 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Jessica
Date: 2001-05-12 15:46
Hello,
I am interested in buying an A Clarinet, but I am not sure what brand would be best because I have never played on an A Clarinet before. I currently play on a Bb Buffet Festival, which is very pretty, but the experience I've had with Buffet Clarinets is that they give a very dark, warm sound. On the A Clarinet, however, I am looking for something with a brighter sweet tone. I hear that LeBlanc clarinets have a bright sound, but again, I don't really know much about them.
Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.
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Author: Aaron
Date: 2001-05-12 16:08
Well the Leblanc Concerto has a slightly brighter tone than the Opus. And both are good horns. The Concerto's and expically the Opus's are expnsive, but if you look around, expically here on the clasified pages, ther are many great deals on these horns.
The festival A clarietns are also goiong to be expensive, but probablly not much more than the leblancs. One thing to think about is the difference between the key setup between the Leblanc and the Buffet. I play an R-13 Bb and a Concerto A. I have had to do some adjustinbg the both the Bb and A to get they key setups similar. for example....ring heights, banana key(forked fingering keys) position, etc.
After i got the horns set up, they are very similar in feel...at least to me. One thing that caused a small problem was the horrid super slick coating that leblanc puts on it's keywork. I'm not shure if they put it on their silver plating keys, but at least it's on the nickel. This is easily fixed by coating all the large keys( B/E, C/F, C#/F#, etc.....) with clear nail polish. I already usethis on my Bb to stop the nickel plating from wearing off more than it already is. My hands really do a number on the plating.
So good luck.......
PS>.............The only real way to find out about these horns is to just give them all a try. Play them, and many of them. Bb clarinets are easy to find one that plays well. However A clarients are another story alltogether. I have played at elast 20 different A clarients to find the one I have now. so do not settle on the first one yo play, unless it is absolutely perfect. So my advice is for you to give all the horns you are interested in a try. try at least 3 of each before you decide on one horn.
Aaron
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2001-05-12 20:57
Speaking generally, I have found that A clarinets finger nearly the same as Bb's, but, again in general, have a "more mellow", less "bright" sound, which anyone can experience on "coming down" from the Eb soprano to C, Bb,A, G, F[basset horn], Eb alto, Bb bass , etc. Then, IMHO, the differences in makers [prob. bore-size-related] appear as does differences in mouthpieces, ligatures and reeds and PLAYERS, embouchures etc. So, there is no simple answer [again IMHO] ,its just is up to the individual to try as much as is possible [and affordable] to find the tonalities desired. We have discussed this before, [Its searchable], Luck, Don
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Author: Mark Pinner
Date: 2001-05-13 02:10
If you are still interested in Buffet's try the RC or RC prestige A they have a smaller bore than the Festival and should be a little brighter or even more radically try an E11 or similar A they are a bit lighter all round. The A sound is going to be darker and more mellow whatever you try and I wonder why you are trying to get a lighter sound on an A?
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Author: Daniel Bouwmeester
Date: 2001-05-14 05:44
I think you should buy an instrument that is very close to your Bb. I guess the choice would be to choose a Buffet A festival, making sure that it feels the same as your Bb. You know.... the instrument you practice on is the instrument you know the best.
Nevertheless, I can recommend you the Buffet R13 A clarinets. The R13, with some key, and holes modification can be very excellent.
Good luck
Dan
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Author: DLE
Date: 2001-05-14 09:05
Jessica,
Why do you want an A clarinet with a brighter tone? As usual, I agree with Don - the A usually was a more mellow tone.
DLE.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2001-05-14 11:47
Yamahas have been accused in this forum of having a bright sound. Perhaps you are looking for a Yamaha.
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Author: Jessica
Date: 2001-05-15 04:10
Ok, sorry, I guess I wasn't really clear with the whole "brighter" tone thing By bright I really just meant not dark sounding; mellow & warm, opposed to the more dramatic sound of the R-13s I tried out the other week... Thanks for everyones replies!
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