 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: rtmyth
Date: 2009-03-04 15:59
does anyone have experience comparing these, or references? thanks.
richard smith
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Author: bmcgar ★2017
Date: 2009-03-04 20:35
Yeah.
Tosca - I don't like them
Lyrique - I like them
(Sorry. Couldn't resist.)
B.
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Author: donald
Date: 2009-03-04 21:29
I used to say that I didn't like Festivals- for years I never liked one that I played, then I played a pair that a major symph principal had picked out in Paris- and loved them. Now I have a pair that the same fellow picked out for his colleague and I got them 2nd hand after 4 years of use. I am very happy.
So, although I have not been impressed by any of the Toscas I've tried (though I've heard some stellar playing on them) I would rather not generalise. What I do think is sad is that the crap Toscas I tried cost the same as the good ones.
The Lyrique? I have always been impressed by the vibrancy of these, a very light "singy" tone- but have never played one long enough to know if the "you always sound like yourself" law comes into play if you stick with it longer...
dn
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2009-03-05 02:23
I have a Lyrique and I have tried a few Toscas, but never side by side.
All the Toscas I tried were not my style- not bad, but just not my style. They were missing a certain brilliancy in the sound that I like.
Having said that, I must be honest in that I also did not like the Lyrique the first time I played it. The sound was also not to my liking. After trying it for a few days, I had gotten used to it and I was able to make it work for me the way I wanted it to. I really like my Lyrique now and I think that anyone should give it a fair try.
To be fair, it is very possible that IF I had a Tosca for several days I would learn to play it and like it very much, just like with the Lyrique.
The other factor is the pirce. No explanation required for that point.
They keywork on the Lyrique may come to you with some problems. I do repair so it was not that hard for me to get everything just how I wanted. I estimate that a good repair person (with good skill) would charge you about 3-5 hours of work to get the keys on the Lyrque to be really good. A poor repair person with their nose in the air or one with little skill might say that those things are irrepairable.
The main problem with the keywork on MY Lyrique (don't know about anyone else's) is that the hole for the piviot screws were drilled too big. This is a bit of a hastle, but not very hard to fix.
After that repair, the keys are just as stable as on any other major brand of clarinet. Even with the fee of repairs, you will still be saving a lot of money over the Tosca (new or used).
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Author: wiclarinet
Date: 2009-03-05 02:51
I have a set of Toscas (both purchased used/like new for the price of new R13's) and love them (especially the A). It took a bit of effort/adjusting to produce a tone with which I'm satisfied, but the keywork and pitch are golden.
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Author: jsc
Date: 2009-03-05 13:03
I have tried a Tosca and I wasn't overly impressed. It belongs to a friend who also, tried my horn (Festival) and he then considered going back to his Festival. As much as I believe every one is different and one horn may work for another, I have to ask, how much better is the Tosca? In the last year, I have heard from others that they were not impressed by the Tosca.. I wonder how much is the fact that it is sooo expensive and may affect their opinions of it. From what I've gathered on this BB, the Lyrique is at least a respectable instrument. I'm very interested in trying one as I would like to have a second horn for outside playing.
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2009-03-05 13:12
The Lyrique is more than a respectable clarinet. I believe I have related this in another thread: my wife (a cellist/music teacher) can't tell when I'm playing my Lyrique or my '67 R13.
I'm sorry Richard, but I haven't tried the Tosca vs. the Lyrique at all.
The Lyrique DOES have a different feel and key lay-out. If you have a solid tonal concept, however, the clarinet will sound like you normally do. I believe this would be the same of the Tosca as well.
Even without the recession, I can't council students to buy Buffets when they can buy a Lyrique Bb and A and mouthpieces for both at the same price. Unless they will be applying for performance degrees...then the possible/probable disadvantage of playing an "unknown" horn might be too great.
