 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: SantiandCo
Date: 2010-04-24 21:49
About a week or two ago I posted a question asking the overall quality, tone and sound of the a Lyrique Professional Clarinet compared to an E-11 and Leblanc Bliss. I finally decided to get the Ridenour clarinet. I just couldn't find any good arguement against buying it. The only downside I'd hear of it was of its keywork which wasn't really valid because only 1 or two people actually had a problem with it, and one of them just argued because it wasn't silver-plated, which for me is irrelevant. I ordered it two weeks ago and it came last Thursday (remember the upside of a small company is that they personally start making the instrument the moment you order it). Yesterday my private teacher came to analyze my Lyrique clarinet. He had confessed to me after all the analyzing was done that he was utterly skeptical about the Lyrique (simply because it was of an unheard of company, the material was made out of rubber, and because it was shaped in China). But once he was done he was left dumfounded and suprised. The point of this was to compare my clarinet with his Yamaha YCL-450 or YCL-650 (I'm not sure which is it he said it cost in between $1000-$1200, but this was about half a decade ago so it could've been cheaper back then). I tried his and I have to admit that it was easy to play in and very enjoyable. But the Lyrique is so much more comfortable. All the notes came out perfectly without me having to apply so much pressure on my reed or my stomach, including the 3rd octave C and any note above that. The tone is beautiful and Mr. Ridenour being the nice person he is, always throws in two different barrels, each desgined to accomodate your tuning, whether you tend to be sharp or flat. And although this might be irrelevant the clarinet itself looks gorgeous and the rubber adds a unique and "cool" look. The case also suits the clarinet. It is of a balck hard shell component but covered with a leathery suit, which makes it look all the more elegant. I also ordered the custom made professional Ridenour mouthpiece. I let my private teacher try it and he said it was the easiest mouthpiece he's ever played on. The only downside, which is a big deal, is that due to the simplicity to play on it doesn't provide much resistance. Actually it limits your dyanmic range which means you can't play too soft or too loud or else your tone will go really bad. In reality its the best type of mouthpiece when your learning and practicing a type of scale or uniform excercise. But its defenitely not the type of mouthpiece for a musical piece with a long range of dyanmics. That's why I prefer to use my Vandoren B45 which provides a great tone which can be maintained with any type of dynamic changes. To accomodate my mouthpiece I use Size 3 V12s with a Rovner Ligature. In the end of this long journey my private teacher jokingly said he wants one himself. In reality he did admit that the Lyrique clarinet was truly easier to play in than his, which has it downsides and upsides. It limits your dyanamic range, which isn't a really big deal unless your playing the loudest piece or softest piece on Earth, but its nothing that can't be fixed with the right mouthpiece and bell. The keywork for the alternate fingerings for C# and Bb were a little loose so they clanked against keys below them but its nothing serious(I have to stress that it's nothing serious because then people will find this as an opportunity to crticize it). You can easily take it to your local music store and they can bend the keys a little in less than 5 minutes. The clarinet itself is also very light which is really useful if you're in a marching band, even though I don't plan to use my Lyrique. I'd rather repad and get all the keywork of my old Selmer Soloist clarinet fixed so that I can use that one. The Lyrique truly does have perfect twelves and you'll never had to deal with "pulling" your barrel out ever again. With the right embochure and throat adjustment it will play perfectly in tune (and when I mean adjustment I mean loosening up your throat or tightening your embochure). Tounging and staccatos are also made easier. If you have your doubts about this clarinet I can only hope that they can be changed and erased. If you want a fantastic clarinet perfectly in tune and that makes playing the clarinet pleasant then you should definetely buy the Lyrique 576-BC Ridenour clarinet.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: GLHopkins
Date: 2010-04-25 00:50
You unknowingly may have made an argument against buying a Lyrique clarinet. The banging of the B and C# keys on the key underneath is a sign of poor quality and/or quality control. Why let an instrument out the door with a problem like this?
Post Edited (2010-04-25 00:57)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: SantiandCo
Date: 2010-04-25 01:55
again it seems people do not understand how small this "problem" is. every clarinet develops this key bumping over time. even my private teacher's clarinet suffers from this clanking but that doesn't mean its in poor shape, or unplayable. otherwise he would have gotten it fixed by now. believe me its not a sign of poor quality. in the end it can be easily fixed by bending the keys a little (obviously have it done by a local music store worker) without any cost or waste of your time.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: skygardener
Date: 2010-04-25 02:45
"The keywork for the alternate fingerings for C# and Bb were a little loose so they clanked against keys below them..."
