Author: SantiandCo
Date: 2010-05-31 06:36
William said, " A used Buffet R13 (top pro clarinet) may be no more expensive than a new "list" clarinet but would be far superior instrument and last a lifetime"
This might be true if a used R-13 went for around $1000. A used R-13 in a "well" to "good" condition won't go for any less than $1500 and that's if you get lucky. I've only found a used R-13 go for this "cheap" on Ebay, other than that it won't go below $1800.
Honestly these are all good clarinets for any student. I have a friend who has a Leblanc Bliss. He is a great player, and he can do wonders with it. I once asked him if I could try it out and air blew out fairly easy. At first it was fairly sharp, but with a small barrel and throat adjustment it played well in tune. My only problem with it was its keys. Even though my hands are small the keys felt really small compared to my Ridenour clarinet. The keys felt a little fragile and loose. It didn't really affect the sound of the clarinet but it just felt a little strange. But for others this doesn't feel strange because everyone has their prefrences, so I'd have you daughter try it out before you bought it for her just to see how she feels with it.
Oh and there's the Buffet E-11. Honestly this is the clarinet you want to get to part of the "status-quo". In my high school's concert band (the less good band of the two in my school) only one player has an E-11 and he's second chair of a section of about 10. In my high school's wind ensemble (the better of the two) 6 people have E-11s, 1 has an R-13, and 1 has a Leblanc model (but its not the Leblanc Bliss, I'm not sure what it is). The 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th and last chair have an E-11 in my wind ensemble. And really its not really the clarinet that makes them this good (even though it plays exceptionally well), but it's just the fact that its a BUFFET E-11. For any advancing or naturally great player (not always) any other clarinet that's not Buffet is inferior, so it has to do more with the mentality of it. But despite the Buffet E-11's great track record, it still tends to play sharp in the high register (and the higher you get the more noticeable it becomes).
As for the Yamaha YCL-450 I think its equal if not better than an E-11, and definetely better than a Leblanc Bliss. I think it can compete with many professional models, but I still consider it an intermediate model. My private teacher plays in one and he once let me try it and blowing air through it was so easy that the high notes became easy to play IN TUNE.
Now here's my story... I play in a Ridenour Lyrique 576-BC rubber clarinet. And just a few months ago I was going through the same thing as you were right now: trying to find a good clarinet for the price range of about $1000 (actually you're trying to find the best intermediate model clarinet you can find but why settle for an intermediate clarinet if you could get a professional model clarinet for the same price). A few months I had a Selmer Soloist student model and after 3 years of playing and one semester of marching band it had become junk. I'd always mess around in class (and despite my popularity) everyone thought I was a mediocre player. I knew I wasn't a bad player, I just had a bad clarinet. And I know everyone's going to say "It's not the instrument, it's the player" but there's a point in everyone's life where you just have to say your instrument is a load of crap. After two months of searching for the best clarinet for the price range of about $1000 I finally had to pick the Ridenour clarinet because of its fantastic reviews and praises by clarinet players everywhere. Some even dared to say that it was better than an R-13 (even though I still have my doubts), and everyone said that it was better than any Buffet E-11 they have owned or tried. When I bought this clarinet I was 7th chair in my school's concert band. Two weeks after I had received it I had to go to my high school's wind ensemble audition and guess who made it... I did. Everyone was left shocked and dumbfounded, even my teacher (and obviously he's the one who auditioned me). I even did better than my conert band's second chair player, and amazingly he has an E-11. He's a really good friend of mine, and he's a great player (he made it to Wind Ensemble too), but I honestly think I am a better player than him and not solely because of the results of the audition, but because I've heard him play and I've heard myself play, and I think my tone is much darker and better in tune than his. And next year when schools begins again, I'll be able to prove it to him and everyone else. Obviously I'd like to tell him this but I won't because of a lack on an arguement,and because of his nature. He's excessively cocky and arrogant, and he constantly critiques my playing technique (even with my Ridenour clarinet) and I know he just does this just because of his excessive proud nature. And I know there's nothing wrong with my technique or tone because I have a private PROFESSIONAL AND EXPERIENCED teacher who say my technique and tone is good and that there's nothing wrong with it.
That's my story but the choice is yours. Any of these clarinets are good but I never regret having choosed my Ridenour clarinet.
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