginner clarinet. I have done some research about intermediate and professional level clarinets, and have found that a lot of people say that wooden clarinets are generally not better because of the wood, but because there is more/better workmanship put into those rather than plastic, which gives it a better sound quality. I have also heard plastic clarinets can be just as good some wooden clarinets. From one source I found someone said that intermediate is really not that much better than beginner so you might as well skip to professional. But I was wondering, if intermediate and professional clarinets are both wooden and have undercut tone holes, etc, what is the advantage of a professional clarinet over intermediate? I have kind of been considering getting an intermediate level one, but I don't want to be stuck wishing I had just held off for awhile and gotten a professional level. Mainly because they are a lot cheaper, I have seen R13 Buffet clarinets sell on ebay for about 300, and professional buffet clarinets sell for about 1000(about the same price as a NEW intermediate clarinet) . I'm not really interested in paying 1000 for a used clarinet, so if it is worth it to get intermediate I would prefer, that but if not I'll wait.
Has anyone used a professional and intermediate and notice a dramatic difference? Thanks.
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Author: 78s2CD
Date: 2009-01-11 02:46
A half century ago when I was in high school, my parents upgraded me to an intermediate level instrument. They were willing to go a little farther and get a professional clarinet. I could have had the better instrument, but said I was fine with the less expensive one. I regretted the decision and upgraded to an old pre-R13 Buffet when I was in college. The improvement was dramatic. More recently I upgraded from an intermediate to a professional level Eb clarinet and the improvement was equally dramatic.
I would go for the used pro instrument, but be careful that it isn't worn out. If buying on line, make sure the instrument may be returned.
Best regards,
Jim
James C. Lockwood
Rio Rico AZ
"I play a little clarinet"
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2009-01-11 03:02
Go to a store and play back to back an intermediate and professional clarinet.
if you're not interested in paying $1000, why don't you tell us how much you ARE willing to pay? There are lots of knowledgeable people on this board who can give you good ideas on how to spend your budget to get a good value. It might be used, it might be new, but this board has yet to steer me wrong.
Alexi
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Author: pewd
Date: 2009-01-11 04:03
if you find an r13 on ebay for 300, it will most likely be ready for the scrap pile
if you find one for about 1000, you can probably figure on about 300-400 worth of work to put it into top condition
be careful buying on ebay. very careful.
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: Claireinet
Date: 2009-01-11 05:08
I have used both intermediate and professional level clarinets. I noticed quite a difference going from beginner to intermediate, and intermediate to professional.
I would say the choice between intermediate and professional depends in some part on your plans for the future. Do you plan to go to school for music? My advice in that situation would be to try and hold out to afford a pro instrument. If you just enjoy music and play mainly for fun an intermediate might be what you're looking for. Depending on your level you may not even really be able to feel the difference between an intermediate and professional model yet -in which case (depending on your future plans) a pro model might be overkill at this point.
As to buying a used professional model versus a new intermediate – there are plenty of fine used professional instruments out there (but beware there are also some bad ones). Just because something is new does not necessarily make it better. It sounds to me from your post, and perhaps I'm reading it wrong, that your qualm with spending, say $1000 dollars, for an instrument lies mainly with the fact that the instrument is used, and you'd rather have a new one for that kind of money. If you find a functioning professional instrument (make sure you always test before you buy) for the same price as a new intermediate, and your only double take on the money issue is that the instrument is not new, you could be missing a great opportunity.
New does not last forever. As soon as you take the instrument home and play on it it's a used instrument- so I wouldn't worry about that if I were you. Take everything into consideration – how much can you afford right now, what are your plans, would you rather wait to save up more money or try to find a good used instrument? Make sure you play test anything you're considering buying. I have no experience with ebay – instrument shopping that way seems a bit of a gamble to me –so my advise if you decide to look for a used professional instrument would be to try and go local or within what you consider to be reasonable driving distance. I have also found that putting word out to your local repair tech and other players is a great help. Found my used R-13 A clarinet that way.
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Author: kdk
Date: 2009-01-11 15:25
"...If you find a functioning professional instrument (make sure you always test before you buy) ..."
