 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: smokey4016
Date: 2011-01-17 13:29
My son is in need of an "A" clarinet. Price is an issue right now, he has one more year of H.S then off to college.. Any suggestions on purchasing used. He is planning on going on for music.. I really don't mind purchasing from the internet but it is nice for him to be able to try them first..
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Author: SteveG_CT
Date: 2011-01-17 14:01
There's nothing wrong with purchasing used. If possible try to find an A clarinet that has similar keywork to his Bb so that there will be minimal adjustment necessary in terms of the ergonomics of the instrument.
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Author: kdk
Date: 2011-01-17 14:25
Buying from a reputable repair person is a good way to find a used instrument. If you are in the Easton, PA area (as your ISP information suggests) there are a few in the area from Wilmington, DE to the Philadelphia suburbs who might have instruments on consignment from players who have replaced an older instrument with a new one. It night be a longish trip for you (I don't know anyone much farther north), but there's a fairly large investment involved. Finding a used A clarinet is a little more problematic than finding a B-flat instrument, since players who are selling A clarinets (in order to replace them with newer ones or instruments of different manufacturers) tend to be more advanced or professional players selling high quality instruments.
Contact me off the BB if you're interested in specific contacts.
Karl
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Author: salzo
Date: 2011-01-17 14:30
I took a look at one that is currently listed on Craigslist, in Philadelphia.
The horn is in Doylestown. Its not a bad horn, but it does have some age to it-would probably get your son through college. If you want the sellers phone number, send me a pm. I think it is listed now at 1400-1600, and it has been listed for about a month.
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Author: SteveG_CT
Date: 2011-01-17 14:41
It's probably worth mentioning that you may want to wait until your son enters college before purchasing an A clarinet. Some college professors are notoriously biased about instruments and may insist that their student play a particular make/model. It'd be a shame to spend a significant amount of money on a Selmer/Leblanc/Yamaha/Lyrique/etc. clarinet only to find out your son's new professor insists on Buffet.
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Author: kdk
Date: 2011-01-17 15:59
The flip side to Steve's caveat about waiting to see what a future college teacher wants your son to have (which is a valid point) is that, if he's playing a significant amount of orchestral repertoire now, having a decent instrument may make his life easier right now. Transposing is fine if it's necessary, but playing the parts on the right instrument is much more relaxing. Most clarinet professors, even if they really want their students to have one brand/model or another, will tolerate something else if the student already owns it and it plays decently.
Karl
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2011-01-17 16:30
Let's not forget about the incredible value in the Tom Ridenour clarinets..... new.
.................Paul Aviles
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Author: SteveG_CT
Date: 2011-01-17 16:49
If I were going to buy a new A clarinet I would buy a Lyrique as Paul suggested. The Lyriques cost less new then most used A clarinets from the more famous makers.
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2011-01-17 17:35
Sometimes the actual music schools may have a spare A clarinet, since not all muscians carry A clarinets going into college.
I still prefer a use A Buffet clarinet over any other clarinet maker. I've played Buffets all of my life, so I may be a bit too passionate about Buffets.
A used Selmer series 10G are well desired, along with the pro line of Yamaha's.
I've played the Selmer 10G and found the key work to be really nice. The horn feels good in your hands and the sound quality is very pleasing.
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Author: clariknight
Date: 2011-01-17 19:09
An A clarinet is not usually entirely necessary for freshman to have, but by sophomore and junior year he will definitely need one. I would agree with SteveG, in that many college professors prefer certain clarinets. That said, however, I can't imagine a professor taking issue with an R13.
Are there any schools close to you? If so, you might try to get in contact with the clarinet professor(s) and see if any of their students are selling A clarinets. Sometimes students get to college, get brand new high quality instruments, and then decide that they don't want to pursue music after all and sell of their clarinets.
If your son can wait until college to get an A clarinet, then you can start saving now, and by the time college rolls around the investment for a new one won't seem so daunting. (Plus, by then you'll have a better idea of whether or not he's going to stick with it).
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Author: SteveG_CT
Date: 2011-01-17 19:34
I agree that just about every professor would be fine with a student buying an R13 A clarinet. The issue is more that you could probably find a used Selmer, Leblanc, or Yamaha A clarinet for half of what a used R13 would cost but there is a chance a professor could reject it even if it plays just as well (or better) than the hypothetical R13.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2011-01-17 20:15
Regardless of whether your son's college teacher teacher has preferences about the maker, s/he will undoubtedly have incoming students who do not have A clarinets and will have sources to find good ones. I think you should wait, unless you find an exceptional one.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Klarnetisto
Date: 2011-01-21 21:42
Definitely don't get a Vento A clarinet! I tried this out, including the alternate basset-extension lower joint, and found it to be very poor in every respect: tone, tuning, response, and especially ergonomics.
Klarnetisto
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Author: smokey4016
Date: 2011-01-23 01:51
Thank you everyone for all your advice. At this time we decided to hold off. He is presently in Young Peoples Philharmonic , and they loan you an "A'. This will do for now until he decides what he wants to do. He personally would like to have a Buffet "A ". Thanks Again.
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