 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: dtiegs
Date: 2011-03-29 02:03
Yes, this is another "which instrument should i buy?" question. I am not a professional player, but do hope to be one in the future. My parents and I are thinking of buying a new "better" clarinet. I have notified my private instructor, but he's is uncomfortable in telling me which brand is best.
I hope that you are willing to help me find an instrument. Please do leave a message of the clarinet that you have used and what your comments are about them.
I do realize that I will have to try them out, but without knowledge of which one is the best, I will have no direction to turn to.
Thank You,
Dalton
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Author: concertmaster3
Date: 2011-03-29 02:44
Yamaha CSV (A and Bb)
Great clarinets, with excellent tone and intonation. Very nice keywork and even though they aren't "matched", they both play extremely well together, with very little differences between the two (I really haven't spotted any out yet to be honest). A custom level horn for the price of a entry level horn from most other makers, and from a very reputable company! I've preferred this clarinet over other clarinets that I've tried, and the only thing I really wish it had was the LH G#/D# key, which can be requested, depending on where you buy from. You also don't have to worry about blending on these clarinets, with a section of Buffet players. I recently played in a wind symphony concert, where most of the section played Buffets, and I had no issues blending with the rest of the group.
Couesnon (A and Bb)
Also nice horns, but not as nice as the Yamaha's, which is why I bought the Yamaha's. These lasted me through some great concerts/recitals, and don't regret buying them. I almost hate to part with them soon! Tuning is consistent between the 2 of them, just a bit high in the upper clarion, but that's easily compensated for. These play very nicely with a Backun Barrel, and opened the sound up a lot. Usually harder to find these though, but I don't think I'd recommend them for a college student looking to go pro. (usually anyway).
Buffet E11 (Bb and A)
I borrowed both of these for a few weeks (A from a friend and Bb from the college where I teach), and both seemed to play well. They were both the German models, and even though I've heard a lot of downplaying of the German made E11's, these worked well for me. The only thing that I found to be an issue was the pins in the LH pinky keys breaking, which seems to be the same mechanism used on the R13's also. Look into having a couple small problems looked at, otherwise, it's a decent horn.
Good luck in your search!
Ron Ford
Woodwind Specialist
Performer/Teacher/Arranger
http://www.RonFordMusic.com
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Author: William
Date: 2011-03-29 03:21
FWIW, I spent nearly ten years playing a supurb set of Leblanc Concerto clarinets specially set up for me by Tom Ridenour, the (then) designer of the instruments. Impeccable intonation and eveness of scale from bottom to top--a dream to play. However, for the past five years, I have returned to my Buffet R13's of 1960's vintage. Why, you ask?????? I just seem to be able to play more expressivley with the Buffets and put more into the music. The Leblancs always seemed to hold me just a little bit back. So, for your choice of clarinet, I guess I would recommend the Buffet. They just sing better.
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Author: Clarimeister
Date: 2011-03-29 03:22
I'm sorry to disappoint you, however there is no such thing as the best clarinet. If there were a "best" clarinet, everyone would be playing on it. Now, I can tell you that based on statistics, most clarinetists play on Buffet clarinets. Most notably the R13. Now, that isn't to say that people don't play on other instruments. Lots of people play on Selmer Paris and Yamaha. And, others play on Leblanc or other custom made instruments. So I guess I can say that the "best" clarinet is Buffet, just based on how many people play on one. My speculation, as well as others is, that the reason most play on a Buffet, is because each instrument of the same model (E.g R13) is different from one another. This allows the player to find an instrument that best suits them. For example I went through 10 R13s to find my new Bb which I just got 3 months ago. Now to answer your question, all 3 of my main clarinets being Bb, A, and Eb clarinets, are all Buffet R13s. My newest one is the one I just mentioned, my Bb. My A and Eb clarinets are older from the 80s because I bought them from my old instructor, and they play fabulous. I also have an older Selmer Paris 10G (Bb) that my mom used to play on, and it makes for a great back up clarinet. My own personal recommendation are Buffet R13s because of the flexibility it has for each player to suit them. And, most clarinet shops will have a bunch that you can try out. I hope this helps!
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Author: kdk
Date: 2011-03-29 06:28
Clarimeister said, "Now, I can tell you that based on statistics, most clarinetists play on Buffet clarinets. Most notably the R13."
Probably still true, but I think only in the U.S.. I think other Buffet models are more popular in Europe.
