 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: themastercheief
Date: 2008-07-04 01:18
Hello fellow clarinetists,
I'm new to this board mainly because i've a few questions that need answers.
1) I'm just going in to college but i'm not going to major in music as much as I love it. However, i do want to master (to my fullest) the clarinet. I have a Bundy that i bought for high school and here's my question. Should i repair this Bundy that i have (needs corks, and i believe it has leaks) and i need a new barrel and mouthpiece or should i invest in a new clarinet altogether? Just suggestions. I am broke and i'm just wondering if i should put $500-$800 on a new clarinet.
2) What mouthpiece would be the best to get. Like, i know the sound that comes out of the clarinet mostly depends on the mouthpiece so no matter how much it costs, what mouthpiece is the best?
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2008-07-04 06:35
There is no such thing as "the best," first of all. The "best mouthpiece" for you may not work at all for someone else, and vice versa.
Get together with a real teacher to see exactly what work your clarinet will need, and see if you would be better served, at this time, by investing in a better clarinet. Overall, Bundy clarinets are beginners' horns. Out of curiosity, what's wrong with the barrel on the Bundy to make you think you need a new one?
For $500-800, you will have to look at used instruments to get much of anything better than what you are playing at present. Tom Ridenour has a new, student-level horn in that range, too. Most likely this would be far superior to the Bundy. Again, speak with a teacher in the area for his/her recommendation.
Jeff
“Everyone discovers their own way of destroying themselves, and some people choose the clarinet.” Kalman Opperman, 1919-2010
"A drummer is a musician's best friend."
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Author: Joseph Brenner, Jr.
Date: 2008-07-04 20:11
1. If you're just starting college, congratulations on continuing your education. You are now investing in yourself.
2. If you're broke, then you are with many other students who are broke too and you shouldn't feel isolated at all.
3. If you're broke, then buying a clarinet will not make you unbroke.
4. Now is the time to distinguish between spending that is necessary and spending that is discretionary. If you are not going to major in music AND you are not funding your college education by playing professionally on the level of Ricardo Morales, THEN buying a clarinet is discretionary.
5. Even somebody who is broke should experience pleasure.
6. If playing the clarinet gives you pleasure, then consider repairing your Bundy. It will play better. And remember, if you attended a recital by Ricardo Morales or Michael Collins, he would sound great (even if he was playing a Bundy).
7. If, after having the Bundy repaired, you are not satisfied with how you sound even after playing around with reeds, embouchure, breath control, then consider changing your mouthpiece if you can reasonably afford to do so.
8. Now and for the next few years, your first priority is learning. After college, at some point, you will have to support yourself. Supporting yourself will be much easier if you have not dug yourself into an economic hole beforehand through imprudent discretionary spending.
9. You will come to apprecciate that there is no best clarinet, no best reed, no best ligature, no best pad, just as there is no best car, no best school, no best hair style, no best job.
Happy 4th of July!
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Author: themastercheief
Date: 2008-07-06 05:35
Thank you both for your replies.
Long story short, the person i lent MY clarinet to lost the barrel. I haven't seen her since i relized it was gone and most likely wont for the rest of my life. It's my fault for not checking. I'm not super mad about it, just annoyed. I had the whole story typed out on that but my computer keeps randomly going back
Anyway i really like the idea of getting a teacher. I've been thinking about it for awhile and i'm going to go through with it ASAP. I guess i just have to live and learn. I can sit ere saying to myself that i want to be a great clarinet player or i can do it. That goes for anything. I just need to stop being lazy and do it.
I think i'll repair the bundy i have. I want to play for pleasure and not because i want to be a music major. I'm still pretty young honestly and i need to mature, not only as a musician, but as a person. I need to think materialistically about stuff that i need, not want. It's true, i can have the worlds' greatest clarinet, but it won't sound good if i can't play it good.
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Author: allencole
Date: 2008-07-06 06:39
Now that we've established that nothing is superlative, here are a couple of mouthpieces that you might try as an adult beginner.
David Hite - Premier
James Pyne - Polycrystal
Clark Fobes - Debut
These are fairly cheap and are hand-finished. Not made to last forever, but at least you won't spend a ton of money. I don't think you'll have to spend 500-600 to fix up your Bunday, unless someone has actually given you that estimate. I would think that you could get an overhaul for $200 or less.