Better yet, either buy it through a trustworthy repair person who will vouch for the instrument's condition or arrange to have one evaluate the instrument before you commit to buying it. I have had many students buy used instruments who have been very happy with the result, since they've gotten much higher quality than the same money would have bought new. But at your experience level, if you rely only on play-testing an instrument yourself you may miss problems in the condition of the instrument that could significantly affect its potential worth over time.
Karl
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Author: Bluesparkle
Date: 2009-01-11 15:50
I have had two good experiences selecing clarinets on the auction site. The first one was a Buffet B-12 for my son when he started that arrived in nearly new condition for about $175. Now that he's a high schooler, I just got him a Buffet International (also known as the C-13). The seller described the instrument well, and when I got it, I knew there was a little work to be done. Locally I had new corks and a few new pads along with some minor adjustments done for about $85. Paid about $350 for it online. The horn is wood, silver plated keys, and plays well AFTER I had it tweaked. Just read the fine print and the seller's feedback. The C-12 and C 13's are described as being the type of instrument that can take you through the college level, which is good enough for my son's level of interest.
I got an R-13 when I was a freshman in high school because I was WAAAAY into clarinet. My grandparents picked it out and paid for it at the recommendation of my band director. My parents weren't too sure that they needed to spend as much as they did on the instrument, and probably would have voted for a lesser horn (we also wore off-brand clothes to save a buck). If my parents had won, I would have just had to spend more down the line getting an R-13 eventually, as I went to college as a music major for a couple of years. However, I still play on that instrument 25 years later.
Based on what I saw as I was shopping for his C-13 just a few months ago, you can usually get these in the $400-800 range, depending on condition. R-13's are more like $1200-1600 used.
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Author: Claireinet
Date: 2009-01-11 18:02
Yes, I second what Karl said. You might want to have someone else help you test if you don't feel comfortable doing it yourself, whether you go for new our used. And buying from a trustworthy repair tech could also be an option.
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Author: rtmyth
Date: 2009-01-11 19:56
Caveat: There are some high quality clarinets made, by all makers and in all models and prices, but only a small per cent are of high quality. Try before buy.
richard smith
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2009-01-11 20:00
> Caveat: There are some high quality clarinets made, by all
> makers and in all models and prices, but only a small per cent
> are of high quality. Try before buy.
And there are some underrated models out there that are very fine players despite the lack of recognition they get. If you're bold enough to hike off the beaten paths, that is...
--
Ben
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Author: clariniano
Date: 2009-01-11 21:31
I think so much is about the player and not the instrument. There is a point where a student does ned to upgrade from a good student model (I usually recommend this at the intermediate level), but I personally don't find huge differences between professional models and intermediates.
In fact, I think I've noticed that newer intermediates are comparable in palying quality to professional horns of at least 20 years ago. My Yamaha intermediate horn (now a little more than two years since I bought it), in many ways, plays better than my old R13 from 1968.
Meri
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Author: stewpidaz
Date: 2009-01-12 00:10
Thanks for the info, and no my qualm isn't because of it being used, although I can see how you thought that's what I meant. I think 1000 dollars for a used clarinet that is in working condition would be well worth it considering most new professional instruments( Buffet anyway) are 3000+...I just don't know if my parents would be willing to pay 1000 or more on an instrument so I was wondering if getting a used R13 would suffice, or if I might later regret the decision.
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Author: Bluesparkle
Date: 2009-01-12 12:32
R-13's were considered top of the line, and the professional clarinetist's standard for years. It's not like you'd be "settling" for an instrument if you chose a good R-13. It's a perfectly acceptable professional instrument that you would probably never regret buying.
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Author: feadog79
Date: 2009-01-12 12:39
You could look into the Lyrique designed by Tom Ridenour. It's made of hard rubber, and is of wonderful acoustic design. I used to play an R13, but sold it after I got the Lyrique. Not that my opinion is that important, but I happened to like the Lyrique better...and I had played the R13 all through college.
The Lyrique Custom (his pro model) sells for about $1000. His website is www.ridenourclarinetproducts.com. He allows you to try the instrument for a few days, which is important...you really should play any instrument before you buy it. Don't go purely on somebody's recommendation or brand name reputation.
JW
Disclaimer: I do not receive compensation of any kind from Tom Ridenour. I'm just a happy customer.
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