 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Richard Ruppel
Date: 1999-03-17 01:30
Dear Clarinetists on the Net: My daughter's clarinet teacher has told us that she has moved beyond the beginning clarinet she inherited from me. We've heard that the Buffet and Yamaha are good for intermediate (pre-professional) players. What do you all think? And we live in a very small market, with two music stores. Are we stuck with their inflated prices, or can we order the clarinet from someone?
Thanks in advance for your help.
Richard
rjruppel@mail.viterbo.edu
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Author: Rick2
Date: 1999-03-17 04:08
You have a number of options, but do yourself a favor and keep the plastic clarinet. You need a backup/marching horn. I lose count of the number of days that I have had to use my backup when something needed fixing on my good one.
Take a look at the woodwind and brasswind catalog, they have decent prices. Don't overlook the possibility of a used clarinet. You can get a used professional model for the same price or less than a new intermediate model. Buffet, Yamaha, Selmer, and LeBlanc are the major players and any of those would be a suitable choice. There are a number of us here that play on used clarinets, including at least three of us with 40+ year old pro Leblancs that get nothing but complements for their tone.
I would not recommend buying on ebay unless you really know what you're doing and you are prepared to spend a couple hundred extra for an overhaul. I bought one from ebay (for the express purpose of rebuilding it myself) and it had an unadvertised crack. Stick with Woodwind and Brasswind, they sell both new and used. Or I know a lady that rebuilds clarinets as a hobby and sells by mail. If you are interested in contacting her, send me email. She appears to have 8 or 9 wood clarinets in her queue and they look mostly like intermediates.
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Author: Don Poulsen
Date: 1999-03-17 12:32
I cannot recommend what clarinet you might want to get, but do look at the Retail section under Resources on this site. There are a number of places listed that do mail-order or Internet business.
In particular, I would suggest looking into International Music Suppliers in Chicago. The owner is a professional clarinetist and she gave me personalized service when I e-mailed and phoned her.
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Author: ted
Date: 1999-03-17 13:23
I agree with the previous advice. If your daughter does not already have a good mouthpiece, make sure that she purchases a good one. If is very difficult to make an excellant clarinet sound good with a bad mouthpiece and reed.
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Author: Mike
Date: 1999-03-17 17:06
You've gotten lots of good advise so far. I second the comment regarding getting a good mouthpiece. Even good clarinets tend to come with mediocre mouthpieces. Your daughter's clarinet teacher or a knowledgable dealer can help.
As for instruments, for my money your can't do better than Buffet for an intermediate instrument. The E-11 is a wood instrument at a price not much higher than a good plastic instrument. I found a slightly used one at an on-line auction that was even cheaper. But again, if you can find a used professional instrument at a good price, go for it. My advise is, always buy the best instrument you can afford.
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Author: Mike
Date: 1999-03-17 17:17
I almost forgot. If you decide on a new instrument, check out Giardinelli in NY for prices. They're really good and worth at least a phone call. I think they have an 800 number. Their URL is www.giardinelli.com
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Author: Doug
Date: 1999-03-17 18:30
If you are considering buying via mail-order (or internet), look at www.wichitaband.com and www.wwandbw.com (as previously mentioned) Both are very reputable dealers that stand behind their merchandise, and they sell both new and used instruments. They will send you several clarinets to try out, just send back the ones you don't like (same goes for mouthpieces)
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Author: Gary Van Cott
Date: 1999-03-17 21:18
The reason I ask these questions is that I think that is significant.
I would give a different answer for a 7th grader (buy a used intermediate instrument) than I would for someone in high school. For a high school student I think you should consider a new or used professional instrument if they are serious. By and large, new intermediate instruments are not a good investment.
What does her teacher suggest?
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Author: Nicole Y.
Date: 1999-03-17 23:04
If your daughter is serious about the clarinet, then I would recommend a Leblanc Noblet(either model), Buffet E-11(or 12 or 13), or something from Yamaha. You can buy an instrument over the internet from someone. Look around in Sneezy, I can't remember names right now, I just got back from a 6 hour day of school and 2.5 straight hours of playing. Sorry. I recommend that you try each of the models anyone's listed, but I really recommend the Noblet. I have one;it plays like a dream. It'll last her years to come.
Nicole Y.
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Author: Hiroshi
Date: 1999-03-18 03:09
My opinion:
1)We should choose the best or cheapest,not intermediate(mediocre).We can use an instrument at least 20 years.
2)We should be carefull to choose mouthpiece rather than the instrument itself.The best clarinet with the worst mouthpiece will emit bad sounds,but the best mouthpiece with mediocre instrument will surely emit good sound.
3)The best mouthpiece is not mass-produced but hand crafted ones.Kasper-cicero,Fobes,Greg-Smith,Zinner,Hite.Not non-resurfaced Vandorens.
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Author: paul
Date: 1999-03-18 16:14
Though most folks would have to agree that a custom, hand-made mouthpiece would have a high liklihood of being a superior item, reality often gets in the way. The superior hand-made mouthpieces, or the mouthpieces that are well known for their excellent tone are priced astronomically high, well out of the range of the typical amateur clarinet player or young student, and often well out of the range of the average professional player. I cannot justify paying several hundred dollars for a mouthpiece for an average amateur player or young student. There are some very good mouthpieces out there on the market that work just fine that are priced much more reasonably.
Personally as an adult novice, I'd jump at the chance of playing a $600 mp on top of my premium pro-grade clarinet, even if it was just for a quick demonstration. Realistically, I'm aiming at purchasing and keeping a very good mp that's about 1/6th the price. As for young students who simply don't have the cash, I would have to agree with some other folks on the concept of buying a good economy priced mp for their student or intermediate horn. The price/payback ratio is much more realistic for the expectation.
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 1999-03-18 22:12
paul wrote:
-------------------------------
Though most folks would have to agree that a custom, hand-made mouthpiece would have a high liklihood of being a superior item, reality often gets in the way. The superior hand-made mouthpieces, or the mouthpieces that are well known for their excellent tone are priced astronomically high, well out of the range of the typical amateur clarinet player or young student, and often well out of the range of the average professional player. I cannot justify paying several hundred dollars for a mouthpiece for an average amateur player or young student.
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Paul - very good mouthpieces, hand faced, can be had from $85-$150; typical prices for a stock B45 at local music stores range from $60-$80, so owning a hand-faced mouthpiece is <i>not</i> all that much more. My Hawkins was $90.00 from a IMS. Very few mouthpiees cost $200-$300.
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Author: Frank
Date: 1999-03-20 02:19
Try Witchita Band Instruments [they have a web site] for personalized service and prices which are competitive. They also sell good used instruments.
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Author: paul
Date: 1999-03-25 22:18
Mark:
Thanks for your feedback. My posting was aimed at the ridiculously priced mps that have been referenced in this BBS that fetch between $400 to $600 on the open market. That price is way out of my league. Your references and prices are much more reasonable and reachable for the aggressive amateur or for most pros.
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