As for barrels, the click barrel (http://www.clickbarrel.com) is a quick and dirty solution. Or, you could hit the flea markets and buy a junker. The barrel is the least likely part of the horn to be damaged.
Hope some of that helps. You've got enough to work with that you don't need to make a big initial investment. If you're hooking up with a teacher, he or she can help you spend your money wisely.
Good luck.
Allen Cole
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2008-07-06 08:06
allencole wrote:
> Now that we've established that nothing is superlative, here
> are a couple of mouthpieces that you might try as an adult
> beginner.
>
> David Hite - Premier
>
> James Pyne - Polycrystal
>
> Clark Fobes - Debut
You forgot Brad Behn's Ouverture.
--
Ben
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Author: Matt Locker
Date: 2008-07-06 14:03
DavidBlumberg wrote:
> I don't think anyone can sound great on a bundy......
>
Depends on your frame of reference.
If you're broke but trying to stay in music, I think you can sound great on a Bundy. A person will learn an awful lot about the value of reeds, mouthpieces, and shaping of the sound by playing a Bundy/B12/.....
MasterChief is not planning to go into music. Until he's able to afford a new, upscale clarinet, the Bundy will do fine. WHen he can afford it, he may be able to afford whatever he wants X 10! That's the intelligent move, IMO.
I'd say, don't ever sell the Bundy. Get it fixed & play it until you can justify the expense of a new (or used) high quality clarinet. Enjoy the experience until then.
I own a Hite Premiere which I loved. It got me through about 3 years of playing. For the price, it was phenomenal. I've heard great things about the Fobe's Debut but have no experience with it.
Good luck!
Matt
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2008-07-06 15:45
Matt, I made All Va. Band in 9th grade on a Bundy - had the only Plastic Clarinet in the section.
It was like running track in quicksand. So if riding a 45 lb bike to train for racing a 20 lb one so be it. One of my 8th grade students who just loves her bundy tried one of my buffet internationals and said that it was like playing a completely different instrument.
Gennusa also has a very, very good mouthpiece for players starting out.
It's the GE *S model. I much prefer that to the Pyne Poly and the Hite Debut. Slightly better than the Fobes Debut.
The teacher suggestion is best as that person can guide you personally with what works for you.
http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com
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Author: Matt Locker
Date: 2008-07-07 13:52
Hello David:
Don't get me wrong. I am totally aware that there are much better instruments than a Bundy. My point is that, when a budget is very important & the future plans don't include a music degree/career, that very same Bundy will serve its purpose for a while longer. There is no reason this instrument can't serve its owner for a long time provided the instrument is properly maintained. Wasting money now on a new clarinet seems like it would be the wrong decision, provided it doesn't cost an arm/leg to get the Bundy into good order.
MOO,
Matt
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Author: claribari
Date: 2008-07-10 19:46
I am going into my senior year of high school and I bought my clarinet (or rather my mom did) in the fifth grade. We bought it used and it came with a used Premier by Hite mouthpiece (fairly gross to me but whatever), I still use that mouthpiece today and it's still as amazing today as it was when I got it about seven years ago. I'm upgrading to a Vandoren 5RV13 Profile 88 mouthpiece, but I plan to use the Hite every now and again as well as it is an extremely comfortable mouthpiece to me - that is it fits my embochure well and it work well with my Vandoren 56 Rue Lepic reeds. It is also very durable. Happy Hunting, hope you find the mouthpiece right for you.
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2008-07-10 23:25
One thing you can look for is a Vito Resotone. I've heard nothing but good things about those clarinets. And you can get one of those in working order for probably around $300 or less (actually, a pawn shop near me has one for $150, FYI). Do a search on this board and you might come upon the stuff I came upon (discussions of how it's a very good clarinet for 'outdoor' gigs and how it's very well made). And you can probably sell your bundy (in good working order) for a hundred bucks or so to someone just beginning clarinet. And I think that'd be a fair price all around for selling.
As for mouthpieces, you have a bunch of suggestions above. See if you can find a place (even if it's mail-order) that will allow you to try before you buy.
And enjoy playing the clarinet! It's my love and I worked up my skills enough to be accepted to the army as a clarinetist (42R) and now I'm a working musician!!! WOO HOO! (Plus I really like the army stuff too).
