 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: huff n' puff
Date: 2009-01-08 14:00
Hi, all....... (as an enthusiastic amateur)-
when I joined the forum recently, I was reluctant to admit that I played (mainly) a B12, since I would be mixing with the Big Boys. How wrong I was.
I am amazed at the amount of adverse criticism levelled at the instruments that I previously revered (at a distance).
When I still believed in Santa and the three bears, I bought a well recommended wooden Noblet that cracked through the top two toneholes after about 10 mins. Back to the shop...... back to the distributers, and back to the manufacturers who sent a replacement top joint. OK so far.......
Three days later the top joint tenon (not the cork, but the joint itself) would not even go into the lower joint. Back to the shop etc.
A fortnight later in the shop, the owner called the distributer to find out what was happening, and I could hardly believe that I heard him saying " Surely you don't expect me to tell my customer that!?"
Money refunded....... end of that episode.
Some years later I found a beautiful PAIR of R13s going for an absolute song in a 2nd-hand shop. Thought my ship must surely have come in. No, There was no way of playing the Bb up to pitch...... the A was also flat but not quite as bad....... end of that episode.
In the meantime, I obtained my first plastic clarinet....... an oldish but hardly used B12, and I haven't looked back.
By the way, Chris......... if the B12 is very old (can't put a date or serial no. to this) the lower joint and bell (total length) was greater than it is now, and this made tuning bad. If I remember correctly there was a difference of about 3/8". Will try to confirm this.
Since making a few small alterations to the tuning on my B12 I cannot imagine what would be gained by moving up. The instrument blows great even using the basic Mp.
I imagine that there are many many B12 players out there who have been pressurised into moving up by persons of superior social standing. (There are no musical directors or teachers breathing down my neck).
What are the chances of anyone who has moved up at great expense giving an honest answer to the question-
What were your reasons, have you gained much, and if so, what do you think you have gained?
Maybe not limit this to B12s, but Plastics in general.- Love to hear from you. (remember to be honest)............ H&P.
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Author: William
Date: 2009-01-08 14:31
FWIW, during my high school years, I played a Selmer Bundy Resonite clarinet which allowed me to earn 1st Div ratings for my soph, jun. & sen. yrs at our State Solo & Ensemble Festival (Himmie Voxman was one of my judges) and played well enough for me to earn first chair honors for district and state honors bands. Band directors were always amazed to learn that I was playing a plastic clarinet and I wish now that I had never traded that instrument in. I still have the Selmer HS** mouthpiece that may have been the real "secret of my success", but I do miss that old 1956 Bundy.
BTW, the only thing "better" about my Buffet 1193-2 Prestige low C bass clarinet than my previous Bundy Resonite low Eb bass, is the extended range (which I seldom use) and the sound and response of the clarion register notes. I think the low register sound of the Bundy to be every bit as good--if not better--than the Buffet Prestige.
And also, my Bundy Resonite Eb clarinet plays very comparably to my Yamaha 681 with its Fobes extension. Anyhow, those are my morning thoughts regarding plastics--on to my next cup of coffee (plastic mug).
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Author: mrn
Date: 2009-01-08 16:01
I second you on the Bundy Eb. I own one of those, too. It's a great instrument.
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Author: huff n' puff
Date: 2009-01-08 18:14
Hi, and thanks for your replies......... the needle on my Honestymeter is swinging in the right direction.
Not too happy about the plastic mug though.
Must rake through my junk box......... do I have an HS ** or was it an HS and a C**. I'd like to know more about these.
While we are on the accoustics of mugs, have you noticed that if you tap the edge with a teaspoon at the handle or at 90 or 180 degs to same, it gives a different note to tapping it at 45degs? Talk about knowing more and more about less and less.................. H&P.
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Author: D
Date: 2009-01-08 20:37
I upgraded from a Hanson student instrument to one of their low end pro instruments. The main reason was because I needed an A for what I was playing and wanted a Bb which was the same spec (wanted the alt Eb lever and was able to add it to both). I've never regretted it. I still use the student one which is ebonite when I don't want to take the nicer (more expensive) one somewhere - like a school fete/pantomime or other daft places I find myself playing. It turns out that the higher end model has much faster keywork ( I was struggling to play fast passages and that turned out to be why) - I assume this is because there is much finer tolerances. Also the tone is very very much better even with the same reed and mouthpiece. For me the price difference was worth the improvements I got for the money. I was playing quite a lot of orchestral stuff at the time and I was getting away with the student instrument - lots of people thought it was wood and were very surprised it was not. There was nothing wrong with the sound and it was only the need for the A and that Alt Eb, that really pushed me to change. It has made a difference for me playing band music though. Some of the parts are quite badly arranged and what is supposed to be fairly easy turns out to be fiddling about over the break and actually as difficult as orchestral music and the better instrument did make this easier.
After having the better ones for a couple of years I would still make the same decision to spend the money I did and buy them. I could have managed with the student Bb and didn't NEED to buy a new one. But I did need an A and couldn't find a student version. I wouldn't want to have a pro A and a student Bb because it would make life too complicated when doing quick switches between the two. If I had had no need for an A instrument then with the benefit of hindsight I could have managed with my student Bb still. If I'd never tried anything else I would have been quite happy with it, and several people in the same band also still play on student instruments which they had from school. (Now in their 40s and 50s). Would I WANT to be without the better instrument? Not a chance!
This has turned into a complete ramble. Hope some of it makes sense.
Short form of above - student instruments can be pretty good. Look after them and they will last for a long time and you may not need anything else.
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