 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: janlynn
Date: 2011-03-29 17:52
has anyone here bought one of these with great expectations and was disappointed?
Post Edited (2011-03-29 17:56)
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Author: ohsuzan
Date: 2011-03-29 18:23
I did not buy one myself, but recommended it to a friend (whose alternative choice was a Buffet B-12). He brought it to me after he got it, and I have to say, I did not think it lived up to its billing.
It's not that it's a bad clarinet (and I did really like the keywork). It's just that when you read statements from folks exclaiming that they are getting rid of their brand-name professional instruments in favor of the Lyrique, your expectations get raised.
IMO, it's a fine intermediate clarinet, and as with any brand, there may be individual instruments that are exceptionally fine. But I don't think it is more than that.
Susan
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Author: Jaysne
Date: 2011-03-29 19:22
I bought an A Lyrique, and it plays fine. I like it very much, and it was certainly a bargain in terms of price and quality.
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Author: clarinetcase
Date: 2011-03-29 21:43
I purchased a Bb and A set. Some of the places I play don't have great heat in the winter. I, also, have the "privilage" of playing places without air or outside in the summer. They work fine for me.. They have a good sound and are fairly worry free. It's because of where I often play that I use my Lyriques most of the time. They're not the same as a top of the line pro instrument, just close.
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Author: Kontra
Date: 2011-03-30 00:52
While I can't speak for the Bb, my teacher bought a Lyrique in C after his Buffet was stolen and he said he was amazed to hear it played better than the Buffet ever did.
As for their bass, I haven't heard one but I've seen it side by side with a Yamaha YCL-621II and the design was VERY similar.
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2011-03-30 01:14
I had one (576 BC) for more than two years and just recently sold it. It played very nicely, but I found a more expensive instrument that I preferred for my concerts. The tuning on the Lyrique was always spot-on. It was nice that Tom includes two barrels with each instrument.
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."
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Author: none
Date: 2011-03-30 01:35
For 3 years, I've had a 925 Lyrique bass that plays to low C . It's the easiest bass I've ever played and is money well-spent. As are Tom Ridenour's mouthpieces, either the acrylic or the rubber, Artist's Model.
My only criticism is the pot metal key work that needs to be handled carefully when connecting or disassembling the sections or else it's swedging time!But what should one expect from an instrument that costs 20% that of a Buffet?
janeandgary@rogers.com
Post Edited (2011-04-02 18:01)
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Author: luca1
Date: 2011-03-30 01:43
I have his A, B-flat and C clarinets. My expectations were low (isn't rubber for boots?) ... my satisfaction upon playing them: very high. The best thing is that the price of my trio of licorice sticks = the price of one Big Name French wood clarinet ...which may well crack after a year or two.............
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Author: Franklin Liao
Date: 2011-03-30 01:46
I, this useless amateur, really, really find it regrettable that Ridenour would come to sacrifice in the keywork department. The expense involved with casting a whole new set of keywork is something that has been haunting my mind ever since I've had the chance of playing the Arioso C. That instrument makes such an impression upon me...
Post Edited (2011-03-30 01:50)
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Author: Pastor Rob
Date: 2011-03-30 02:57
I don't have a Lyrique, I have the Arioso. It is certainly better than my Yamaha 52 which is a solid intermediate instrument. The only issues I have are that the A key doesn't have the little bit of play before it lifts the A-flat/B-sharp key. My teacher wants me to get it adjusted but it doesn't seem to make much difference to me. Also I have a lot more problems with the upper joint key holes getting filled with water and making a gurgerling noise. If I don't swab every ten minutes it happens. The tone is good and more consistent accross the the scale than my Yamaha. The mouthpiece that came with it produces a soft sound that works great for our smallish auditorium.
Pastor Rob Oetman
Leblanc LL (today)
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2011-03-30 21:37
For me this is a timely thread because I just yesterday unpacked my new Lyrique A Clarinet.
I had great hopes for the instrument, and I am not disappointed. This is the 3rd "budget" A clarinet I've owned in the last two years. The others were used Buffet R13s, and they had short, expensive visits. Neither was tolerable; each required a lot of fiddling, and each went on to a new owner.
By comparison on price and performance, the Lyrique looks like a keeper.