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: jwiseman114
Date: 2008-07-11 01:28
If you email me with your address I can send you a matching barrel for free. I personally recommend that you buy a new clarinet any way possible. If you think you love the clarinet now... (I'm not fond of Bundys)
John
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Author: Band Geekette
Date: 2008-07-11 03:03
claribari ->
I use a Vandoren B45 Profile 88 mouthpiece and also use Vandoren 56 Rue Lepic reeds. I find that this set up has marvelous response in the upper registers but the lower registers don't have as "dark" of a sound. I have also played on the Vandoren V12s and these tend to have a richer sound in the lower register. My clari teacher actually told me i get a better tone in the lower register from the 56 Rue Lepics than he does, but again, he has a different mouthpiece setup. it's different for everyone
-Sarah- ![[cool]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/cool.gif)
~ just keep playing~
Every person is a unique instrument and we all add our own beauty to the symphony of the world....*
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Author: blazian
Date: 2008-07-11 03:20
My Bundy is the first clarinet I bought and it will probably be the best too. It's been reduced to my marching clarinet (lent out for marching now that I march bass), but I'd rather play it than my concert clarinet. I did a mini-repad on it with leather pads and resonators just for fun and it plays even better than some of my friends' Buffets.
Just out of curiosity, how is getting a Vito Resotone better than a Bundy? I thought the were aimed at the same level of players.
- Martin
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2008-07-11 03:39
blazian wrote:
> Just out of curiosity, how is getting a Vito Resotone better
> than a Bundy? I thought the were aimed at the same level of
> players.
>
I have no idea. But if you search this board for Vito Resotone, you hear a lot of good stuff about them. Including a few posts by pros (paid musicians) who use them for outdoor gigs because they like them that much.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: fernan
Date: 2008-07-11 06:12
Masterchief, if you're still here, contact me. I have a Vito that I bought from a student when my Bundy started falling apart (due to neglect by me). The Vito is fine (it even has a barrel!), and I like the way it sounds. I am getting a Symphonie, so I have no problems "donating" my Vito to a college student. You will just have to pay for shipping from SoCal to wherever you are...if you want it. I refuse to list it on "that auction site."
And if you're wondering, I will eventually get the Bundy overhauled.
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Author: fernan
Date: 2008-07-11 16:49
Oh yes! I love my Vito, but I don't play it any longer.
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Author: jwiseman114
Date: 2008-07-13 18:17
David,
Just to be clear, Vito saxes WERE Yamaha saxes. They were made by Yamaha as stencils for the Vito corp. I'm sure that's what you meant.
Yanagisawa made some saxes for Vito also but I've not seen any myself and I'm not sure exactly how that worked. I think it may be that all the Baris were Yanis and the rest Yamahas. From what I've been told, the Vito Bari sax is the exact same horn as the Yani pro and is quite a bargain if you can find one.
John Wiseman
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Author: Alphie
Date: 2008-07-14 10:57
Maybe a repairman on this board can give an advice how much a repair of this Bundy will cost. There are leaks, corks have to be replaced and it even needs a new barrel. All together this will cost a lot for the overhaul to make it play decently. You pay by the hour of work, not by the the quality of the instrument. Is this well spent money on a Bundy? Wouldn’t it be better to look for a used Buffet, like let’s say an E-11 would be possible to find for $500-800?
Alphie
Post Edited (2008-07-14 10:58)
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Author: John O'Janpa
Date: 2008-07-14 14:15
You should check with your college to see if there are elective courses in instrumental music. My oldest son is now an engineer but was able to sign up for elective courses that included excellent sax lessons, playing in a jazz/lab band, and playing in the school's pep band. Even got a trip to the NCAA tournament with the basketball team.
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Author: jwiseman114
Date: 2008-07-18 00:15
David,
As far as the Yamaha (YAS/YTS-23/Vito stencil) I don't think it has actually ended yet.
As you probably know, Yamaha's factory in Grand Rapids (student/Step-up) has been closed for ~ a year. Leblanc Vito has been consolidated by Conn-Selmer's South plant in Elkhart. My best guess is that Yamaha will out source it's former American student lines to Taiwan but I have also heard that they were interested in increasing it's production capacity in Japan for the student/step-up models. The industry is in so much of as state of flux right now that it's hard for anyone to know what's going on. I would think that most of the Yamaha horns (Vito) would continue in some capacity. Yamaha also did a good deal of work for Conn-Selmer (low brass).
I think a re-pad including all necessary cork replacement would cost you between $150-250. As I stated before I would recommend you find a better instrument.
John
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