The Clarinet BBoard

Re: Help deciding

Author: Jack Kissinger  Date:   2004-08-22 13:15 First of all, to answer your specific question, I am inclined to agree with msloss though I find myself leaning toward the Yamaha for a few reasons. First, in my experience, unless the Buffets have improved greatly quite recently, Yamaha stock mouthpieces are considerably better. This may not be an issue if your older daughter already has a better mouthpiece. Second, according to the Yamaha website, the 250 comes with Valentino pads. These pads are synthetic and, in addition to sealing well, should last a long time (when Valentino was still selling them directly, he gave a lifetime guarantee) and are waterproof. That means you shouldn't have to replace them if your daughter has to march in the rain and they get wet. Buffet's website mentions that the B10 has Valentino pads but says nothing about the B12. It used to have bladder pads. If it still does, I would downrate it as a marching band instrument. One good soaking can cost you $100 or more depending on repair prices in your area. Check with the store where you tried out the instruments. A third reason I might prefer the Yamaha is that the Buffets are now being made with silver plated PLASTIC body rings. Other than cosmetic, I can't see what function they serve and, it seems to me, they would be prone to break. The Yamaha website does not say anything about the 250's body rings so perhaps they too are plastic. If they are metal, however, I would regard them as more sturdy. The function of body rings is perhaps less important for a plastic clarinet than it would be for a wooden one, but even so, if I had to have rings, I would rather they be metal. Again, check with the dealer. One final consideration is that the B12 (like the E11) is pitched slightly sharp (A = 442 rather than 440). Buffet apparently considers their primary market for this instrument to be absolute beginners. Because children have a tendency to play flat when they first start out (and until their embouchure develops), pitching the instrument a little higher is an ad hoc adjustment that makes it easier for them to play in tune with other instruments in the band early on. By now, your daughter is probably past that stage. In a world of trumpets, being pitched a little sharp is not necessarily a bad thing . If your daughter will use the instrument for district and state competitions, however, she might find a standard pitched instrument easier to play in tune with her accompanist. I don't know where the Yamaha is pitched. Perhaps, however, it would be worth returning to the store where you tried the instruments and try them both with a tuner. If everything else is equal, the easier one to play in tune is probably the better choice. FYI, a quick check at the Woodwind and Brasswind tells me that mail order price for these two instruments is around $450. I hope your store is in the ballpark. In your case, at this point, time may be more important than money. (Our daughter's school has already started.) If not, and you don't mind dealing with the shipping and possible returns, the Forte and Ridenour instruments mentioned above might be worth a look. I haven't seen either so I can't honestly say if they are worth the trouble. Another option, however, that I just discovered is that Woodwind and Brasswind is closing out some Leblanc V40's. Until they are sold out, they are selling for $425 new. Leblanc considers them a plastic intermediate clarinet and I think they are a clear step up from the B12. I used to use a B12 with Valentino pads that I installed as my bad weather horn. I have replaced it with a V40 that I picked up on eBay. If you search the board archives on V40, you will find other positive comments on this model. Best of luck to you and your daughters. jnk

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