To respond to your question, Dalton, I have two thoughts. One is that your private teacher, if he/she is a clarinetist, ought to be willing to help with this. The other is that, no matter what you buy, it probably won't be the last clarinet you ever own. If you go into clarinet playing in a serious way (whether as a pro or a very committed amateur), you will eventually gain the knowledge and the sense of your own musical goals to make choices about equipment based on your own preferences. Few of us probably still play on the instruments we bought as serious high school clarinetists.
You will never go completely wrong with Buffet, Selmer or Leblanc top lines. There are others to try as well. If you're concerned about what a college professor may want you to have, I think most will be happy to see a Buffet come in the door with you at your audition or first lesson, but if you have a particular teacher in mind, see if you can find out what he or she plays. I don't think you'll get much pressure from any college professor if you come to him or her playing anything among the major brands' top lines.
For what it's worth, I play Selmer 10G clarinets, but since they are no longer made, it's hard to recommend them to you or anyone else. I owned and played on two different Buffet Bb clarinets (I still have one of them) and a Buffet A before I settled on the Selmers. Some players buy new instruments every 4 or 5 years and each time they get to choose all over again. The important thing to remember is that whatever you buy now is not a lifetime commitment. When you have stronger preferences of your own, you will choose what *you* think is best.
Good luck,
Karl
Post Edited (2011-03-29 10:29)
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Author: Clarimeister
Date: 2011-03-29 07:24
Yeah that is what I meant. I forget that in Europe a lot of players use the RC and not the R13. Lots of players are starting to get interested in the Tosca. I personally have yet to find a good one I like. The Toscas are, to me, like R13s in the sense they are extremely inconsistent. Would have to go through a ton of em to find the right one. And theyre insanely expensive, but this is coming out of a poor college music major's mouth :P
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Author: Ursa
Date: 2011-03-29 08:30
Dalton, it may be helpful if you identify what clarinet you are playing now, what you like and dislike about the instrument, and what you hope to gain by upgrading to another clarinet--then, some meaningful suggestions might be made.
For what it's worth, my principal performance clarinet is a Ridenour Lyrique 576BC--but my primary motivation for selecting this instrument was to accommodate playing mostly outdoors and in dance hall settings with wildly fluctuating environmental conditions. After playing this instrument for nearly a year, I'm absolutely convinced that the Lyrique was the best possible choice I could have made. The tuning is superb; the keywork fits my hands perfectly and is flawlessly regulated; the evenness of response is excellent; and the tone has a certain sweetness and ring to it that I find sonically very interesting. Most of all, though, there is an intuitiveness and ease about the way the thing plays that makes playing easy and fun. I'm delighted with it.
Not knowing what your specific needs in a clarinet are, I'd hesitate to recommend the Lyrique--or any other particular model.
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Author: dtiegs
Date: 2011-03-29 13:43
I, currently, play on a student model manufactured by Yamaha. Someday, I hope to be a professional, playing in an orchestra of some sort.
Likes:
My likes of the clarinet is that it plays in tune, once you have tuned it of course
Dislikes:
my G tuning note is a little flat, maybe 1-2 cents off, but the C is screaming sharp that my director said,"... Are you sure that you have the correct fingering, because it's a C#.( I have checked with my instructor with this, and even he couldn't keep the C down) And with me being a first chair student, how could i play in a band lacking woodwinds and hesitate to play a note?
The clunkiness I must say, is probably the worst part. It perfect for my hands but, the - i dare say Pinky keys- are bulky, i can't press one without the ones on the other side moving, with an exception for one key.
Thank you,
Dalton
And to everyone else who commented, i thank you very much.
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Author: BartHx
Date: 2011-03-29 16:48
First, a clarification. When someone says that an instrument plays "in tune", they mean that it plays in tune with itself. A flat G with a sharp C on the same instrument is not playing in tune. The good news is that those problems can be (at least partially) addressed by a good tech adjusting some of the venting. Secondly, there is no excuse for the movement of one key to cause any other key to move that is not intended to do so. This would clearly indicate a problem with the key work or springs. This should be a fairly easy fix.
While the idea of getting a new instrument is definitely exciting, it might be worth the investment to have your current instrument gone over and set up by a good tech. I suspect the problems you mention can be considerably improved and, with a new instrument in mind, you will have a chance to listen to other instruments and develop an idea of what sound you really want to achieve. Consider, too, that you might be able to improve your current situation with the right mouthpiece and/or barrel. After your instrument has been set up, try some different mouthpieces. If you don't find one that helps, you have lost nothing but a little time.