Which keys are you talking about?
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Tobin
Date: 2010-04-25 02:56
They're talking about LH E/B & F#/C#, clacking against the LH F/C key.
James
Gnothi Seauton
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ralph Katz
Date: 2010-04-25 03:25
Not everyone has the same tastes or budget. The Lyrique is a tremendous deal for some people, but not for others.
Two clarinet players showed up to an informal dance a few months ago, both of us with C instruments, the other one being a Lyrique. Its owner so gratiously let me try his 6-day-old instrument. I am sorry to say that it compared favorably with my instrument, which now costs 4-5 times as much as the Lyrique.
Yes my instrument has a better presence and intonation, but I would have been just fine playing the rest of the evening on the Lyrique. But, the other fellow wanted to play on his new instrument, his prerogative.
I was in the market for an instrument last fall, a friend let me play on his Lyrique Bb. Again, I thought it was good, but instead forked out out 3 times as much for a new <un-named pro-line horn>. The Lyrique Bb was just fine for my friend, but maybe not for me.
It all boils down to your own personal needs and finances.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: SantiandCo
Date: 2010-04-25 05:01
Ralph Katz you are 100% correct in your statement that "it all boils down to your own personal needs and finances". My personal needs are for a clarinet that can play well in a high school band for I am only a freshman. Obviously if I had a larger budget, one of maybe 2 to 3 grand I would've without a doubt ordered and bought a Buffet R-13. But I wasn't the one buying the clarinet, my parents were, and I had to choose a clarinet that would accomodate their budget. I would've bought an E-11, but that's why I did my research. I had to be sure what was the best clarinet I could get for their budget and I honestly believe that it was the Lyrique, but others will disagree and that's their honest opinion. But I have to stress still that this is a great instrument, and it can easily accomodate any of your needs if you have a tight budget.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Barry Vincent
Date: 2010-04-25 05:08
Some people must be heavy handed when they play the clarinet. Since I've had my new Lyrique 576 bc I've been so delighted with it I've been practicing with it for on average about 3 hours a day. I've gone through the H. Lazarus methods (bks 1 & 2) and also all the 30 Caprices of Ernesto Cavallini ect. At no time have I found it necessary to use excessive finger pressure resulting in the bending of the keywork, so well adjusted is this Ridenour instrument. It is a possibility though that prior to using the Lyrique, one had a clarinet that required 'firm' finger placement to make it 'seal' correctly, this may result in this 'firm' fingering being carried over to the Lyrique. After all the playing that I've done so far the keywork on my Lyrique shows no sign of any bending at all.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ursa
Date: 2010-04-25 08:45
I've had my Lyrique 576BC for a few weeks, and the key work is as flawlessly regulated and absolutely silent as the day it arrived. I play with a light touch, and Tom's setup is just perfect for me.
I've tried mine out with a variety of mouthpieces (not including the pro Ridenour piece) and have had no difficulties playing at very soft dynamics on my Lyrique. So far, my favorite setup is a Ridenour Encore piece with a Rovner ligature and a #3 Vandoren V-12. The Encore does everything so well with so little effort, my longtime favourite Selmer HS* piece mey end up being retired.
The Ridenour website indicates that adjustments and customization are complimentary for Lyrique owners. Why not send the horn back down to Tom if there's clankiness lurking in the keywork?
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: GLHopkins
Date: 2010-04-25 16:32
Quality control is important. Leaking pads on a C clarinet, and clanking keys on a Bb clarinet are signs that the QC isn't as good as it should be. Maybe he will hear of these complaints and make sure the instruments are better before shipping.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: SantiandCo
Date: 2010-04-25 18:37
Ursa you are right, but you have to understand this clanking of the keys has such an easy solution that I can take it to any local music store to get it fixed without having to ship it all the way to Texas and wait for at least a week before getting it back. And for GLHopkins the clanking could so easily been caused by a bumpy ride from Texas to California. And for everyone else reading this, its only two keys and its only noticable if you press too hard on the keys, which is a habit I myself have to get rid of.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ralph Katz
Date: 2010-04-25 19:16
I test-played 14 new Buffet R-13's: 1 loose spring, one mis-seated pad, and one loose thumbrest.
