 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: neil.clarinet
Date: 2006-11-12 18:19
Having recently started teaching clarinet on a more regular basis, I have noticed with some interest that the majority of children I am teaching were advised by their previous teachers to have Jupiter clarinets. I teach around 9 different people on clarinet a week at present, mostly age 10 or 11 and in the very early stages. I think only one of them has the Buffet B12, usually the favourite at this stage, and what I started on at that age.
What are others' experiences of Jupiter clarinets. I had a Jupiter saxophone many years ago and didn't like it at all. It is hard to tell when played by beginners, but the Jupiters sound reasonable for their purposes, though I'm not sure how they would be when someone is more advanced. I would be interested in any other experiences.
(co-incidently all the flautists I have met in those schools have Jupiter as well)
Post Edited (2006-11-12 18:23)
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Author: David Peacham
Date: 2006-11-12 19:27
Maybe you should be glad that the kids don't have clarinets from one of the CSO brands we love to hate.
Jupiter instruments are stocked by reputable retailers who won't touch other economy brands - this alone suggests that they aren't too bad to play, and are repairable.
At least some Jupiter instruments have a good reputation - their flugelhorns seem to be well thought-of by people who know about such things.
You probably shouldn't rely too much on your experience of years ago - by all accounts the early Yamahas weren't too hot, and look at them now. Similarly, Amati are reputed to have improved a lot in recent years.
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If there are so many people on this board unwilling or unable to have a civil and balanced discussion about important issues, then I shan't bother to post here any more.
To the great relief of many of you, no doubt.
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2006-11-12 19:33
Is Jupiter a manufacturer or are they stencils of other manufacturers? Or are they stencilling for other manufacturers and also sell under their own name?
(I know their name for eons, mostly from brass instruments)
--
Ben
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Author: neil.clarinet
Date: 2006-11-12 20:21
Indeed it could be a lot worse! Thanks for those thoughts. I was led to believe Jupiter had improved in recent years, so they sound OK. Just a little curious as I hadn't known much about Jupiter and then I find nearly everyone I am teaching has them. I also agree on the Yamaha, they have definitely grown in reputation over the years.
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2006-11-13 03:10
Jupiters are not "CSO"s, they are reputable instruments made by a Taiwanese firm in their own factory. In the sax world they have a pretty good reputation. Their flutes are supposed to be good also, but I'm not enough of a flutist to speak authoritatively -- Gordon(NZ) knows about such things, perhaps he can comment? Think of Jupiter instruments as analogous to current Korean-made automobiles: not quite up to Japanese standards yet, but getting close.
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2006-11-13 04:09
I have real experience with one Jupiter clarinet and one Jupiter alto saxophone. The Jupiter clarinet (don't know what model) was decent for its price. It didn't have a great sound, the keywork wasn't too noisy for this price clarinet, and build quality in general was very ok. Would be ok for students. The Jupiter alto sax (that I still have borrowed from a friend) is really excellent.
Overall it looks to me that Jupiter is a decent company that makes both good and just ok instruments. I haven't yet seen a really bad instrument from Jupiter.
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Author: ohsuzan
Date: 2006-11-13 05:07
The late wife of a friend had a Jupiter flute. She was a very, very fine flutist. When it was discovered that she had a serious illness, her husband, hoping to lift her spirits, offered to buy her any flute that she desired. They did the usual comparison shopping among high end instruments, but the instrument she chose -- because she thought it was the best -- was the Jupiter.
Just this year, my friend decided that it was time to part with that flute. He gave it outright to another member of our group -- a good flutist of limited financial means who was playing on the Gemeinhart that she had had since fourth grade. The change in her tone and the fluidity of her playing was dramatic and instantaneous -- obviously, that particular Jupiter, at least, is a gem.
Susan
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Author: OpusII
Date: 2006-11-13 06:47
I've recently tried some new Jupiter clarinet models, and they are really good beginners clarinet, I found the intonation and the assembling quality (All the pads where nicely placed and the pads weren’t to close to the wood) to be better than a Buffet Crampon E11/E13. The sound was also very good, I think they’re really well build for the price you pay.
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Author: SolidRockMan
Date: 2006-11-13 12:02
Haven't tried a clarinet but on the recommendation of an excellent woodwind retailer I have a Jupiter 500 series alto sax.
I'd have no hesitation in recommending this saxophone to any beginner...
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2006-11-13 14:59
Certainly Jupiter have improved a lot since the mid-'80s when the Taiwanese saxes gained popularity as an alternative to the former Eastern European Amati and B&S student saxes which were the most affordable, though not the best ones on the market as they had all sorts of problems.
Jupiter saxes had their problems which they tried unsuccessfully to rectify (the altos had unstable low notes which they 'cured' by glueing a brass baffle into the upper part of the U tube), and their flutes weren't exactly on par with the leading Taiwanese company producing both Sapphire and Trevor James flutes which although they had soft brass keys, they did play very easily throughout the entire range. Yamaha student models were more expensive so were out of most parents budgets, but were the ones which were most desireable and recommended.
But since they redesigned all their instruments in the mid-'90s they have been a force to be reckoned with - their student flutes and saxes are well made and play very well.
Their plastic clarinets are made in Jupiter's factory in China, but they do go through strict quality control checks and are definitely better built and set up in comparison to other Chinese made clarinets - Jupiter have built up a good reputation and they're certainly keeping it.
Not only that, they make parts for other large and reputable brass and flute companies as they have the tooling to form bells and draw toneholes, and they're using much better alloys and parts than they once were.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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