 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Susan B.
Date: 2000-07-12 15:31
Please, I need any and all advise on what models to look for when buying a used clarinet (B flat). I'm taking up clarinet after being away from it for about 20 yrs. Played for 10 years on an older B&H from the late 40's that I no longer have. I've been advised to look for one of the "big 4". I know I want wood and not a "beginner" instrument. But something in an "intermediate or advanced" student line or possibly a used pro. I'll be playing in the community band and the community orchestra and some ensemble work. I prefer the "dark" tones of a clarinet. I live in a fairly rural area and getting to a music store is a major outing (the closest is a solid 2 hrs. drive for me), so any advise is welcomed.
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Author: Fred
Date: 2000-07-12 16:49
Susan - You didn't say if you had a budget figure that you had to work with. You can get some decent used intermediate horns cheap ($100-200), though you had better plan of spending an additional $100-200 to get it in good condition. If you are lucky, you won't have to spend that money, but be prepared.
If you can afford to step up in cost, you can get a used "big 4" pro horn for $800-1000 which might actually be playable when you buy it. Intermediates tend to be attic refugees, while pro horns are often swapped while still playable. I would HIGHLY recommend the pro horn route if cost doesn't prohibit it. Don't forget to add the cost of a decent mouthpiece to your purchase. Many horns are sold without mouthpieces, and with some others the included mouthpiece will not be adequate.
Now here's a question for the other clarinetists out there. In this circumstance, would you consider a horn with a repaired crack? They tend to sell pretty cheap, as many folks won't consider them at all, and yet they could still play just fine. Under what circumstances, if any, would you consider buying a horn with a repaired crack? Is this an option for Susan?
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Author: paul
Date: 2000-07-12 16:54
Check this BBS's Classified section for starters. Watch out for bidding service web sites, because it's a true garage sale environment with many horror stories of poor bargains to out and out ripoffs.
Big 4 brands include Buffet, LeBlanc, Selmer, and Yamaha. Stick with these brands. All of them offer solid intermediate and typically good pro grade horns. The Buffet R-13 is the most well known pro grade horn, but even with this product, you can find real dogs and an occassional gem. The Buffet E-13 usually gets high marks if you can find one. Rumor has it that it was originally an R-13 that had some cosmetic defects. The E-11 is a high quality intermediate horn, but is affordable even new (provided you shop etailers and mail order places for the best bargain). Buffet and all of the others now have premium pro grade horns like my Festival. Typically, these are beautiful horns (both for looks and performance), so they can command a higher price. And no, my Festival ain't for sale! 
I don't personally know much about the LeBlanc and Selmer lines of clarinets, but peruse these manufacturers' Web sites to get an idea of their product line offering. It doesn't change radically from year to year, so you will have a good idea of what's out there in the used horn market for intermediate and pro grade horns.
I personally owned and enjoyed playing a Yamaha YCL-52 intermediate grade Bb soprano clarinet. At the time I got it as a new horn (1994 model year), it had straight cut tone holes. Current models now sport undercut tone holes. The keywork was first rate, the horn was a joy to play for a novice like me, but the produced tone was a bit bland. I believe that undercut tone holes in the newer models helped make a better tone. Intonation was very good. Even though I sold the horn a few years ago, I still have fond memories of it.
See the classified section to get a gauge on the market prices of used intermediate and pro grade horns.
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Author: paul
Date: 2000-07-12 17:08
Hey, if the price is right and the original owner is honest about it, why not give it a try? My pro tutor's beater of an R-13 is downright u-u-ugly. It's nasty looking and badly worn. But boy can that horn play! Wow!! I guess the two pins in it may have done it some good. If you find a horn that can play as well as this, even if it's been pinned and doctored into looking like Frankenstein with pickaxe style plastic surgery, it's still got some good life left in it. Plus, the price will be much more reasonable. Just make sure all pads are okay, springs and pins are okay, and there are no nasty unidentified life forms making a home in it.
...and no, you still can't have my nearly new, gently used, professionally regulated, pampered, and spit polished Festival!
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2000-07-12 21:56
Paul;s advice [with humor attached] is very good. I personally like the LeBlancs and Selmers, their pro horns may be different in tonal character from the R 13, but I prefer them. Re: cracked horns, yes, if VERY well repaired will be Ok, and much less expensive,[read on EBAY], but insist on a trial [by you or a pro]. I have and have had several "cheapies" which have been as good as new! Rots of ruck! Don
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Author: Dee
Date: 2000-07-12 22:35
Yes I would consider it. There are two criteria. 1) The quality of the repair. 2) How well does it play for you.
When I was in high school, I was upgrading my clarinet. The *ONLY* instrument that I found that played and sounded the way I wanted it to (and could afford) was the Leblanc Symphonie II that I still play. It has a repaired crack that is virtually invisible. Although I've only played a few other pro horns since I haven't been in the market to get a different one, I have preferred my Leblanc to those that I have tried.
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Author: Dee
Date: 2000-07-12 22:38
Once you have narrowed it down to quality instruments, the only way you can pick one that meets your objectives is to play them. Even though brand A may have a reputation for a certain sound and brand B a reputation for another, individual instrument variances can cause them to end up being very similar or even more different than can be expected.
Also I recommend trying the instruments with the same mouthpiece and reed to eliminate as many variables as possible. If you try each instrument with the mouthpiece that comes with it, you won't know if the variation is due to the instrument or the mouthpiece. The latter can have a dramatic impact and can bias your tests.
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Author: Eoin McAuley
Date: 2000-07-13 07:34
I was reading the pamphlet on care of wooden clarinets that came with my Buffet E13. It actually states that a crack will not affect the tone of your clarinet if it is properly repaired. This is a strange thing to put in the instructions for a brand new instrument!
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