 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: TeaPea
Date: 1999-12-31 05:09
Thank you all. Because of you I poked around and found a shop that carried used Vitos/Yamaha/Buffet/etc... and gives 3 free lessons, warranty 1 year, free maintenance/cleaning 1 year. It's almost too good to be true. I'll see for myself when I head on over there tommorow.
Now, has anyone used the Vito France? What would be a fair used price for that one? Can anyone recommend a model number? Would it be best to get a cheap Vito and get an expensive mouthpiece OR get a more expensive Vito type clarinet and use the mouthpiece it comes with?
toodles
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Author: Willie
Date: 1999-12-31 05:36
The Vito is a good and fairly rugged student model. It's been around for a while and is time proven. Note that it is breakable as it IS plastic, but then all clarinets have their breaking point (you ought to see some of the poor things brought to me from the school). Tone is pretty good and with the right mouthpiece @ reed, it can get better.
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Author: Albert
Date: 1999-12-31 06:19
IMHO, you should go for the mouthpiece. Stock mp's that come with the instrument are usually never good. Also, have you heard of the Vito VSP? It's exactly like the Vito France model, but it's all wood. The Vito Fra. has a wood body, plus a plastic barrel and bell. They both run around $550-600, just like Buffet E11s. Good luck! Sounds like a good deal!
¦¬)
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Author: Dee
Date: 1999-12-31 14:01
No matter which one you get, don't use the mouthpiece that comes with it unless the store or previous owner has already substituted a good one from an independent maker (in some areas, band directors have been able to get stores to do this as a general practice).
As mentioned under one of the other posts, the Hite Premier and Fobes Debut are reputed to be very good at a most reasonable price. The Vandoren B45, a little more expensive, is also very popular and works well beginners. Any of these mouthpieces will be suitable for even advanced playing (although advanced players often change as they are then ready to look at what suits them personally and the type of music that they wish to play).
Also be sure to buy decent quality reeds. The store will probably try to sell you the plain, cheap Ricos as this is where parents try to save some money until they become educated on the differences. For beginners, the Mitchell Lurie in about a 2 1/2 strength or a Rico Royal in that same strength is a good place to start. Also one reed is not enough. Get perhaps five reeds. Each day use a different one (this is called rotating the reeds).
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 1999-12-31 14:22
I have two middle school clarinet students (who will soon be way ahead of me in playing!) who started with the Hite Premiers. Both have done very well with them: 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 Mitchell Lauries work very well with them; 2 1/2s will work all the way up into the high clarion without any trouble at all, and by the time the student is ready for the altissimo a 3 or 3 1/2 works just fine. They tune well with a B12 - I don't know how well they tune with other instruments.
I've not tried the Fobes or Pyne Polycrystal yet - but probably will as I get a new students. Both these people have very good reputations, and these "low-end" (plastic) mouthpieces are very affordable.
Both my students use the Luyben plastic ligatures, too. It trains them from overtightening the ligatures, sounds very nice with the Hite & the B12, is affordable, and keeps the mouthpiece from being dinged deeply from a metal ligature.
When I get instruments for beginners (something I do pretty often nowadays as a help to some local friends) I always buy a complete set of things instead of doing it later - a clarinet, different mouthpiece, different ligature, metronome, music stand, reed holder, possibly music books, 5(!) boxes of reeds, and a couple of other things. That way the parents, the ones spending all that money, don't get nickel & dimed to death later - that's where there's the possibility of misunderstanding between the pupil & their parents ("But I just bought you a reed last month!"). I have the parents put 4 boxes away and explain a 5 reed rotation to them. New students tend to chip or split reeds faster than someone with experience, and I don't want them playing on junk reeds - ever. Nothing spoils playing quite so much as squealing, whistling, shrieking - all those things that happen with bad reeds and mouthpieces.
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Author: Donn
Date: 1999-12-31 17:26
Just wanted to say "Very good advice from all, as usual, and wish everyone on this site a very Happy New Year."
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Author: Ginny
Date: 1999-12-31 18:53
If there is anyway you can, find a clarinetist and let them try the horn or as many as are available, Vitos vary. They'll be able to find the 'pick of the litter.' The Vandoren M13 or B45 mouthpieces each work very well with ours, but are pretty costly. You can talk the price down, just like in a used car lot, which I hate doing personally.
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