 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: sömeone
Date: 2003-09-26 10:03
What would be the best clarinet for a 1st year student which has great potential to advance? I am looking for one for my junior which is on a budget of approximately $1500. Expectations are Le Blanc, Yamaha, or
Selmer. Any other suggestions on brands or models?
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Author: msroboto
Date: 2003-09-26 12:55
Don't forget Buffet in the list of potential Brands.
$1500.00 will buy you a lot of clarinet in fact it could very well buy you a professional model. The 1st year student might be better served by a $300.00 plastic clarinet. The 1st year student is going to bump and bruise the instrument while learning. A Vito - LeBlanc is a respected beginner instrument. The other manufacturer's have beginners instruments.
I would start the child on plastic because the other thing that american kids do at some point in band is march and you do not want to march the kid with a good wooden professional instrument.
If you really really want to spend that $1500.00 consider the Buffet Greenline instruments made of composite wood and are not supposed to crack.
Hey can you be my mom or dad....mine never had such a budget for children's instruments. <VBG>
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Author: hans
Date: 2003-09-26 14:00
If it were my responsibility I would rent a clarinet for that critical first year. Then revisit the issues of "new versus used" and "wood versus plastic/composite". Some of this site's sponsors would be the first place I would look when buying, if I lived in the U.S.
Hans
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Author: Ralph G
Date: 2003-09-26 14:09
As stated above, $1,500 will get you a lot of clarinet. I just bought a five-year-old R-13 for less than that, and there are places on the Web that have new ones for under that amount (not counting shipping, customs, etc.). So you'll have a lot of choices with that kind of dough.
Get a good student horn now, like the Vito mentioned before, and put away the rest for an upgrade later.›
________________
Artistic talent is a gift from God and whoever discovers it in himself has a certain obligation: to know that he cannot waste this talent, but must develop it.
- Pope John Paul II
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Author: Henry
Date: 2003-09-26 16:36
Moose: Is that really a good deal? I got my great Leblanc LL of the same year for less than a third of that on eBay.
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2003-09-26 17:30
IMO, msroboto has written the truth. But, as usual, I will elaborate.
To me, the bigger problem for young students with Clarinets (and most other instruments) is not in learning to produce beautiful music, but rather learning proper handling of the pieces during assembly, resting it in a proper way and location, etc. It's an awful shame to see any instrument damaged by inexperienced handling, but seeing that happen to a superb professional Clarinet is really traumatic.
I play quite often on a Leblanc Vito V-40. Many believe it to be the best plastic Clarinet available, and brand new sticker price is about half your budget amount. No doubt you can find one discounted to less than one-third of your budget. When your student is ready for a top-quality Clarinet, the V-40 can serve well as a "Combat" instrument for many years. It will be useful for outdoor play where accidents are more likely and adverse weather could damage wood. I have two V-40s. Both were purchased used.
Of course, many students play on lower priced Vito (and other good quality brand) plastic instruments with great success. It appears that you already know to stay away from obscure brands, many of which which will not be repaired by reputable service technicians.
Regards,
John
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Author: Katrina
Date: 2003-09-26 21:42
Henry: I suspect that $1000 on a "sure thing" (i.e., a known instrument) might possibly be worth the lack of potential hassles on an eBay horn.
If you find a horn you like, and the price isn't terribly outrageous, get it. I'd probably pay something more like $750 for a '64 R13, but for Moose, it might have been worth it...
Katrina
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Author: BobD
Date: 2003-09-26 22:33
Wow, that's a budget! I thought maybe $50 was a budget. I play some Vitos too but just haven't found the V40 to be that much better than the lower priced models. Maybe it's me. I also play R13s and a LeBlanc Infinite but for a budget minded person you can't beat any model Vito.....that's my opinion.
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Author: CharmOne
Date: 2003-09-27 04:07
I've bought a wooden Selmer for $300 from a friendly dealer. I'm not exactly sure what the model is other than it said Selmer on the front label of the bell. It sounded really good...
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Author: msroboto
Date: 2003-09-27 06:40
I know that we mostly believe wood is superior to plastic but don't forget it is also heavier. I assume that this beginner is a youngster and that the extra weight could be a problem at this age. So even if you can get a wooden instrument for the same price as a plastic I would still go plastic at this age.
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Author: sömeone
Date: 2003-09-27 13:37
Haha...interesting....
anyways......
i am not her parent, just a senior student of hers trying to consult her on a decent clarinet....well....i might be wrong but that day she was asking me if a buffet costing rm 5000(malaysian ringgit) would be a good choice....
i don't know about the model.....1 american dollar = 3.8 ringgit. Figures....
Well since obviously she has the money to buy that sort of thing i am here now to ask you guys for a reasonable priced new clarinet, must be wooden.
AS recommended by her aunt whom is a music educator who has majored in clarinet years ago. Well the cut and bruises problem is not exactly a problem as she is 13 and knows the 'limits'. And even if she tries to march with that thing the people next to her trying to stop her will be an endless
line of freaks.(which includes me)
The line up would most probably be a intermediate and above instrument.
So no plastics or student models pls.....i believe she can handle it....thanks for your advice though....
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Author: BobD
Date: 2003-09-27 13:45
Oh, you can get a real good mp and lig for under $1500.....haha.
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Author: hans
Date: 2003-09-27 15:07
I wonder why a student with a music teacher/clarinet major aunt needs a second opinion besides that of the aunt, who has already placed a constraint (wood only) on the selection decision.
I wouldn't worry too much about the ligature for a first year student. Most of us, I would guess, started playing with what came with the instrument. The same goes for the mouthpiece, as long as the student can play it easily.
Regards,
Hans
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Author: sömeone
Date: 2003-09-27 16:36
Yes very good point Hans.....
well i'm not so sure about her aunt's point of view but seems to me her aunt has left her niece to decide on whats best for her.....
Her aunt actually plays a boosey n hakwes......(which everyone knows doesn't 'exist' in the market anymore)......
well then assume that shes a pro....what would be the best setup for her?
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Author: hans
Date: 2003-09-27 17:23
I don't have a lot of experience helping other people choose equipment, but if I were going to, I would go to the store with the student and help the student try different items while keeping the sales people from exerting influence on the student or otherwise interfering.
I would also make sure that the student had at least one good reed to test with and change only one variable at a time; e.g., (assuming the wood clarinet has been chosen), using the same ligature, try a variety of mouthpieces while using only one reed. Make sure that the reed position on the mouthpiece is the same in each trial and that the ligature is tightened to the same level too. Then, having decided on a mouthpiece, try a variety of ligatures with this mouthpiece to find the best combination.
Last, but very important IMO, I would also ensure that each mouthpiece was disinfected before the student tried it and not rely on a store's assurance in that regard. There is too much at stake.
Perhaps readers with more experience in choosing equipment for others would be kind enough to add some thoughts.
Regards,
Hans
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2003-09-27 17:56
Gee, since my philosophy and her aunt's are so opposed, I'm sure my post was a complete waste of time.
I would never put a pro-level wood instrument in the hands of a 13-year-old beginning player. I don't have that much money to have bell tenons repaired, and things like that.
By the way, the V-40 is not a student instrument. Leblanc, plus as just about everyone who plays one, calls it an intermediate Clarinet.
Regards,
John
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Author: sömeone
Date: 2003-09-28 09:14
Haha....no offence John, but thats good advise anyway. Thanks a lot.
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