I've played it for about 5-hours so far and taken a hard look at it. Here are some impressions:
* The thumb rest mount is the best I've seen on any clarinet. Its base is solidly mounted to the body, and the adjustment screw is robust.
* As an old guy with "carpal tunnel" problems, I'd appreciate a loop in the thumb rest for my neck strap.
* The bore polish is awesome, but a silk swab sounds "funny" when pulled through the rubber bore. Obviously, Tom Ridenour has a good sense of "form follows function"; the polishing is in the bore, not the exterior.
* The "wrap-around-the-thumb ring register key" is pure genius. It took me only a few minutes to get (nearly) used to it. My old Full Boehm Buffet's conventional reg key was ok, but my "new" Buffet RC's reg key likes to pinch my thumb between it and the thumb ring. OUCH. It takes no care to position the thumb for a quick "pinch" Bb.
* I reamed the top socket of the barrels to fit my mouthpieces. One is a standard Vandoren, and the other a standard Zinner blank. They may be large, as my teacher has to use paper shims to use his mpc on my barrel. I don't regard this to be a shortfall in any way; I would expect to need a trip to the technician to match up my barrels and mouthpieces; and I'd prefer having my barrels too tight rather than too loose.
* I fiddled a bit with the pinkie key set up. The left hand C/F key moved down too far for comfort; so I thickened the cork at the Left/Right cross-over lever mechanism. I also thickened another cork to remove a teeny bit of play in the Long B/E mechanism.
* These old Buffet fingers are really liking the feel of the Lyrique key work --which is very quiet.
* It has been a few months since I've sat down to play an A clarinet, so I've got a lot to get used to. The Lyrique's intonation "feels" odd, but that's likely to be caused by its being "1/2 tone flat" compared to my Bb. I played some arpeggios with a tuner, but gave up for now. I'll have to wait a while to understand its tuning characteristics.
* This clarinet goes in and out of the altissimo register better than anything I've ever played. It is hugely better than my Buffet RC. It is going to make it easy(ier) to gracefully connect the alti to the clarion. That was one of the things that motivated the purchase; and I'm pleased.
* A loaner Buffet R13, all gussied up with Backun redwood stuff, was a lot more demanding to blow than this one.
* I don't have a problem with any compromise Tom Ridenour made to the chaleumeu in order to enhance the lower clarion. It spins quite nicely down there --although my judgment is suspect because of that "1/2 tone flat thing."
* This not a boisterous horn. It feels different from the Buffet RC, and it may be less strident --particularly in the left hand clarion. I wonder about undertaking a mouthpiece matching exercise. Both my Vandoren (M30/13) and my Zinner have facings by Lee Livengood. Despite their internal differences (whatever they might be), they play much the same. Neither feels "right" with the Lyrique. This is another thing that will have to be developed --along with a better understanding of the instrument's short (62-m) barrels.
It will be interesting to see how this A and I get along as our honeymoon progresses. So far ---so very good.
Bob Phillips
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Author: Ed
Date: 2011-03-31 03:22
clarinet case says:
Quote:
I, also, have the "privilage" of playing places without air
you mean like in outer space?
;-)
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2011-03-31 03:47
I got one a few years ago and generally found it to be good in the short term.
In the long term, though, the adjustment and connection in the lower keys was difficult. The key design does not adjust easily to different pad styles even though they are spaced quite well for the exact thickness of the pads that it comes with.
Additionally, I found adjustment problems with the crow's foot and/or connection with the C/B. I am not sure if it was the crow's foot itself that was bending or another key, but the end result was that the single finger LH E/B did not seal well after several hours of practice.
In general, the key work on the instrument that I recieved had many things that were quite flawed from the production side. Screw holes for rod screws were too big in some places and key tubes for rods were also too big in some keys.
I would like to be fair and say that I have seen these same things if not worse from the "big names" in clarinets. These are things that really should not be leaving any factory at any price, IMO.
However, I suspect that the factory that the Lyriques are made do not power forge their keys. This leaves them to be soft, from the soldering process. Power forging is needed to give the keys stiffness so that they hold their shape and don't just gradually bend unther the pressure of one's fingers.
