 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Nicole Y.
Date: 2000-07-01 19:23
Oka, so I just got back from camp. While at camp, I tried out my friends' Buffets and Selmers...and I have to say, that my Leblanc was like playing wet cement after that. So my mother said I could sell my Leblanc and get a different clarinet. Do you guys think I should keep trying Leblanc? My mother is getting tired of me saying that there's something wrong or that there's something that works better for me.
c/o 03
Nikki
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Author: Nicole Y.
Date: 2000-07-01 19:24
OOOOPS! Sorry. I just got back and I have to readjust to the computer.
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Author: Dee
Date: 2000-07-01 19:45
Which particular Leblanc do you have, how old is it, and when was the last time it had a good overhaul including regulation of the key heights and key action?
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Author: William
Date: 2000-07-02 17:57
FYI--After being a Buffet R-13 player for many years, it took me a while to get uses to my LeBlanc Concertos even after Tom Ridenour twicked them for me. I think that to my advantage, I had been a Selmer player before converting to Buffets, so that made my transition a bit easier as LeBlanc are more like the old Selmers than the Buffets of the sixties ( I guess that dates Me!!!). I like the eveness and intonation of the LeBlancs, but still frequently consiser returning to my R-13s, which I still have and play from time to time. There is just something about that Buffet sound. Advice, play the instrument that you enjoy--being a musician is hard enough. Always good to read your comments, good luck.
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Author: Robin
Date: 2000-07-03 05:37
Unless you have lots and lots of money, Nicole, be careful about rushing on to the 'buying-the-clarinet-motorway'. It's mighty hard to navigate!
Have you a set-up that you really like? Did you use your mouthpiece on your friends' clarinets?
All the best,
Rob.
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Author: Hiroshi
Date: 2000-07-05 03:26
If you yourself and your mother thinks something wrong with your present instrument, something is wrong. Smoke does come out only from fire.
I recommend Selmer 10SII with a Chadash "A" barrel, Greg Smith Kasper Style mouthpiece, Bonard inverted ligature, and Zonda classique reed. That is what I use.
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Author: Hiroshi
Date: 2000-07-05 03:27
If you yourself and your mother thinks something wrong with your present instrument, something is wrong. Smoke does come out only from fire.
I recommend Selmer 10SII with a Chadash "A" barrel, Greg Smith Kasper Style mouthpiece, Bonard inverted ligature, and Zonda classique reed. That is what I use.
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2000-07-05 19:10
Nicole Y. wrote:
-------------------------------
Oka, so I just got back from camp. While at camp, I tried out my friends' Buffets and Selmers...and I have to say, that my Leblanc was like playing wet cement after that. So my mother said I could sell my Leblanc and get a different clarinet. Do you guys think I should keep trying Leblanc? My mother is getting tired of me saying that there's something wrong or that there's something that works better for me.
c/o 03
Nikki
Nikki -
Welcome to the wonderful world where the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. We've all been there. Some of us live there full time.
If you have a decent model Leblanc, the difference between it and any other good instrument should not be obvious to other people, and should be something that doesn't drive you to distraction. No good instrument will play "like wet cement" unless it's leaking or somehow out of whack. For example, if the mouthpiece is even slightly loose in the barrel, you'll get that wet cement feeling.
Therefore, the first thing to do (no matter how loud that new Festival or Signature out there is calling) is take your Leblanc to the repair shop and have it adjusted to play its best.
Larry Combs could pick up a Bundy, with a Bundy mouthpiece and a brown-box Rico reed, and sound fabulous. You or I could take his extensively tweaked Opus, hand-made Pyne mouthpiece and hand-finished reed and sound only a little better than we do now.
Nevertheless, if you (and your teacher) find that a new clarinet frees up your playing, and your parents can afford it, this would be a good time to move up to a top quality instrument. I have not tried the complete setup from Gregory Smith (Smith mouthpiece, Chadash barrel, Brannenized Buffet R-13) or Tom Ridenour (Ridenour mouthpiece, Selmer Signature), but I think there are significant advantages in having an instrument set up as a whole.
Let us know what happens.
Good luck.
Ken Shaw
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Author: paul
Date: 2000-07-05 21:45
I have to echo the comments about horn performance and typical technical problems with the horn. I had a leaking keypad on the Bb side trill key on my Festival. It made all of the altissimo sound absolutely terrible and it really wasn't my fault. The woodwind tech reseated the pad while I waited (about 30 minutes or so). He also planed my Vandoren mouthpieces perfectly flat so the reed would behave better. I still wasn't an overnight success, but the altissimo came out a lot better that night. Oh, by the way, these minor adjustments were done at no cost.
So, have a good tech take a look at your horn and check it out from top to bottom for you. You might not get the work done for free, but the work shouldn't cost more than about $25 or so for minor adjustments and key pad reseating on one or two misadjusted pads. Believe me, this minor work can make a world of difference in your horn.
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