 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Clay
Date: 2004-07-08 02:26
HI
First off, I just want to thank everyone who supports and contributes to this site. It is amazing and has been such a great help and often times, lifeline! Now onto my question. I am thinking of buying a new pro model clarinet and need to kow what to look for. I am not sure if the employees of the music store would tell me if anything was wrong. What do you look for? How do you tell if the instrument is new (a it is advertised). Thank You!!!!
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Author: clarinetstudent258
Date: 2004-07-08 02:40
well, if you take private lessons, talk to your teacher and see what advice he/she can give you. try all the models you are interested in, you want to be comfortable playing on your new horn.
"music is love, music is life, without it, i'd have neither"
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Author: ohsuzan
Date: 2004-07-08 02:41
Hey, Clay --
I guess it's my turn to be the one to tell you to use the search function on this site for loads and loads and loads and loads and loads of advice about clarinet choosing/buying. It's a topic that has been discussed repeatedly.
Be creative with your search terms -- you will find more than you will ever want to know.
And good luck!
Susan
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2004-07-08 02:43
Hi Clay,
It sounds like what you might be asking is either "how will I know that this instrument is brand new and has never been played" or "this clarinet looks brand new but has it been tried out before but never been purchased?" The answer that I would give would depend on which of these possibilities is correct.
HRL
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Author: Todd W.
Date: 2004-07-09 00:16
Clay --
Ah, yeth! Another pithy comment from BobD. Sometimes he's so brief as to be downright cryptic. I'll make a guess, though, since he hasn't yet expanded on his posting.
I think he's saying that your questions indicate you might not be experienced enough to choose an instrument on your own. As you can see from the thread referenced by GBK, there are quite a number of elements to take into consideration. If, after reading this and other similar threads, you agree that you need help, one possibility that has been recommended is to bring along a more experienced clarinetist to advise you: your teacher, a clarinet teacher from a nearby college or university, an orchestral player or other full-time professional clarinetist, or possibly an advanced student at the college level. (You should be aware that some clarinetists have a bias [or antipathy] toward certain brands of instruments, which may influence their recommendations.) If you get someone to help you, offer to pay them for their time.
BobD may also be implying that if you're not capable of making the discriminations necessary to choose a better instrument, then you don't need a better instrument yet. I disagree. Why not buy the best you can afford and"grow into it"?
On the other hand, BobD brings up a valid point: If you can't determine what's best for you (in terms of picking out the "right" clarinet), then you are at the mercy of whoever is helping you. So, if your current clarinet is working well, you might want to delay your purchase until you've had more experience trying out various clarinets and can feel and hear the differences among them.
Along those lines, if Hank (above) is right about the thrust of your question, and you have doubts about the integrity of the store and its employees, you do need more knowledge (or a knowledgeable helper) to avoid being at their mercy. Or you could find a store you trust.
Of course, none of these guesses/ruminations may apply, but I hope they're of some help.
Todd W.
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Author: BobD
Date: 2004-07-09 14:07
Sorry if I offended you Clay....even by being cryptic. I stand accused! Todd W. has stated my feelings quite well, thank you Todd.
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Author: William
Date: 2004-07-09 14:53
I think that many of us are a bit uncomfortable when selecting new equipement. I was in Tom Ridenours studio at the LeBlanc factory when a world famous clarinetist--that we all know and admire--called and asked Tom to select a clarinet (new LeBlanc Concerto Bb) for his professional use. Tom finally agreed to select a few clarinets and meet with him at a local hotel so that he (the clarinetist) could make the final selection. My point is that you really have to be the one that is satisfied and not rely solely on the opinion of some stores sales person, or even that of the clarinet manufacturers head accoustician who designed the clarinet (aka Tom Ridenour for LeBlancs Opus/Concerto models)
Mostly, look for one that has a good sound, responds well in all registers and has an even scale--all notes having the same relative resonance, not some that seem to "stick out" or sound subdued. Intonation is important, but need not be absolutely perfect--it never really is. The sound and expressive flexability are the most important characteristics that I would look for. And the best way to judge a clarinets expressivenenss is to play it in a live ensemble and evaluate how the sound blends and maintains its focus at various dynamic levels. Check with the music store and see if they will allow you to take the new clarinet out on approval so that you can hear how it sounds outside of the stores audition room--which is usually not the best environment to evaluate an instruments true sound. Personally, I like a clarinet that can be played loud without sounding "tubby" and soft without lossing tonal quality or characteristic sound. Hope this helps a little bit--good luck.
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Author: lllebret
Date: 2004-07-09 15:18
Another thing that I personally find important is eveness of resistance between different registers- a clarinet that changes resistance can be very difficult to control when executing large intervals, especially if they are slurred. The advice to bring another clarinetist with you is really important- one doesn't hear the clarinet as the audience does- both the true tone quality (you are usually brighter in your own ears than the audience's), and also how well the sound projects. The ideal situation, as has been previously pointed out, is to be able to play the instrument in a rehearsal, preferably in a large hall. Don't forget to enjoy the experience- trying new instruments should be fun even if you don't buy at this time.
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Author: Clay
Date: 2004-07-10 03:53
BobD, it is my fault. I should have been more specifc in my question, and merely wanted to know what you look for. Sorry for the misunderstanding.
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Author: Clay
Date: 2004-07-10 03:56
Actually it is my fault. I should have been more specific. What I should have wrote was "what do YOU look for when buying a new clarinet"
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Author: BobD
Date: 2004-07-10 13:50
No problem,Clay. I currently own about 30 clarinets and two saxes. Of the two new ones I purchased I dislike one and like the other.....and both were purchased sight unseen ....on eBay. The one relatively recent experience attempting to buy a new clarinet from a major Chicago area dealer was totally unsatisfactory. I'm afraid I would not even consider purchasing a new clarinet now. Having played all the popular makes I find that the Buffet R13 is my favorite....hands down. I own only three of them and all were purchased on eBay. If I buy another it will be a used one and it will be on eBay...probably...unless some owner/player should happen to approach me. In my opinion an attempt to purchase a new "pro horn" (whatever THAT means) by someone who doesn't know what he is looking for has to be an exercise in frustration. There, you've made me take up more space here than I wanted to!! Oh, forgot, I own two old Vito plastic horns that play almost as good as the R13s.....Best wishes and good luck to you.....
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Author: William
Date: 2004-07-10 15:31
Bob D,
You wrote, "I own two old Vito plastic horns that play almost as good as the R13s". I would respectively add that it is my experiance that most student line clarinets, plastics included, play *almost* as well as any pro clarinet. However, that slight edge of *almost* can give an enormus advantage to the clarinetist in terms of slightly better sound, more easily controlled intonation and greater musical flexability. As I have often contended, Larry Combs would sound the same playing a Bundy Resonite as he does playing on his Opus II. It is just that he would have to work much harder on the student grade clarinet to achieve his usual excellance of performance. And I'll bet a bag of Fritos that he could.
But life is too short for us to have to work that hard at having fun like playing the clarinet(s). So that is why we are willing to put out the "big bucks" for the grenadilla and greenline, "made in France" whatevers, instead of the much cheaper "untouched by human hands" mostly machine made plastic instruments that can also double as tent stakes in a storm--but which are also *almost* as good.
Clay, again I'll offer, just find a clarinet that plays well for you and one that you enjoy playing. And take it out on approval before final purchase, if possible, so that you can "test drive" it in a live ensemble. Enjoy the search and good luck.
(I'll bet that my Yamaha effer would have the same holding strength as my Bundy Resonite "beater" if used on my tent.......whatdayouallthink??)
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