 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: lowc
Date: 2006-03-25 01:21
Well, I've had my Ridenour BC147C for about 15 months. And, I've learned a lot about design, quality, ergonomics, advice, etc., etc., etc.
The old adage that you get what you pay for is true in this case. This instrument does not have robust key works. It is so sensitive to adjustment that I have to carry a small toolkit everywhere. Now, I know that clarinets require small tweaky adjustments often. But, this horn almost cannot be handled with the need for key adjustment. The timing of the key pads on the lower joint come out of adjustment soooo easily.
Last week, the spring on the level of the C#/G# upper joint key broke just before a concert date. The repair person who takes care of my clarinets works for Arioso here in north Texas. She told me that the spring must have been getting looser for a while because the set hole in the key peg was reamed out too much for a standard replacement. I ended up with a stiffer (thicker) spring. That will take some getting used to.
The joint corks are engineered to be too thin. It's difficult to keep them from fraying and breaking. They have been replaced twice in 15 months.
The plating on the side G#/Ab upper joint side level is already gone. The four upper joint trill keys are so uncomfortable; they overlap the bottom joint by approximately 3/8" too much making right hand position difficult.
Intonation is great. The horn speaks easily into the altissimo. But, the mechanical problems are a pain.
What's been your experiences so far if you have one of these instruments?
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Author: pewd
Date: 2006-03-25 01:50
well the guy sitting directly behind me in band has one
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: Merlin
Date: 2006-03-25 14:13
I tried out a Ridenour bass at NAMM, and like you, found a lot of mechanical/setup issues...and this is an instrument on display at a major trade show!
I played it right in front of Tom Ridenour, and stated clearly what I thought were the shortcomings. I was hoping to add them to our lines here at the store, but I cannot justify bringing in an instrument that would take several hours of setup work to make playable.
OTOH, I was quite impressed by the Arioso C clarinets.
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Author: William
Date: 2006-03-25 14:21
When I bought my Buffet Prestege low C, I was told that keeping it in proper adjustment would be "a pain." However, my experiance has been exactly the opposite. Maybe, I'm just lucky, but I do try to handle it with care.
Havn't seen the new "Ridenour" low C bass yet, but--personally knowing TR from his days at LeBlanc "pushing" the Opus/Concerto models--although he is an accoustical genious, he is also a super salesperson and most likely "cut some corners" in the quality of his new basses components to keep the price more affordable--and thus, increase instrument sales. "You get what you pay for" is probably an accurate observation..............thanks for your very fine review.
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2006-03-25 22:49
I hate to say "search the archives", but.... I did post here (back around January of 2005, I think) about my own experience with the Ridenour low-C bass clarinet. My opinion of the instrument itself notwithstanding, I can say that Tom was totally honest, forthright and helpful in all my dealings with him. He is a salesman, yes --- but I don't believe he ever misled me.
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Author: William
Date: 2006-03-26 15:50
I certainly did not mean to imply that Tom Ridenlour is dishonest in any way with his customers or in the representation of his products. What I mean't was that he is an intelligent businessman who understands the economics of the marketplace and would not design a new "super Hummer" bass clarinet that only the affluent few could afford to purchase. Nothing wrong in "cutting corners"if the resulting product performs as good as the competition for less big bucks. Personally, I like TR as a person and regard him to be a master craftsman/accoustician of clarinet design. In catagorizing him as a "super salesperson", I did not mean to imply dishonesty, but rather having the personallity and sales skill to convince you that you really need "that new thing" and cannot live/play without "it". And for that, after buying a set of LeBlanc clarinets (that Tom tweaked for me at no cost) and a few mouthpieces (like I need another mouthpiece), he has my total respect--and I remain proud to call him a friend.
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Author: lowc
Date: 2007-05-24 12:42
As of 30 April 2007, Arioso Musical Instruments, Dallas, TX, has discontinued U.S. operations. The web site has been taken down. Arioso is the U.S. name of the Taiwan manufacturer that has been producing the Arioso brand and Ridenour brand clarinets. This information is reported first hand from a former employee of Arioso's U.S. operations.
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Author: Dano
Date: 2007-05-24 14:08
I went looking for a good beater bass to start playing bass for the first time and I found a never used, mint condition TR147 bass on ebay at a super low price and have had it for about 3 weeks. I agree that the instrument is quite adjustment sensitive especially in the lower, right hand keys. Since three weeks ago was the first time I ever picked up a bass clarinet, it does serve it's purpose for me (learning bass after 40 years of only soprano). I can understand getting frustrated if trying to use it as an everyday bass.
By the way, being a good salesman on your product is admiralble. Buyers should make sure they are better buyers than the salesman is a salesman. You can't expect anyone to "undersell" the product they are selling.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2007-05-24 14:36
If someone sneezes in the last row of the balcony , the bass clarinet gets a cold. My Buffet goes out of adjustment constantly. Glue a remnant of thick carpet to the top of the case and lay the instrument on it like a baby.
Contras are even worse.
Ken Shaw
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Author: BassetHorn
Date: 2007-05-24 15:41
It's a good idea to learn how the mechanism works on your clarinets so that you are able to perform minor adjustment yourself as part of your maintenance routine or during emergency. Only lugging it to your repairman for major problems will save you money and time.
To avoid throwing the instruments out of adjustment, I also line the cases with protective foams to fit the instruments snugly and put them down like putting baby to his bathtub. I get funny looks from other players but I don't care.
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