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Author: Franklin Liao
Date: 2011-03-31 04:10
@skygardener:
I originally felt the same about looking at Crow's foot of the Arioso. The keywork are not forged but cast. I did not take apart the thing since it does not belong to me, but I seriously felt that the keywork is major suspect for this clarinet's point of failure. There isn't much facility to make adjustment on the instrument without replacing the cork spacers and whatnot. I cannot say about the condition of the posts, but I somehow am worried about how the means that the Chinese factory would choose to put them onto the body.
I must also say however, that I saw proof of Ridenour putting the time into the horn. He perfected the toneholes, worked on the motion of the keys so they don't slack much... what made the strongest impression on me is how he approached the top joints with strategic placement of cork pads. This is the level of detail that even this amateur can appreciate.
I find it really difficult for me to accept this kind of omission since I do not prescribe to the school of "throwaway when broken." This keywork is I think the major reason why techs would frown upon looking at the horn!
Post Edited (2011-03-31 04:12)
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Author: Bobby McClellan
Date: 2011-04-01 22:56
I have his Basset A clarinet and it is very well constructed in my opinion. For the money it is worth it. Tom does actually playtest and adjust it before it goes out.
When I ordered it I ordered Basset only, he has the option for purchasing the A clarinet and he will send the Basset lower joint in a case that holds that joint. I already owned an A and could not bring myself to buy the package.
Bobby
Bobby M. McClellan
Flowood, MS
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Author: clarinetcase
Date: 2011-04-02 00:04
some people may think I play in outer space. . . however I meant without air conditioning : )
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2011-04-02 09:00
Dan wrote-
From the Lyrique brochure: "power-forged nickel-silver keys".
----
Okay, maybe they are power forged... but they are still on the soft side and don't hold a regulation on the B/C connection. The metal is on the soft side.
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Author: Dan Oberlin ★2017
Date: 2011-04-02 10:20
Skygardener,
I've been using a Lyrique for the past three years with absolutely no adjustment issues. I only play about ten hours a week, though. Is there a chance that your personal experience with a Lyrique is due to making heavier use of the instrument?
D.O.
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Author: GLHopkins
Date: 2011-04-02 18:34
Quote:
some people may think I play in outer space
They think your playing is out of this world. That's a compliment.
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2011-04-03 02:17
Dan wrote-
Is there a chance that your personal experience with a Lyrique is due to making heavier use of the instrument?
----------
Well, I was using the instrument more than that when I used it. It is also possible that I use more force than you, but I am not one that presses the keys exceptionally firmly.
One of the problems was that the single finger "long B" would work fine on the right hand, but not on the left.
Also, the projection was not that great in large spaces, although it was good in small spaces.
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Author: Barry Vincent
Date: 2011-04-03 06:39
I have used my Lyrique 576bc on a number of occasions at outdoor weddings and have found that this clarinet projects very well in such conditions.
At one of those playouts we were having a true Australian heatwave and I had one of my friends to move about and tell me what I sounded like. He said that I was sounding very clearly in the area out front and to the side of me. This area was about the space of a basket ball court or thereabouts. I was using CD backing recordings of various songs.
As for the hardness of the keywork, I don't seem to have any problems with keys bending though the LH B/E long lever has a slight play in it.
I assume that I use minimal finger pressure , just enough to seal the pads.
The only gripe I have with this clarinet is the design of the keywork, especially the RL Eb/Bb trill lever which has an abrupt edge that aggrevates the LH finger that uses that key.
Also the thumbrest was too high up but I easily fixed that myself.
Before I moved that down about a centimetre , the B/F# cup was making contact with my thumb when that key was being used.
This is my favourite clarinet
Skyfacer
Post Edited (2011-04-03 14:35)
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Author: Claire Annette
Date: 2011-04-03 14:50
Skygardener, my experience has been the same on that left hand third line B natural on my Ridenour clarinet. This has been the only issue about that clarinet that has been less than satisfactory.
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Author: Bobby McClellan
Date: 2011-04-16 01:52
I always watch Tom's youtube videos. and his new one "how to assemble a clarinet he said that he was using his proto tyoe wood clarinet that will be coming out soon.
Has anyone else seen this. I wonder what it will be like. I have 2 of his horns and really like them.
Bobby
Bobby M. McClellan
Flowood, MS
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