 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Sue G
Date: 2003-05-21 20:18
Hi,
I'm a fairly new clarinet player - I've a Buffet B12 student one at present - set up with a Hawkins mouthpiece, Bonade inverted ligature and Vandoren V12 2.5 reeds which I'm doing ok with but I'd love to have a wooden clarinet as well .............not necessarily a new one.
I like the idea of the coloured ones too I've seen on ebay !!!
Can anyone recommend a suitable one for me to look out for please ?
Thanks
Sue
:)
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Author: Sue G
Date: 2003-05-21 21:03
Hmmm I've had another look .......see your point !
Cheers
Sue
:)
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Author: Corey
Date: 2003-05-21 21:06
Be afraid of these clarinets-They are shottily made and you wont find a repair shop that works on them. To put it into something simple-these clarinets are utter junk. Vito (made by leblanc) Offers clored plastic clarinets that are MUCH higher quality than those chinese imports. As for wood clarinets, are we talking student,intermediate, or prop level? You could find a good used pro horn for much cheaper than a new intermediate wood sometimes if you look and have patience. Good luck- Corey
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Author: BobD
Date: 2003-05-21 23:12
You have a perfectly good horn. If you really want a wood horn then "go to the top" with an R-13. Yes, I'm prejudiced. LeBlanc makes excellent wood horns too as does Yamaha. But.....an R-13 is as good an investment in wood horns as you can make. IMHO
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2003-05-21 23:16
Stick with the B12 for a little while longer and save up for a brand new, top of the line pro instrument (be it R-13, concerto, whatever). By the time you save the money (if you're like me it'll be about two years) you'll have played long enough to know if you really have the drive to continue and get a proline clarinet. If you still do, great! Go treat yourself! And by then you'll have a much better idea of what to look for in a pro instrument as well.
If you lost the drive, oh well. These things happen. On the other hand, you have an extra 2 - 3 grand to play around with.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: Nick Angiolillo
Date: 2003-05-22 03:19
Could anyone tell me the name of the piece that's being played in the background of that website that was listed? It was really nice.. sounded like a clarinet quintet maybe?
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Author: GBK
Date: 2003-05-22 03:57
Nick...Mozart Clarinet Quintet K.581, 1st movement, specifically measures 49 - 65 ...GBK
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Author: diz
Date: 2003-05-22 05:26
I hate sites that have music that automatically turns on when you activate their URL - annoys me no end. No matter how good the music it's just to difficult to disgiuse when one's at a work.
coloured clarinets - I have NEVER seem them in real life and NEVER want to (unless they bring one out in teal).
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Author: contragirl
Date: 2003-05-22 05:33
hehe. I just sold a high school student an E11 wooden clarinet on ebay. He was so happy when he got it, and he got it for about $400. He went from a B12, too.
Which clarinet you should get depends on how serious you are about clarinet playing. I went from a Bundy straight to a R13 when I was a sophomore in high school, and I stuck with it until today.
An E11 or E13 ( is that it?) would be the affordable choice for someone that doesn't think they would stay with it, since they are intermediate horns. Then there is also the chance of getting used R13s for reasonable prices.
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Author: icecoke12
Date: 2003-05-22 12:00
Maybe you can consider the older Leblanc Concerto I?
Its no longer in production I think, ( bcos of the new Concerto II) but its a very good instrument and you can get a brand new one for about $1200 or slightly less.
Erm. but it only comes in one colour.... black.
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Author: BobD
Date: 2003-05-22 13:38
I really appreciate the appearance of well crafted wood used for clarinets and that's a good part of my liking for wood horns. For an excellent example check out the "backunmusical.com " website referenced recently.
Alexi makes a good argument with which I agree.......stick with what you've got until you can afford a "top line" wood horn. I have 3 E-11 horns and I like them very much.....but investment-wise they aren't as smart as R-13 horns.
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Author: JellyJazz
Date: 2003-05-22 18:56
if you are situated in the UK you should go to Starland-a music factory/shop. At Starland you get to try out all clarinets until you find the one for you! I agree with the others-get thr best you can afford!
Jelly Jazz
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Author: Bradley
Date: 2003-05-22 21:31
Icecoke12- don't u mean brown? hehe
A coloured clarinet is still plastice- so moving to one instead of a wooden clarinet which is immediately of higher standards for the most part since its SUPPOSED to be high quality. It should then have a good impact on your sound and ability to move across the keys comfortably. This is not always the case, but I definetly think you should forget about the coloured clarinet because personally I think they are a waste of time and money.
Bradley
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Author: Dante
Date: 2003-05-23 06:11
Ahem.
