 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: 7611masari
Date: 2009-01-20 18:26
I've been thinking about getting a colored plastic clarinet. I have a lovely 1960's Buffet R13, but I'm going to college next year, potentially playing in marching band. I have heard from several people that marching around in all sorts of weather and temperature is a great way to ruin a good wooden clarinet- I've speculated that I probably could have kept my old rosewood Pan-American in better condition if I hadn't taken it marching when I was in middle school, but I've heard that the Pan-Americans were sometimes a bit dicey anyway. In any case, I would like to keep my R13 out of danger, and I figure that colored plastic and black plastic aren't chemically any different, but because they're much less common, I wondered if there actually were any reputable brands making colored plastic clarinets. I found this site (http://prosites-allmanmusic.homestead.com/Clarinets.html), which had Buffets on it, so I thought other brands they sell might also be alright. Any input you have is much appreciated.
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2009-01-20 18:33
Uhm, if you want a non-black one, go for the Vito Dazzler. But bear in mind that a coloured clarinet might be frowned upon (think "blending in"), so I'd rather get a black Vito or a Bundy.
--
Ben
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2009-01-20 18:34
I don't know if Leblanc still makes colored Vitos, but they do exist and probably would be fine for marching (although any half-decent tenor sax is a better way to compete with the trumpets out on the field!).
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Author: 7611masari
Date: 2009-01-20 19:07
It's true, the tenor sax would compete better volume-wise, but I think that any clarinet can beat a trumpet in awesome, so I think I'll stick with the clarinet. Plus I did all my auditions on clarinet.
Thanks for the suggestions:)
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Author: chicagoclar
Date: 2009-01-21 03:25
Marching band is all about blending in and looking uniform, getting a colored instrument would not be a great idea.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2009-01-21 04:24
... unless it matches your uniform.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: huff n' puff
Date: 2009-01-21 13:44
Hi, and could I ask a related question....... could someone explain in simple terms the differences between resin, ABS, ebonite, hard rubber, and good ol' hard plastic, as these terms appear to be used sometimes indiscriminately- often in reference to the same clarinet.
I would like to know what my B12 is made from............. H&P.
And where can you buy "rosewood" or "grenadilla" Fablon? That would get me a cheap R13.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2009-01-21 14:51
Resin and ABS are pretty much the same thing - your B12 is made from ABS resin. Older plastic clarinets were made from Bakelite-type plastics, but these are both heavy and brittle compared to resin ones which are much lower in density and much easier and cheaper to mould.
Ebonite and hard rubber are the same thing and what mouthpieces are usually made from, and it's usually machined as well as being moulded. It was popular as an alternative to wooden clarinets in the 19th and early 20th Centuries for instruments expected to endure harsh conditions (such as military bands playing outside in all weather), though there's been a resurgence of ebonite-bodied clarinets fairly recently what with all the Chinese-built clarinets being made.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2009-01-21 15:45
Your "rosewood" Pan-Am has been discussed several times. It's made of black plastic with a glued-on veneer of wood-grain plastic. The urban legend was that they were made from WW I airplane propellers, but that's untrue. Search here for propeller wood.
Pan-Am clarinets were pretty bad, and the "propeller wood" ones tended to de-laminate, causing leaks.
Many marching bands require everyone to use the same brand of clarinet, and the wealthy ones even supply them. I'd wait until you get to college to find out what they use. Given a choice, I'd use a Bundy. They're completely indestructible and available cheap. If you get one, though, check the throat A key to make sure it has a flat spring. They used a needle spring for a while, which was so short that it frequently broke.
Ken Shaw
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Author: William
Date: 2009-01-21 17:52
If your going to attend the University of Wisconsin--Madison campus, no need for you to worry. The UW Marching Band already has a set of all white plastic Leblanc Vitos for you to use on the 50 yrd line for those balmy fall games in the sleet and snow--as well as a new $80,000 artificial turf on their practice field.
Post Edited (2009-01-21 20:50)
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Author: huff n' puff
Date: 2009-01-22 11:18
Hi, Chris.... and thanks for your dissertation on plastics. I must try to find out more about the production of Ebonite/hard rubber- it does have a kind of contradictory sound, and when reading about Tom Ridenour's instruments, I thought that this hard rubber stuff was a completely new departure. Thanks again........ H&P.
And Ken....... from your post I see that my enquiry about Fablon was not so ridiculous after all. All that I would need to complete the image would be a computer generated facsimile of the logo.......... H&P.
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Author: cearnsh
Date: 2009-01-22 12:06
Apologies for going rather off topic, but I'm afraid Ken's comments about Propellor-wood/rosewood Pan-Ams are not quite correct (I have two of them).
They were made of solid laminated wood - the laminations and grain are visible on the ends of the joints and in the bore. They're certainly not plastic, black or veneered. Unlike plywood, the grain runs in the same direction in all layers.
They don't seem to be inclined to delaminate (I guess they would if abused) though there are rumours of an early batch which had this problem.
Also, they're large bore and so will not play satisfactorily with a standard mouthpiece. They can be quite decent instruments when properly set up.
Chris
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Author: Bluesparkle
Date: 2009-01-22 21:08
Here's me with my colored plastic clarinet. It's a big hit with with the crowds, but unless you get a name brand, skip it. I play this one once a year with the alumni band. First year I played it, the pads disintegrated. Put new pads in without even taking off most of the keys. Now I just have to put scotch tape over one of the pads to keep it properly sealed. Just can't play a high E flat or low G sharp.
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2009-01-22 22:51
>>Apologies for going rather off topic, but I'm afraid Ken's comments about Propellor-wood/rosewood Pan-Ams are not quite correct (I have two of them).
>>
They were made of solid laminated wood - the laminations and grain are visible on the ends of the joints and in the bore. They're certainly not plastic, black or veneered. Unlike plywood, the grain runs in the same direction in all layers.
>>
You're both right except for the all-or-nothing absolutes. I've seen these genuine wooden Pan Ams for sale and have been able to examine them closely enough to be sure they're real, solid wood, all the way through. The confusion results from the fact that there are *also* Pan Ams made of solid plastic (either black or wood-toned all the way through) and Pan Ams made of plastic with either a farily thick wooden laminate exterior or a wood-grained plastic veneer. I've seen these as well. They turn up fairly often at flea markets and junktiques stores in the Washington, D.C. through York, Pennsylvania corridor.
Up close, there's no doubt at all that some of these strikingly grained "wooden" Pan Americans are solid wood, others are solid plastic, others are plastic-on-plastic while still others are wood-on-plastic. The laminated ones I've seen, both wood-on-plastic and plastic-on-plastic, have all been in poor condition, with de-lamination. The ones with the wood veneer were the worst, with the wood not only de-laminated but invariably cracked, sometimes to the point where some of the wood has come off. The solid plastic ones are often in good condition.
The dealers around here seem to think they've got something rare and wonderful. I'm waiting to buy examples until I see one for sale at a price that reflects the fact that a Pan Am, no matter how superficially exotic-looking, is not a good clarinet.
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
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