 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Newclarinetplayer
Date: 2011-08-02 14:41
My daughter is an elementary school student who plans to play clarinet for a few years. We are looking to buy a plastic or resin clarinet. We purchased the Bundy BCL 300 and found out it has chemicals in it under Prop 65 that may cause cancer so we returned it. We are looking for a quality plastic clarinet under 450 to get her. We can get the Amati 201Bb for about 360. Does anyone have experience with Amati plastic clarinets? Any other recommendations? Thanks so much.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2011-08-02 14:54
What potential carcinogens do Bundys have? Is it in the plastic or other parts?
The majority of plastic clarinets are made from ABS resin and you can often find ex demo or ex rental instruments for a good price, but do check to see if they've been checked over thoroughly before being sold so there aren't any problems with them.
Your best bets are Buffet B12, Vito and Yamaha plastic clarinets.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: TJTG
Date: 2011-08-02 15:03
Well, if your willing to pay 450 dollars, I would consider this:
Because a lot of musical progress depends on a quality instrument, I would consider getting a wooden one. Now, it sounds as though you don't have a teacher to help you decide on a new instrument. BUT I think if you would look around at your local music stores, see if they have a used wooden clarinet for sale. Possibly they'll have one or two on consignment.
A couple years ago I had my student buy a used wood clarinet that was worlds better than the plastic, but for the same price as a new plastic.
Also, the wood one will probably be resell-able for more money than the plastic.
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Author: SteveG_CT
Date: 2011-08-02 15:18
Personally I would not recommend buying a wood clarinet for an elementary school student. Wooden instruments are more fragile and require more care than plastic or rubber ones and judging from the beating I have seen many clarinets take at the hands of very young players I think you would be asking for trouble getting one.
I too am curious about how a clarinet could potentially cause cancer unless you decided to eat the thing, which is not recommended. As an alternative I would looks for a used Yamaha plastic model. I think Yamaha's are pretty much the best plastic clarinets on the market. Music Remasters, one of the advertisers here, has several Yamaha YCL-20 clarinets that are freshly rebuilt for well below your budget. I would buy one of those and then invest in a good student mouthpiece (Fobes Debut, Gennusa Mezzo, Behn Overture, Hite Premier, etc.)
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Author: ThatPerfectReed
Date: 2011-08-02 15:23
Hate to be pragmatic when the best playing instrument for the buck is our passion here--but, will marching band (in potentially inclement weather) be on our "little munchkins" event horizon for the duration of this instrument's projected ownership?
Just food for thought regarding how you spend your money. I might be inclined to consider getting a 2nd really cheepie horn with some of your budget if such outdoor playing might be required.
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Author: janlynn
Date: 2011-08-02 15:34
First time I ever heard of a Bundy causing cancer. Its a great beginner horn. I would re-think about getting this model.
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Author: TJTG
Date: 2011-08-02 15:40
oh right. My student was going into high school. heh
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Author: William
Date: 2011-08-02 15:41
When you are talking "plastic" clarinets, just about any brand or model will do. It is really more *how* it's played rather than "how" it plays. I would bet even money that Charles Neidich could make any Bundy clarinet sound like a "million dollars"--or at least better than most of us on any Buffet R-13.
Having said that, I would like to read more about the carcinogens reported to be present in plastic instruments and how valid this information is. Personally, I have never heard of anyone catching cancer from a Bundy--or any other similar clarinet. And how about lead content--especially those cheap CSO's from China that seem so popular among "unknowing" parents of young beginners??????
And lastly, I would recommend you consider buying a used, vintage Selmer Bundy Resonite clarinet. Back in the day, they were made with a little more care and you can most always get back what is spent on it if it is treated with a little TLC. In the hands of even a beginner, they are almost indestructable and as easy to play as the most expensive wood clarinet made, providing a decent mouthpiece and reed set-up is used.
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Author: cxgreen48
Date: 2011-08-02 17:05
This is slightly off topic, but does anyone know who is even making the current Bundys? I have a feeling Selmer is not making these...
I also agree that you should consider buying a quality used instrument and get a good mouthpiece to start on.
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Author: ThatPerfectReed
Date: 2011-08-02 21:05
> My daughter is an elementary school student who plans to play clarinet for a few years.
I must be the pessimist today--but I'm well intentioned. : - )
Inquirer: my daughter too is an elementary school student who planned to walk the dog everyday when we got it. Surely her sentiments were as real as my wife and I knew they wouldn't ultimately be realized.
