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 Tom Ridenour Low C Bass Clarinet
Author: Kontra 
Date:   2009-12-04 02:34

Is this Clarinet a good instrument? It looks very nice.

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 Re: Tom Ridenour Low C Bass Clarinet
Author: LonDear 
Date:   2009-12-04 03:08

If you are refering to the 925C, it is very nice. I have been playing mine for over a year. I just played a gig on it last night and it had a couple of problems from being in the truck during the day, but a warmup got the bass playing very well.

I did have to send it to my local tech two times to get the register key system tuned to my satisfaction, but that was far less work than I had to get on my 2004 Selmer 35.

Be sure to pick a high quality mouthpiece to go with it.

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 Re: Tom Ridenour Low C Bass Clarinet
Author: Kontra 
Date:   2009-12-04 03:57

Is it made of wood or plastic?

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 Re: Tom Ridenour Low C Bass Clarinet
Author: Bobby McClellan 
Date:   2009-12-04 04:08

I have not tried his LowC Bass. I do have his Basset A clarinet and I did recently purchase his BBb contra. I and pleased with both of the horns.

Bobby

Bobby M. McClellan
Flowood, MS

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 Re: Tom Ridenour Low C Bass Clarinet
Author: Kontra 
Date:   2009-12-04 11:47

I didnt know he also had a BBb Contra. Can you send me the link? I cant find it on his site.

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 Re: Tom Ridenour Low C Bass Clarinet
Author: JJAlbrecht 
Date:   2009-12-04 12:43

1. I'm pretty sure that the Low C bass is made of hard rubber....neither wood nor plastic. Tom's other clarinets, with the exception of the Lyrique 146, are all hard rubber. he 146 is ABS with a hard rubber barrel.

2. Tom is in the early stages of offering the contra. He just sold the prototype a week or two ago to someone on this BB. They are not into full production runs yet, so there is no link on his site.

Jeff

....and many of us are clamoring for a Lyrique Eb soprano!

“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."


Post Edited (2009-12-04 15:35)

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 Re: Tom Ridenour Low C Bass Clarinet
Author: LonDear 
Date:   2009-12-04 23:43

Yep, Jeff is correct that the 925c as well as the entire Lyrique line is made from hard rubber. I am also eagerly awaiting a Ridenour Eb soprano so I can cut loose of my very expensive and very nice grenadilla Eb. I've bugged them about this a few times.

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 Re: Tom Ridenour Low C Bass Clarinet
Author: Bobby McClellan 
Date:   2009-12-05 00:10

he link he had on the site for the BBb is
http://www.ridenourclarinetproducts.com/contrabass.html

I have purchased that prototype and right now love it. Especially for what he sold it for. The Keywork is laid out almost exactly like my vito EEb.

The link pulls up a quicktime video.

I asked he about when he would get production models in and he couldn't say but the intrest wast quite good for the contra.

I agree LonDear about an Eb soprano. I am really suprised that he offers a C but not the Eb.

Bobby M. McClellan
Flowood, MS

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 Re: Tom Ridenour Low C Bass Clarinet
Author: sfalexi 
Date:   2009-12-05 18:29

I'm sure he's thought of or perhaps experimented with making a few eefers, but if the quality of the clarinets coming from his supplier isn't good, he's not going to sell them. He's on a constant quest for excellent quality. The TR-147 went threw a few iterations and modifications, mouthpieces, the materials he works with to repair/assemble/fine tune his clarinets, etc.

Sucks he doesn't have an eefer yet, but you can bet whenever it does come out (if he can get the quality/price ratio up to his satisfaction) it'll be awesome.

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 Re: Tom Ridenour Low C Bass Clarinet
Author: ShazamaPajama 
Date:   2009-12-07 17:04

its pretty cheap compared to a $10K buffet bass clarinet. and considering tom knows what he's doing, it probably sounds excellent.

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 Re: Tom Ridenour Low C Bass Clarinet
Author: sfalexi 
Date:   2009-12-07 17:32

It's cheap to make one compared to a 10k bass clarinet. But an eefer has that much tighter tolerances in bore, keys, levers, etc because it's very small and you have to fit so much together. And his source needs to be able to maintain VERY tight tolerances. A minute variation in a tone-hole size or placement in a bass or regular clarinet would probably be less noticed and easier fixed than a variation the SAME size in a smaller instrument.

I have faith that either Tom is working on an eefer, or has at least explored it enough to know that it's not possible with his suppliers to consistently make one worth marketing.

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 Re: Tom Ridenour Low C Bass Clarinet
Author: LonDear 
Date:   2009-12-08 01:40

I agree with Alexi that the tolerences are just so tight as the instruments get smaller that it gets tough to machine them properly, the keys as well as tone holes. My Lyrique C "feels" smaller, maybe a better term is more "cramped" than my Yamaha Eb. My Eb feels more like a Bb than the Lyrique C does. But it is all relative, since my Lyrique C is the only C in our local ensemble that plays in tune, all of the notes speak evenly and the range is amazing.

Since I've been very happy with my Lyrique C, Bb, A and low C bass for the last couple of years, ditching my Yamahas, Buffet and Selmer, I'm content to nurse my Eb through a few more bore oilings until Tom finds the right combination. It would be a dream come true if he ends up making Eb/D sets. Another fantasy I have would be for Tom to make a G clarinet (how weird is that?)

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 Re: Tom Ridenour Low C Bass Clarinet
Author: Kontra 
Date:   2009-12-08 12:15

Thanks you guys. Would you recommend the mouthpiece that comes with it, or to buy another one, and if so which one?

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 Re: Tom Ridenour Low C Bass Clarinet
Author: LonDear 
Date:   2009-12-09 02:34

I think that you have to pay extra for a mouthpiece for the 925c. I opted out since I had been playing a Grabner on my Selmer before I switched and was very happy with it. I still am. If you don't have any other bass m/p, I would think that Tom makes a very compatible piece. One of my soprano Bb associates purchased a Lyrique Bb and he thinks it plays better and similar to his Larry Combs 3.

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 Re: Tom Ridenour Low C Bass Clarinet
Author: JJAlbrecht 
Date:   2009-12-09 17:25

According to the descriptoin on Tom's site, his C clarinet is designed to use a standard Bb mouthpiece, so you should be able to use whatever you are happy with at the present on your Bb or A.

Jeff

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