Buffets are one thing. Crud. Thank you. I've played on several R-13s and E-11s, and the keys are freakily off center, not to mention their tone is somewhat too bright and a little uncentered. I've noted that the upper register is shrill, where on Leblancs and Selmers, they are not. Also, intonation is a bit weird in the R-13s.. Dunno, might just depend on the player. I really honestly don't like them, and tend to hover more towards the Symphonie III model and the Concerto I. (I don't like the II.)
Okay, I'm a biased Leblanc user, yes, yes, thank you, thank you. *grin* Honestly, if you want a really good intermidiate(sp) horn, try one of the Normandy lines, or the Leblanc Sonata. (My third chair owns one of these, and it plays very well.) I would also try some of the Selmer clarinets, especially the Signet model, which I dearly love, and played on in 7th grade for the better part of the year.
I'm currently playing on a Dynamic-H Leblanc, Pete Fountain Model with an extra C#/G# key, and the keys are gold plated. (I got some interesting looks when I brought it to school. No one around here will work on it, so I had to get my dad to drive me to Pensacola, which is about 130mi from where I live.)
Also, if you're just looking to improve your sound, you might want to try different reed and Mouthpieces. I play on a B45 with Mitchel Lurie size 4 reeds. Ligatures honestly don't really do much to my sound in changing it, but I use a Rovner Dark. I also like using a shoestring. (Just kidding.)
I also play on an OLD crystal mouthpiece signed "Pete Fountain" on the body. No clue what it is, but it's got a great Jazz sound, real bright and VERY loud. (It's fun.)
Anyway, hope this helps, but I'm writing it at about 1am, Central time, so It's bound to be a little Inane!
-Jen-.
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Author: Benni
Date: 2003-05-23 17:33
Jen - That mpc would be a Pete Fountain crystal mpc, manufactured by Woodwind Co., which is connected w/ Leblanc. I currently play one . . . They are fun! ![[grin]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie5.gif)
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Author: Wendy
Date: 2003-05-23 19:02
Diz - You ought to work where I do. They were too cheap to get computers with sound cards.
Wendy
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Author: Sue G
Date: 2003-05-23 19:19
Hi again,
Thanks for all your replies and suggestions.
I guess I should really stick to the one I've got for now and maybe think about a wooden one next year.
No really got a budget figure in mind as such - would like to get a good horn that plays and sounds well - quite possibly a "second hand or rather "previously cherished / loved" one (where on earth has that phrase come from ????)
I'm a novice in these matters so I was looking for some ideas of what I should look out for.
Anyone bought an instrument on ebay perchance ?????
Sue
:)
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Author: Henry
Date: 2003-05-23 19:36
Yes, Sue, I bought a 1964 Leblanc LL on e-Bay about 9 months ago for $316. It was in great shape. Silverplated keys and wood nice and shiny, no cracks, etc. I had it completely overhauled recently for $180, and I bought a Vandoren B45 mouthpiece to replace the original Brilhart mpc. I am very happy with it. With some luck, you can get a good deal. But try to find out as much as possible from the seller before you bid and look at his/her feedback.
Henry
Post Edited (2003-05-23 20:04)
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Author: Dante
Date: 2003-05-23 19:55
Ooh.. So that's what that silly thing is. Any suggestions on what reeds/ligature to use with it? I just use the stock metal ligature that came with my Yamaha plastic horn and 3 1/2 reeds by Mitchel Lurie.
-Jen.
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Author: Benni
Date: 2003-05-24 01:54
Jen -
I prefer Zondas (strengths between 3 hard and 3 1/2 medium) on my PF mpc, and I use a Bonade inverted lig. For me, Mitchell Lurie 3 1/2s sound OKeh for practice on my PF mpc, but I would never use them in a performance. They tend to either be too stuffy in the lower register or nasty above G5. I've found a few good Vandoren V12s, but for the most part, they seem to be stuffy all over. The PF reeds die very quickly, but if you're looking for something that plays well out of the box, they're not bad for the price. Blue box Vandorens were mediocre . . . I'd rank them somewhere with the Mitchell Luries.
A warning about the Zondas, however: You have to break them in very carefully or else they'll die just as quickly as the PF reeds!
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Author: BobD
Date: 2003-05-24 14:06
"what I should look out for.
Anyone bought an instrument on ebay perchance ?????"
I've bought "quite a few" clarinets on eBay with mostly good experience.
1. Don't buy from anyone who says "I don't know anything about these"
2. Do send questions to the seller
3. Check eBay every day to get acquainted with what's for sale and what sold and for how much.
4. After you do 3 for awhile then make it a habit to check "new listings" first. You may just find a gem before anyone else does.
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2003-05-24 21:06
I have to say, I liked the Gigliotti reeds very much. I think they played very well out of the box and were very consistent. The only reason I don't anymore is cause for 20 dollars you get 8 reeds, whereas many other manufacturers will give you those extra two. A minor thing I know, but there are other good reeds so why lose two reeds per purchase (my mentality)?
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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