 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Jaysne
Date: 2006-08-08 21:44
I am going to be playing Eb in an orch in October. I ordered one from the Woodwind, but they're on backorder until October. Can anyone tell me where I might find an inexpensive, decent (doesn't have to be wonderful) horn to buy or rent? None of the stores in my neighborhood sell or rent them. Thanks.
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Author: Neil
Date: 2006-08-08 22:57
Clarinuts (BB sponsor) has a couple listed. They're up in Mass.
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Author: Jaysne
Date: 2006-08-09 02:21
Merlin wrote:
> What kind of Eb did you order?
>
Their own Woodwind brand.
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Author: Sean.Perrin
Date: 2006-08-09 03:33
merlin will probably tel you that Gary Armstrong woodwinds (www.garyarmstrong.com) is having a sale on their E11s this summer... I'd go with that over the woodwindn brand.
I bought an R13 Eb of the classifieds here in may... Id check there too.
Founder and host of the Clarineat Podcast: http://www.clarineat.com
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Author: LarryBocaner ★2017
Date: 2006-08-09 13:07
I have a student playing an E11 Buffet Eb clarinet that is surprisingly good!
Interesting note: it has "jump" trill keys, a la Leblanc.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2006-08-09 14:35
I recently sold a good-playing Bundy Eefer to a band teacher from Kentucky, showing her also my Noblet [wood] Eb which she really wanted, but I couldn't bring myself to part with it. I have only minimal skill on it, perhaps one of my grandkids will play/cherish? it. Hope you find a good one, perhaps in tune with the ?sharp? piccolos. Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: Jaysne
Date: 2006-08-10 19:32
Thanks to everyone for your help. I am curious, do you have an opinion about buying a plastic Eb vs. spending maybe twice as much for a wooden one, with the knowledge that I will most likely not play it that much?
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Author: Sean.Perrin
Date: 2006-08-10 21:43
Probably more than twice as much in lot of cases... Anyway, it's good to keep in mind that everything is accentuated because of it's smaller size, so a bad one will be way worse than a bad Bb. The worst part about that is you get used to the horrible idiosyncracies that plague them... and have an even harder time applying proper technique to a real one.
I would buy a good one if you plan on playing it for a while.
Founder and host of the Clarineat Podcast: http://www.clarineat.com
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Author: Ebclarinet1
Date: 2006-08-13 14:56
Hi there!
I've played Eb since '65, starting with the school's instrument, then getting my own Bundy. That one was a surprisingly good horn for a Bundy, with only a few notes out of tune, but I have played ones that were just awful, so beware. A good mouthpiece seems more critical for it than some other things. So, if you go with this option, it will be wise to art least invest in a decent mouthpiece. The Hawkins one is very good value for the money. With that horn I really needed 4+ reeds to stay in tune with the flutes/piccolos in the upper notes. You can also adjust the pitch of the notes with sliver keys, etc. One of my friends actually played every note above C using the next higher half step with this horn in order to stay in tune, but I never did. It is good for an emergency with a really sharp flute or piccolo beside you.
As i got better I bought a Noblet. Thew music stire had gotten severtal in, so I had my pick. The high E was a bad note but otherwise not a bad horn. Coupled with a Van Doren 5RV mouthpiece it made quite pretty music. Add the right hand sliver key for the high E and it was a good horn with almost all the notes in good intonation. I've also seen/ heard bad ones of them. However this is one that sounds pretty good and is reasonable. I've seen some on Ebay in the last year.
I next graduated to a Buffet R13. That was a quantum leap but also of course much more pricey. I tried 6 of these when I bought mine and all were quite good. This was ~1984. I know what comes out of the Buiffet factory is variable but this group were remarkably good and similar. A lot of my friends have userd this for Symphony auditions and gotten spots with it, so it was just not my playing, it sounded good when others played it too. It has done Til, Daphnis and a few of the other big Eeefer solos very nicely. A used R13 would be an excellent investment as I sold my '84 horn for MORE money that I bought it.