The barrel cracked and a silver solder joint came loose on my <hand-made> C clarinet.
My car had an oil leak early on, which the dealer fixed at no charge. The car has given me 145,000 miles of trouble-free transportation.
Why should we chose instruments simply on early quality control issues and nothing else?
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ursa
Date: 2010-04-25 19:16
Oops...it occurred to me right after making my last post that if I had the same problem, my local tech would probably take care of this while I waited, and it would cost less than sending the horn back to Texas...if he charged me anything at all for the service.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: skygardener
Date: 2010-04-25 21:27
"again it seems people do not understand how small this "problem" is. every clarinet develops this key bumping over time. even my private teacher's clarinet suffers from this clanking"
This is not a normal thing for clarinets in "good condition" to have.
On my Lyrique, I found that the RH Eb/Bb trill key on the upper joint was almost touching the bridge key. After I raised the key height, it was touching the key. It took some bending to get working properly.
HOWEVER, I will stress that this happened AFTER I raised the keys for MY preference. When I got it from Tom, there was no problem.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2010-04-26 02:13
"Every clarinet develops this key bumping over time."
I think you should avoid making global generalizations on what is obviously limited observation. I've played my R13s (a lot) for over 40 years and they've never developed this problem.
Best regards,
jnk
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Barry Vincent
Date: 2010-04-26 07:37
Jack Kissinger That simply means that you do not use excessive finger pressure. I do repairs myself, and I've seen keys on Selmer, Buffets and other brands that have been bent due to excessive finger pressure. It is apparently a common problem. Fortunately easily fixed just so long as the metal is of good quality.
Skyfacer
Post Edited (2010-04-26 07:39)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: clarnibass
Date: 2010-04-26 10:00
>> every clarinet develops this key bumping over time. <<
Assuming Tobin's explanation is what OP actually meant (his description is very unclear), then no, this problem doesn't happen on every clarinet. It depends.
>> That simply means that you do not use excessive finger pressure. <<
Even with excessive finger pressure that problem doesn't always happen. Yes, clarinets from the companies you mentioned and many others often have problems.
>> I test-played 14 new Buffet R-13's: 1 loose spring, one mis-seated pad, and one loose thumbrest. <<
If this is what you found from play testing, there were probably many more mis-seated pads that could be found from checking more thoroughly. Sometimes you can't really feel it when playing, but once they are fixed you can feel how much better the clarinet is playing. This is not uncommon.
>> being the nice person he is, always throws in two different barrels <<
Regardless of who is selling something, you are paying for what you buying. In this case you paying for two barrels. If you didn't then the seller wouldn't be able to afford to include it.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Tobin
Date: 2010-04-26 12:33
An additional thought on the LH pinky keys on Ridenour clarinets: the LH F/C key has to be depressed a great deal further than the same key on a Buffet.
I have seen the issue described by the original poster on several instruments, but I disagree that this issue is a universal inevitability.
By and large, I think Tom makes fine instruments that are well worth their monetary value. I believe that Buffet currently ships out instruments that have as many (if not more) issues before they arrive at the stores where they will be sold (and are adjusted by the in-house staff).
James
Gnothi Seauton
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: GLHopkins
Date: 2010-04-26 14:03
The point is that Tom completely goes over each instrument before it is shipped. He seems to be missing pads that leak and keys that clank. THAT is not good quality control. If one is suggesting his instruments are as good or better than those costing 5 times more then they need to be as stated. Clanking keys and leaking pads are minor things that can be repaired, but on a new instrument NOTHING should have to be repaired before the instrument is in good playing condition...especially if we are talking about a clarinet that is set up by an artist.
Bouncing around in shipping from Texas to California??? That suggests the instrument wasn't packaged properly for shipment. The keys in question don't get bent in shipment.
His clarinets may be satisfactory, but in each thread on this subject there are reported problems on new instruments.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Tobin
Date: 2010-04-26 14:21
GLHopkins, on principle I agree with you.
From posts to the BB, it appears that most do not believe the minor issues detract from the overall value. I would again suggest that we've been conditioned by the market to accept instruments that, in the big picture, function acceptably for our purposes but have minor issues that must be attended to.
James
PS: FWIW I have found his instruments to be well packaged.
Gnothi Seauton
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
