 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: jdbassplayer
Date: 2013-10-31 21:14
Hello all,
My friend is looking for a good professional clarinet for college , preferably new, for under $3000 dollars. She has already tried an r13 but decided that it was just not the clarinet for her. She currently owns a yamaha YCL-650 which she likes, but she also thinks that there are better clarinets within her price range. What other clarinets are out there? What clarinet would you get if you had $3000 to spare?
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2013-10-31 21:56
If she were to contact someone like Howarth's, they could supply a fully serviced and thoroughly run in used professional instrument within her price range.
Tony F.
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Author: Steven Ocone
Date: 2013-11-01 11:56
Clarinets are individuals. If she went to a store and tried a few R-13's, she may have just been trying an few assorted clarinets rejected by others.
Steve Ocone
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Author: sonicbang
Date: 2013-11-01 12:15
I can recommend to try vintage Leblanc clarinets. They are very much underrated, however they can be perfect professional clarinets for a fraction of the new Buffet, Selmer and Yamaha prices. I especially like the LL model and the Dynamic series.
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Author: GaryH
Date: 2013-11-01 13:44
By only trying one R-13, or one of any brand, you are doing a dis-service to both the player and the instrument. Trying to buy a new pro level instrument for under $3K will be difficult unless you're willing to travel around to try and find one that suits her. I would suggest to her to concentrate her search on previously owned pro level instruments, and spend some money on a quality mouthpiece.
There's nothing wrong with a YCL-650.
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Author: Ryan K
Date: 2013-11-01 13:50
I would stick with the YCL-650 through at least a year of college. Once she's matured more as a player, she'll be able to make much more informed choices based on her playing style. Also, her professor may have valuable input.
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2013-11-01 15:14
"Ridenour G1" is Wooden, he designed the Leblanc Opus, etc. top quality.
Way under $3, both closer to $2.5K
Also the Backun Protégé is worth a try.
Both are great instruments if you aren't a Buffet person, and much better than the 650.
But only you (with hopefully a good teacher!!!) can determine what works best for you and budget wise.
Your Professor should have a lot of weight in your decision.
http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2013-11-01 20:55
"Your Professor should have a lot of weight in your decision."
But don't be forced into buying something you don't enjoy playing - they should offer advice as to what you should be looking for, but the final decision should be the one you like playing best even if it isn't in line with your teacher's or professor's thinking. They should be as open minded as to what is on offer as you should be too.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2013-11-01 22:54
I second the recommendation of the Yamahas based on the fact that many if not all of the ones I have tried where excellently tuned. While you can still find Buffet R13s for just over that price, you may have to try an awful lot of horns to find ONE that plays evenly in tune across its range.
Though I have not been the keenest fan of Buffet due to the issue of internal tuning, I have had the pleasure of playing a "Vintage" model that has about the best tuning of any Buffet I'd ever played........and it IS magical.
..................Paul Aviles
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Author: jdbassplayer
Date: 2013-11-01 23:03
Thank you all for all your suggestions. Would upgrading the barrel and bell be enough to make the 650 play nicer? I've heard good things about the backun accessories.
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Author: Tom Puwalski
Date: 2013-11-02 01:50
The Protege grenadilla clarinet is an amazing instrument, with silver plated keys under $2000.00 check them out.
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Tom Puwalski, owner of ClarinetGourmet.com Backun performing artist, former principal clarinetist with the US. Army Field Band, author of Clarinetist's Guide to Klezmer and Klezmer Boot Camp.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2013-11-02 03:39
jdbassplayer -
The closer a part of the clarinet is to your face, the more important it is. Your mouth and breath make more difference than anything, followed by the reed. Then it's the mouthpiece and barrel.
I've put my handmade mouthpiece and barrel on a Vito, and no one could tell it from my R13. I could tell, of course, but even I was surprised by how small the difference was.
Therefore, get a matched mouthpiece and barrel from one of the makers -- Grabner, Smith, Fobes and others. It will cost under $500, or less than a Backun bell alone.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Tony Pay ★2017
Date: 2013-11-02 12:01
Ken Shaw wrote:
>> I've put my handmade mouthpiece and barrel on a Vito, and no one could tell it from my R13. I could tell, of course, but even I was surprised by how small the difference was.>>
Yes, that can happen. Notice that it was a particular Vito.
>> The closer a part of the clarinet is to your face, the more important it is. Your mouth and breath make more difference than anything, followed by the reed. Then it's the mouthpiece and barrel.>>
This remark, which has been attributed to Stanley Hasty, was fairly comprehensively demolished on the Klarinet list around Halloween 2002. I think it was important to demolish it, too, because it embodies a wrong-headed view of how the clarinet works.
For anyone interested, here is the essence of the exchange:
http://test.woodwind.org/Databases/lookup.php/Klarinet/2002/10/000831.txt
http://test.woodwind.org/Databases/lookup.php/Klarinet/2002/10/000840.txt
http://test.woodwind.org/Databases/lookup.php/Klarinet/2002/10/000841.txt
http://test.woodwind.org/Databases/lookup.php/Klarinet/2002/10/000842.txt
http://test.woodwind.org/Databases/lookup.php/Klarinet/2002/10/000844.txt
http://test.woodwind.org/Databases/lookup.php/Klarinet/2002/10/000845.txt
http://test.woodwind.org/Databases/lookup.php/Klarinet/2002/10/000851.txt
http://test.woodwind.org/Databases/lookup.php/Klarinet/2002/10/000857.txt
http://test.woodwind.org/Databases/lookup.php/Klarinet/2002/10/000862.txt
http://test.woodwind.org/Databases/lookup.php/Klarinet/2002/10/000880.txt
http://test.woodwind.org/Databases/lookup.php/Klarinet/2002/10/000888.txt
Tony
Post Edited (2013-11-02 12:16)
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Author: BobD
Date: 2013-11-02 15:16
Galileo got off easy since he was sentenced to life in prison which lucky for him, became permanent house arrest instead.
Bob Draznik
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Author: BobD
Date: 2013-11-02 20:25
"What clarinet would you get if you had $3000 to spare?" A good used R13 and save the remaining $2000 for later.
Bob Draznik
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Author: jdbassplayer
Date: 2013-11-02 22:34
I probably should have mentioned this before. When I recommended that she buy a restored golden era buffet her exact words were "used clarinets are gross, you don't know what people do to them." Personally I love my 50s buffet but I think my friend will never experience that kind of love.
Btw you can buy $1000 buffets all day on ebay, just make sure you have some spare pads handy!
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Author: BobD
Date: 2013-11-02 22:40
David: Good doesn't mean perfect. Prices have come down a bit during the current Depression.
Bob Draznik
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Author: GaryH
Date: 2013-11-03 02:53
There are a lot of R13s in the $1500 range on the market. Avoid eBay. You need to try before you buy.
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