...so we got a Maltese and trained it to do it's business in the house, on wee-wee pads.
To point: You have a much better sense than me if your little one is going to be with the instrument for a couple more years. Still, if she changed her mind--suffice it to say she wouldn't be the first.
Okay, worse case, you buy a horn and it eventually goes unused, hopefully later than sooner--there's also ebay to sell it on. But would rental not be an option--or do you figure for the cost of slightly more (or less?!) than rental you could own a horn???
...may she advance to a leading manufacturer's artist--and get her equipment for free/at cost..etc.!
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Author: rtmyth
Date: 2011-08-02 21:50
Ridenour has one for 225. calls it Accelerando. I have not seen any reviews.
richard smith
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Author: weberfan
Date: 2011-08-02 23:53
Bundy clarinets can be eaten, in moderation, if sauteed with lemon, garlic and olive oil. You should remove the keys, however. Serve with heirloom tomatoes, sweet corn relish and a nice Sauvignon Blanc. Enjoy.
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2011-08-03 00:07
Regarding CXGreen's question, Selmer no longer has anything to do with the making of Bundy instruments. I believe they sold the rights to the name, I think they are being made in Asia.
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: dansil
Date: 2011-08-03 02:40
as a family physician I feel it's important to provide my opinion regarding paranoia about cancer. We all live with carcinogenic macro- and micro- pollution, the former being what we can see, smell, taste and otherwise have an awareness about and mostly choose whether to continue exposing ourselves to the risk. The latter is more difficult to deal with AND also much more difficult to quantitatively define our personal risk with each exposure or ongoing exposure, mainly because there is usually no hard science which can define risks.
It's normal to BLOW into a clarinet, not to suck from it (I've actually never tried to get a sound by sucking - must try it sometime). So if the plastic of the body of clarinet has cancer-producing chemicals within, surely exposure to these chemicals would be through physical contact of our fingers or by contact of our lips to the mouthpieces (which are commonly hard rubber anyway, not plastic).
Professionally, I think the original poster's fears about risks of carcinogens from playing a clarinet are totally out of proportion to the reality of the risk!
I believe we probably are at dramatically more risk from the chemicals exuding from plastics in our cars which we inhale in vast quantities on hot days when the sun bakes these chemicals out of the upholstery and dashboards, etc.
Cheers, Danny Silver
a family doctor in Castlemaine, rural Victoria, Australia for the past 30+ years, also a plucked string musician (mandolin, classical guitar) for far too long before discovering the clarinet - what a missed opportunity!
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Author: William
Date: 2011-08-03 15:23
Weberfan, I prefer the taste of plastic oboes, particularly more tasteful if garnished with a fibercane reed. They are served in lower proportions--low cal--and consuming non-wooden hatbois is more enviromentally "green" in reducing environmental sound pollution, especially when eatten from a beginners hands.
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Author: weberfan
Date: 2011-08-03 15:50
William,
I bow to your culinary instrumental experience and look forward to more recipes. It's true, a Bundy, sauteed, is higher in calories and empty carbohydrates. Not quite junk food. But an hautbois..well, you've got me there. I'd hate to spend time gouging double reeds, though. It means extra time in the kitchen.
Perhaps best to go directly to the wine.
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Author: Ursa
Date: 2011-08-04 04:12
The Bundy name was sold to the Musician's Friend/Music123/WWBW/Guitar Center conglomerate, and the current Bundys are unrelated to the Selmer-made Bundys of yore.
Oddly, Selmer still stills Bundy and Geo. M. Bundy mouthpieces. You'd think they would be rebranded as Selmer products.
I prefer plastic clarinets smoked and served with a good German-style mustard. Ideally, the smoke should come from a fire stoked with maple bassoon joints. If done right, the posts and needle springs are easy to remove from the smoked clarinet, much akin to the removal of bones from a smoked fish.
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Author: Dee
Date: 2011-08-07 16:30
Almost EVERYTHING must be so labeled in California since almost everything, if used incorrectly, can be a carcinogen.
Since you don't plan to eat it, inhale it, bathe in it, etc., I would not worry about it.
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Author: BobD
Date: 2011-08-07 18:33
Chances are that the mouthpiece that will be used will be the same for the plastic clarinet as well as a wood one.
Bob Draznik
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