As for which brand to look at new, I'm afraid I can't be of much help. My hobby is restoring and using older instruments (mainly Selmer). My newest instrument is a Series 10. I also have a 1930s Kohlert that is a really fantastic instrument. But, I digress. While I have a fair collection of clarinets, none are currently available new. Don't let the excitement of a new instrument cause you to latch onto the first one you find that seems better than what you are using. It is a time consuming process, but worth taking the time necessary to know what sound and action you are looking for and going through enough instruments to find it. Pick the one that works best for YOU, regardless of the name it carries. It may turn out that the first thing you want to do with a new instrument is to have a tech go through it and set it up for the action you want.
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Author: Loliver
Date: 2011-03-29 21:47
Buffet E13 (Bb)
Very, VERY popular wooden student clarinet in the UK, and elsewere. Out of 14 clarinetists in university band, 10 have E13s, 1 has R13, 2 have B10s and I have a Yamaha CSV...and that was the rough spread at sixth form and highschool as well.
Overall, held a good tune, was fairly easy to keep in tune, but, for me atleast, was diabolically bad workmanship in my experience. Pads on lower joint were all over the place, then they started to go green and make a funny smell, so had to be replaced. Within a year of careful use, had cracked at top of lower joint. Also, the keywork tarnished fairly quickly, especially when compared to my old Yamaha 450, or even my brother's 26II, which both still are gleaming.
Don't get me wrong, it did still produce a lovely tone, but was constantly worried that something was going to break or something was going to give, and doing round trips of 100+ miles around 5 times a year really wasnt worth the hassle.
Yamaha CSV (Bb)
Very nice Yamaha clarinet, but due to the 'bell chamber', the low E and middle B are much louder, and sound flatter and 'boxier' than the low F or C. Has a sweet tone, brighter than my E13 or any R13 I've tried, which comes down to taste.
Keywork seems durable and more resistant to discolouration than E13, although the intensity of use has dropped recently (hello Oboe!).
As has been pointed out by others, find the clarinet that suits you, not the one that suits the shops profit margins (cough...buffets...cough), so take along someone who knows something about the clarinet, as you want a third opinion besides yours and the seller. When trying out an R13 and a CSV, I couldn't tell the difference (damn ear blockage!!!), and had to rely on my dad's advice about how they all sounded. Turns out he was right, as I got to try an R13 later on, and I realised that they sounded completely different.
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Author: djphay
Date: 2011-03-29 22:28
For what it is worth, as a reasonably committed amateur, I play on Peter Eaton International Bb and A. I selected them last year having played just about every professional level Buffet that Howarth of London had in stock (except Toscas as they were above my budget).
I remember playing a nice R13 (although the others in stock I didn't like so much) and also a lovely pair of Vintages, which I very nearly bought. The Eatons are different from Buffets, but they are lovely to play and I like that English sound that Peter captures. For me they took a little bit more air to get them going than Buffets, but once you get used to that they perform very well, have very good intonation and great keywork.
Price-wise they are equivalent to the Buffet Prestige lines and I think represent excellent value for money. But as everyone else has said, and my own selection process showed, it really depends on an individual's unique relationship with each instrument they try to see what they prefer. My wind band colleague put it best when I set off for London:
"Kiss a lot of frogs".
David
Rank amateur
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Author: Katrina
Date: 2011-03-29 23:51
Of course you have to find the clarinet that's "right" for you.
I was lucky to have found mine in 1983. It's a Bb R13 from 1969 which I still play. It's a wonderful instrument and if it has any intonation issues, I became used to them eons ago.
In 1986 I purchased an R13 A clarinet which at the time was the best of the several I tried at Marks Music in PA. I never "bonded" with it but still have it for use when I need an A. It's got a beautiful tone and intonation, but it has never felt flexible in terms of how it "blows."
I have a Selmer Series 9 Full Boehm which is a great instrument but I'm so accustomed to the intonation on the R13 that I haven't figured out its quirks yet.
I also have a Pepper Albert clarinet in C, and an unknown Albert in Bb. Both are wonderful clarinets, and are wood and nice and old!
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Author: Corey
Date: 2011-03-30 17:06
Hi Dalton,
I've been playing clarinet for 50 years....a high level amateur (the music business if just too hard). My favorite clarinet is my current Rossi. The keywork and action are remarkable, tuning is just fine and the balance and feel in the hand is outstanding. By not having a center joint the horn sits better on the hands and it improves the action of the middle keys. I've played Buffets and Selmers and they are OK. But I'll stick with Rossi from now on.
I hope you find the instrument that you like........Corey
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