 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Dynegy
Date: 2010-06-04 13:58
Greetings!
I am new on this board and I am shopping for a clarinet for my daughter who is ready for a better quality one.
I am undecided whether I should get her a wood one or not, since she is still a minor and may not be disciplined enough to properly care for a wooden one. But on the other hand, she is quite advanced to qualify for a more quality one.
Any of you have heard/used Portland clarinet? It is made of 'compressed wood' and claims that it won't crack easily as real wood.
We'd appreciate any comments or experiences you can share.
Thanks!
My daughter plays clarinet and is ready for a better quality one, so I am seeking advice from this board for collective wisdom.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2010-06-04 15:57
Have you got a link to these 'Portland' clarinets? I've got my suspicions as to what it most likely is, but won't speculate until I'm certain.
What is your daughter's current clarinet?
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2010-06-04 16:02
Sorry, I haven't heard of a Portland clarinet but I will say that a good mouthpiece will help her tone quality much more then a new clarinet, unless what she's using now is junk. The first thing I would suggest is finding an experienced teacher and then taking their advise. Even a lesson every other week will do her much more good than a new clarinet, for the time being. She may of course need all three, teacher, mouthpiece and clarinet. Contact the university or symphony in your area to find an experienced teacher. ESP http://eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2010-06-04 16:07
I Googled the "Portland" clarinet, and only came up with a few retailers and distributors, no manufacturer information or even a hint as to country of origin. This suggests, and what I believe Chris is alluding to, that it is most likely a Chinese-made instrument. If so, then its quality is very hard to judge without actually inspecting and playing the thing. The musical instrument market is flooded with Chinese-made products whose actual manufacturers are usually difficult or impossible to determine, and the general consensus is that the quality of these instruments varies all over the spectrum, from absolutely awful to pretty darned good.
Caveat emptor and all that.
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Author: Dynegy
Date: 2010-06-04 16:43
Thank you very much for sending in your comments, as they have helped me to not bid on this item this morning lacking enough information about its history of quality.
My daughter may need a new clarinet at this point as she has a 40 year old Sunrise (Made in China) which is a gift from her uncle. Her teacher suggested getting her a new one instead of fixing it. Though she has been shown a few other choices such as Bundy or Vito, she does not seem to feel they are much better than what she has right now. She also enjoys playing more of the classical music than the regular band music.
I have thought of getting her an intermediate clarinet, but at the same time, she also expresses the desire to learn to play Oboe! So now I am debating what I should do, as I need to work with a budget as well.
Any suggestion for a medium priced but decent clarinet?
My daughter plays clarinet and is ready for a better quality one, so I am seeking advice from this board for collective wisdom.
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2010-06-04 16:52
Another option: look at the used and reconditioned clarinets at Clarinuts. You can find them on the toolbar to the right under "instruments." They come with a warranty and a return/inspection policy.
Edit: Here's a direct link: http://www.clarinuts.com/clarinuts/pages/ClarinetItems.asp
Jeff
“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 (2010-06-04 16:55)
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2010-06-04 17:10
Look for a good/reputable used wooden one - Buffet E11 or better still an E13 (or Evette&Schaeffer), or a Leblanc/Noblet/Normandy (any model), or any wooden Yamaha that has been reconditioned will be much better than a new Chinese/dubious origin one.
While a lot of used wooden clarinets (and good quality plastic ones) may have been bought from pawn shops or eBay by companies reconditioning and selling used instruments, provided they've been rebuilt well will mean they will often be much better than some brand new ones, and they should also come with a warranty as in the case of Clarinuts. There are a lot of good wooden instruments out there that shouldn't be passed up on. This one (and there's another Leblanc listed) would be something I'd go for http://www.clarinuts.com/clarinuts/pages/C597.asp
And as for oboe (if she wants to get one in the future), look for a used Fox 330 as that's plastic and has nearly all the keywork found on a pro model.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2010-06-04 17:17)
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Author: Dynegy
Date: 2010-06-04 19:24
Thanks very much for the information you have given me here, I think it makes a lot of sense to me.
Happy June playing music to ya'll ~
My daughter plays clarinet and is ready for a better quality one, so I am seeking advice from this board for collective wisdom.
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Author: SantiandCo
Date: 2010-06-04 20:29
I searched the Portland clarinet and it seems wll enough, but none of the testimonials seem legitimate, I would definitely not buy it, especially if no one in the bboard has ever heard of it. If she's an advancing student I'd go with a Ridenour Lyrique 576-BC clarinet. It's the same price as any other intermediate clarinet, but it plays like a professioanl one (and its made out of rubber so its not as delicate).
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2010-06-04 21:34
Here, "Portland" is a synonym to "cement". Which somehow doesn't really work with musical instruments. ![[tongue]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie6.gif)
--
Ben
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