Three years ago I was looking to buy a new horn and I tried the Buffet Prestige. It was the best Eefer I've ever touched in virtualy all aspects, but of course, REALLY pricey. The main differences are a much more in tune scale and the ability to play even the highest noters softly. It blends much better in both the symphony and concert band, perhaps a little less "edge" than the R13, but i think that works better for most of the Eefer solos. Even Til is prettier with this horn. It has a weird little hole in the tenon on the upper joint and this EEfer comes with the middle joints separate, unlike the R13 or others. Right now I have a Behn mouthpiece that I use most of the time but also a Grabner and a Fobes that sound a bit better if I'm just in the lower range (like the solo in Bolero).
Hope that's some help. One other thing. Once you OWN an Eefer, you might get JOBS for Eefer too. They seem to go hand-in-hand! Also it is way fun. It is cool to be at the top of the column of sound.
Best of luck.
Eefer guy
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Author: coasten1
Date: 2006-08-15 18:10
I tried 3 Woodwind Eb's from WWBW a year ago.
Watch the right hand middle finger B/F# it was about 20 cents off from the pitch of the rest of the clarinet. I don't remember if it was flat or sharp, but it was bad. I wrote WWBW about that when I returned them. I could see maybe one clarinet with the issue, but all three did the same thing. The forked B/F# was in tune. Also, the ligature that came with the clarinets did not stay on the mouthpiece. Anytime you started to tighten the ligature, it would start to slide up the reed and mouthpiece. I got by with a velcro strap securing the reed. If it wasn't for the out of tune note, I probably would have bought the clarinet. I could justify the cost for only playing it when we needed a part covered in one of the bands I play in.
Luckily, I recently found a Noble wood Eb on Ebay for a steal. I had it overhauled, bought a new mouthpiece and ligature. Granted I put more money into it than I would have with the Woodwind, but now I have a horn that is worth about 3 times what I initially paid for the horn.
Tony
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Author: Zeph
Date: 2006-08-25 22:26
Completely agree with you Eefer Guy. I played on a band owned Noblet Artist Eb for 15 years. I still love the tone of the lower register but it was horribly flat at the top - so much so that had to invent my own fingerings! I found that it was really limiting my playing so searched for a replacement. I tried various Yamahas, Selmers and Buffets, but only one really stood out and that was the Buffet Prestige.
Yes, it cost me an arm and a leg but the feel of the keywork and the superb tuning (especially in the top register) were in a league of their own. I have played on it for a couple of years now and have not looked back. I really enjoy all Eb parts now that i can play them in tune and best of all the control of the top register is so much easier (more so than on my Bb!!).
It did take me quite a while to find the right mouthpiece, reed and ligature combo (i must have tried 10's of combinations), but it was worth the effort. I now use a B44 mouthpiece, Rovner (Eddie Daniels) Ligature and Vandoren reeds. With the Noblet i had to use +4 strength reeds to get enough support in the top register, but now with the Buffet i can get away with a 2.5 - 3 which I find allows much more flexibility.
Jaysne, whatever Eb you get make sure you try as many as you can first. Buffet are a fairly safe bet and if you can find a older second hand model you're likely to get a very good deal. Some of the older ones are more in tune than the newer models!
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Author: JessKateDD
Date: 2006-08-25 23:04
My main Eb is an R13, only a few years old. However, my backup, a plastic Bundy which is easily 30 years old, plays just about as well. Sometimes you can find the Bundy horns for sale on the giant auction site that must not be named.
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Author: Tony Beck
Date: 2006-08-26 17:16
My Noblet 40 goes flat in altissimo, but is actually very good otherwise. I've been playing it in community band this year and have to say it's a hoot! Candide has been a challange. It requires a lot of lipping and a couple alternate fingerings, but is do-able on the Noblet. The intonation issues seem to be very much barrel, mouthpiece and reed dependant. I'm playing a home made 42mm barrel, B44 reface, close and long, and a refaced Woodwind Co. that is medium all around. Reeds are Bb White Master 3 1/2s or Gonzalaz 3 1/2s. If one is giving trouble another setup will usually work.
It might be worthwhile to check with Dave S. or one of the other techs to see if they have a reasonably good eefer for not a lot of money. That way you aren't a lot poorer should Eb not be your thing.
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Author: TheCheeseMaker
Date: 2006-08-27 21:20
If you are looking t buy a good Eb clarinet the best shop I've seen is Howarth in London. I know its in England but since wwbw's price increase its probably just as cheap.
Peter.
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