The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: jdbassplayer
Date: 2013-12-19 01:42
Hello all,
So recently I purchased a new Chinese low c bass clarinet. Before I bought it I tried to do some research on these but found nothing of value. I decided that I would test out these cheap Chinese bass clarinets once and for all and share the information with my fellow clarinetists. The clarinet was purchased for $985, I'll let you decide if it's worth it
First impressions:
The first thing I noticed about the instrument is that despite the fact that it was new it did show a little bit of wear. There was one small dent in the bell and a few scratches on the body. Of course this is not a very big deal. Upon playing it for the first time I noticed that the C sharp key would not open. Upon closer inspection I saw that the screw holding in the key was not round but looked like it had been poorly filed on one side in order to make it fit. This was causing the key to jam. A quick trip to lathe solved this problem and now the key opens freely. It is worth noting that the clarinet in general played fairly well at this point but has a few minor problems. The next thing I noticed about the clarinet was that it had rollers on the two lowest keys. This is a nice feature that is been added recently to these clarinet but this is happiness was short-lived when I realized that the rollers didn't even move. They were too wide and got caught between the screw holding them in and the key they were attached to. I was able to fix them by filing them down and now they roll freely. Another problem that I noticed is that the rod that operates the 2nd register key has a place for two springs yet only one has been installed. While this may seem problematic the rod is already fairly stiff so another spring would do no good. The last problem that I noticed was that the left-hand D key didn't function whatsoever. Currently I am thinking of a solution to fix this.
After repairs:
After fixing these problems with the clarinet it actually plays quite nicely. It sounds a lot more like my wooden bass clarinet than the plastic ones that I use to play on. The key work is quite sturdy and I don't feel it will come out of adjustment easily. overall is quite nice and very playable once repaired.
Positives:
The instrument is fairly responsive and is much better than your average plastic student clarinet. The material it is made of feels quite strong and I feel it will last a long time.
Bottom line:
If I can give you one hint of advice about buying Chinese low c bass clarinets it's to buy the cheapest one you see. Name brand will mean nothing whether it's Allora or whatever, a Chinese bass clarinet is a Chinese bass clarinet end of story. After they are set up they can play quite nicely and I plan to use mine as my main clarinet. Do not by a Chinese bass clarinet unless you have the resources to make it play otherwise you will just be met with frustration.
I hope this helps out a few people.
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