James
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: jsc
Date: 2009-03-05 13:38
Is the Lyrique a Chinese-made or does Ridenour actually manufacture it. I've heard a lot of positives about Chinese-made instruments the last 5 years. I've been researching the last couple of years what to recommend students at the high school level, that are not geared towards performance degrees but want something that will play through college for them, at least.
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2009-03-05 13:42
The body and parts are manufactured in China to Tom's specs, and the assembly and adjustment is done by Tom in Texas.
James
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2009-03-05 14:04
Chinese and positive for manufacturing usually aren't in the same sentence for instruments. Tom's a genius designer, I do wish that the materials were made elsewhere - France or Germany for instance.
From what everyone says, the Lyrique's scale is incredible. Must have been tuned at the factory ..... 
http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2009-03-05 14:09
I have to agree, David, that confidence in the instrument would be higher if it were manufactured elsewhere!
But so would the price...
James
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2009-03-05 14:28
I can understand that David. I think most of us can! And considering the number of horns I've collected in a short career, spending money clearly doesn't bother me.
For most of my students and for most people who play the clarinet money is clearly an issue.
James
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: Pappy
Date: 2009-03-05 17:57
I might consider the Lyrique Basset A though. Seems like a more affordable way to have a serviceable basset.
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Author: feadog79
Date: 2009-03-05 23:21
For what it's worth, I've been playing a Lyrique Bb for over a year now (switched from an R13). I've had ZERO issues so far with build quality, or anything related to material craftsmanship.
I don't like, however, the "ergonomic" register key. I hope Tom is in the process of making a standard key available.
JW
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2009-03-06 12:07
JW, if I recall correctly, Tom has some standard register keys available for those who do not like the ergonomic ones. Call and ask him. Personally, I like the ergonomic register key on my Lyrique far more than the standard ones that come on most clarinets. But then that's why ice cream comes in so many different flavors, isn't it?
Jeff
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Author: jsc
Date: 2009-03-06 12:31
What of the Lyrique Bass Clarinet? I've recently joined a group where I'll need one and it's hard to justify the cost of a new Prestige.
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2009-03-06 13:43
Hi JSC,
Two of my students are strongly considering purchasing Tom's bass for the exact reason that you mention ($$$).
As soon as they do I'll post a review.
James
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2009-03-06 15:07
For some reason I found the Tosca to be too stuffy overall. It has good sound and plays well enough but for the price I would either buy a Prestige RC or Yamaha Custom model clarinets...the Tosca is vastly overrated in my opinion.
David Dow
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Author: mrn
Date: 2009-03-06 16:24
One of the YouTube Symphony winners apparently played on a Tosca A (looks like a Tosca, anyway, with that little metallic "banner" on the top joint), and his chalumeau D stuck out as being exceptionally stuffy and out-of-tune. I've seen this problem on R-13 A's before (my R-13 A's a tad stuffy on that note, too, but not as bad as his was in the video), so it makes me wonder what you're really getting for the extra money--you'd think that with a different, supposedly better design, you wouldn't see the same quirky problems--especially one like that. Maybe there's not as much difference between these models as they'd like you to think.
Post Edited (2009-03-06 16:28)
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Author: Pappy
Date: 2009-03-06 18:17
A friend has a Tosca. She has had it for 4 years. She has had to have the LH joint replaced twice for cracks and it is exceedingly stuffy in a number of places - especially when using the low F "correction" key. She's making the best of it but is more or less disappointed I think.
Post Edited (2009-03-06 18:17)
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Author: Iceland clarinet
Date: 2009-03-06 19:30
David as you said about the Tosca being overall stuffy then many people have also stated that the Selmer Signature to be stuffy too. But Selmer says that you need to balance your reed and mouthpiece to get the best result with that clarinet. Maybe a lighter reed or different mouthpiece would do the trick. When I tried varied Buffet clarinets in 2005 when I currently played on R-13 Prestige I found the Tosca to have similar resistance as the R-13 but it played so similar that I couldn't justify the change. But I really liked the intonation and key layout on the Tosca but everything else was just like my R-13
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