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Re: Berkeley brand clarinets?

Author: Ursa
Date: 2012-12-03 22:35

I bought one of the Berkeley Pro A Clarinets about a year or so ago and can share with you the following observations:

1. The body of the instrument was hard rubber. The exterior of the body exhibited an attractive and flawless matte finish. Looking down the bore, however, numerous gouges and henpecks were evident.

2. Keywork was sturdy enough, and the pads sealed well. I was able to give the instrument a fair trial right out of the box.

3. The Berkeley had wide twelfths on the long notes, and that's what ultimately prompted me to return the instrument. The instrument was set up so the clarion C and B were reasonably in tune, at the expense of a unusably flat low F and somewhat flat low E.

4. The hard case was poorly made, with loose foam panels and some staples showing inside.

5. Tone quality was unexpectedly rich and sonorous, and the instrument had nice even response up and down the scale. I rather enjoyed giving the Berkeley its trial.

At the end of the day, the wide twelfths on the long end of the horn, the immediate need for a better case, and concerns about the marred bore convinced me to send the horn back. All I bought it for was playing standards in guitar-friendly keys out on the porch accompanied by guitarist friends, and the instrument wasn't 100% up to that task. Still, the instrument came frustratingly close to being a keeper. With a little re-engineering and better quality control, the Berkeley could be a fantastic bargain for a casual-use A clarinet.

Post Edited (2012-12-03 22:43)

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Berkeley brand clarinets? new

ch_zonie

2012-12-03 02:19