 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: LonDear
Date: 2009-08-28 02:49
Disclaimer: I'm not a total alto clarinet nerd. I play all sizes of clarinet from eefer to contras, and all saxes and flutes for jazz, classical, shows and small ensembles. I'm just looking for info on differences between alto designs.
My first alto clarinet, a Bundy was purchased on a whim with the hope of using it as another jazz voice. It was a dissapointment, so I sent it off to a family member who really wanted to play alto. My next alto was an Evette. It didn't feal that good, but served me pretty well for a couple of years. Then I purchased a really nice Selmer 9 alto. I felt obligated to send that off to the same family member who had the Bundy and she fell in love with the Selmer and returned the Bundy and the Evette much to my disappointment. Before I gave up the Selmer I got a really nice Grabner mouthpiece that made it play extremely well. I had never had a compatible alto mouthpiece while I had the Evette. (This is not a Grabner advertisement) I now have all three altos back in my possesion (Bundy, Evette, Selmer) (please don't feal sorry for me!). The Bundy is not in contention any more, but the Evette with the Grabner plays extremely well, and the Selmer plays extremely well with the same setup.
The Selmer case is a mess, so I tried to put the Evette to rest in the old Selmer case and put the Selmer into the modern case and the Evette was way too big to fit into the Selmer case. The Evette has way more wood and a much smaller neck/barrel than the Selmer.
So, after all of these lengthy descriptions, does anyone know if the huge body size of the Evette has any advantages over the smaller Selmer body and how it could affect the tone. I know that one of my cohorts has been encouraging me to get my Selmer back, but now that I have it, I think that the Evette has a better sound.
Thanks,
LD
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: LonDear
Date: 2009-08-28 03:09
Update: both the Evette and Selmer weigh the same at 1.8 lbs without the bell, neck and m/p. The Evette is almost two inches longer on the U/J. Both have pretty similar mechanisms with double register keys. Both are to low Eb.
The Selmer has a register key like a Ridenour, but it has a lyre bracket.
I guess I've gone way to geeky into the alto world so let me know if you know of any support groups for alto geeks, if anyone is out there.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2009-08-28 14:19
Kalmen Opperman told me that the Selmer Series 9 is the best alto ever made, so you're lucky to have one.
One the other hand, a couple of years ago, I tried a new Buffet Prestige alto that I just fell in love with. It seemed to play itself, and the keys fell under my fingers without effort. The price, however, was so far out of my range that I couldn't justify it for an instrument I don't play regularly.
At this point, the only thing that matters is how the instrument plays for you. If the Evette feels better, then just use it, particularly since it has a good case. If you sell your extras, you'll almost certainly get more for the Selmer than the Evette.
Ken Shaw
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ebclarinet1
Date: 2009-08-28 16:38
Yeah the Buffet Prestige is in another ballpark as far as altos are concerned. I've played LeBlancs and Selmers before and this one has the richest sound and in tune from top to bottom. Pricey it is though.
The Buffet has a longer, narrower upper joint than my LeBlanc Paris and it has more the feel of a bass clarinet in Eb than an alto clarinet and the sound is bigger, almost to the volume level of a bass clarinet. With a Lomax mouthpiece it really sounds great too. Even C7 (written) comes out clearly and in tune. I've never had an alto that played those notes with such ease and clarity. It's a pity such an instrument didn't exist years ago as all the alto clarinet bashing would be put aside. I've used it in a couple pieces in the Wind symphony and other members of the section were impressed that an alto could sound that good.
Eefer guy
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
