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 Help deciding what brand to purchase
Author: Mommyinneed 
Date:   2016-07-28 06:21

My daughter is entering her second year of band. I'm looking to purchase he a used clarinet and really would like some help on deciding what is best for her. The two I'm looking at are Vito 7214 & a Selmer 103. I know one is a student and the other is an intermediate from what I've gathered online. Would like some help from people who know about clarinets tho ☺️

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 Re: Help deciding what brand to purchase
Author: Bob Bernardo 
Date:   2016-07-28 07:24

Take a peek at the Yamaha's.


Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces


Yamaha Artist 2015




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 Re: Help deciding what brand to purchase
Author: Matt74 
Date:   2016-07-28 09:41

You can't go wrong with a Vito in good working order.

- Matthew Simington


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 Re: Help deciding what brand to purchase
Author: Ursa 
Date:   2016-07-28 11:00

Any clarinet is only as good as the maintenance performed on it.

The Vito 7214 can be excellent if a good technician has carefully gone through it. I've owned my 7214 since 1994...after 20+ years of meticulous maintenance and careful upgrades, it performs to a high standard indeed and is absolutely dependable.

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 Re: Help deciding what brand to purchase
Author: donald 
Date:   2016-07-28 13:25

I agree with Ursa. Spend the dollars on a good repair tech. My saxophone is a good professional model, I didn't pay much for it as it was in poor condition- the $200 (US$) I spent at the repair shop was what made it a good working instrument. That $200 made a $1,000 dollar saxophone play like the brand new $6,000 one at the music shop.
My "holiday/beach clarinet" is a plastic Vito I had repadded and overhauled by the same tech who works on my Buffet Festivals. While I would be lying (or stupid) if I said that it's as good as my pro horns, if I needed to I could perform a concerto on it largely because of about $250 US$ worth of overhaul.

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 Re: Help deciding what brand to purchase
Author: Mommyinneed 
Date:   2016-07-28 15:40

Thank you guys so much! I'm going to go with the Vito and then have her teacher check it out and see if it needs any updating its been sitting awhile

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 Re: Help deciding what brand to purchase
Author: richard smith 
Date:   2016-07-28 17:50

Ridenour TR147s , if adjusted and tuned by him, are excellent, as were The first and second models. He also perfected some of the third. Try before buy.

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 Re: Help deciding what brand to purchase
Author: pewd 
Date:   2016-07-28 18:53

Have you asked your daughter's band director what they recommend?

- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas

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 Re: Help deciding what brand to purchase
Author: clarinetguy 2017
Date:   2016-07-28 19:03

What grade is your daughter in, and what is she currently using? I do like the Vitos, but it's possible that her current instrument is just as good.

If her current clarinet is in good working order, make sure she has a good mouthpiece. The Clark Fobes Debut is a great choice for a younger student, and it's very reasonable.

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 Re: Help deciding what brand to purchase
Author: Mommyinneed 
Date:   2016-07-28 20:36

She is starting 7th grade this year. I honestly bought her a cheap no brand name one last year just because I didn't want to have a lot of money invested and her decide she didn't want to move forward, that clarinet did good but it was colored and she can't use it in middle school so I'm looking into buying a used one and I've came across the Vito and the Selmer and I think I'm going to go with the Vito this evening

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 Re: Help deciding what brand to purchase
Author: bmcgar 2017
Date:   2016-07-28 20:43

Re. asking a band director for instrument recommendations:

IMO, not a very good idea unless the director is an accomplished clarinetist.

Too many of my students have come to me with setups recommended by their band directors that reflect what the band directors have "heard" rather than what they "know," all the way up to "the R13 is the best clarinet ever" and "the harder the reed, the better the player" level.

B.

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 Re: Help deciding what brand to purchase
Author: clarinetguy 2017
Date:   2016-07-28 21:06

Look very carefully at her current clarinet. It's possible that it is a Vito. For several years the company made Vito Dazzlers in a variety of colors, although I'm not sure if they're still being made. Some may have been a bit odd to look at, but they were perfectly good clarinets for marching band or for younger students.

Your daughter might be a bit self-conscious about the color of her clarinet, but if it is a Vito, there's really no reason why she shouldn't be able to use it in middle school band. If she's really serious and makes good progress, you could consider a more advanced instrument in a year or two.

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 Re: Help deciding what brand to purchase
Author: Richie 
Date:   2016-07-29 23:59

I honestly would choose a different one, but if it really has to be one of the two I would go with the Selmer 103. It's wood, which sounds better, and provides a lot more room to go before she needs a new one (could be very soon if progress is fast). Like the others have said, it might be helpful to see if the band director for recommendations, and talk with a private teacher if she has one.

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