 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Exiawolf
Date: 2014-03-25 07:35
Greetings!
I am looking to buy a new Clarinet and shortly, I will be able to try around 20 different Intermediate and Professional level clarinets. When I play test these, what should I be looking for? I already know to check each note to see if it's in tune, and look for a generally responsive feel, but is there anything else to be wary of?
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2014-03-25 13:14
Don't buy a France-made Buffet E11. A disaster: Posts loose, etc, etc.
For any clarinet, if some notes, particularly right finger notes in general, or left hand B (centre of staff), don't work well, get the thing adjusted correctly before you have any hope of evaluating it. The majority of ex-factory clarinets are not adjusted well.
Post Edited (2014-03-25 13:14)
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Author: rtmyth
Date: 2014-03-25 19:28
intonation, blowing resistance, response, etc, etc,. read the article, about 25 years ago, in The Clarinet on how to select an artist quality clarinet. very time consuming, and we have not included mp, barrel, reeds.....
richard smith
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-03-25 21:50
You know, as a relative beginner I was in the same boat trying out professional line instruments for the first time and the shop owner had some really good advice: "which one can produce the softest notes?"
Of course he was right, the R13 was better than the 10G but I got the 10G any way because I wanted to sound like Benny Goodman (Selmer and all that is).
..................Paul Aviles
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2014-03-26 04:10
This is what I always did when choosing a clarinet for myself and my students.
1- Play for equal tone and equal feeling. If you try 20 clarinets you should be able to limit it down to 5-6.
2- Then you check intonation making sure the 12ths are as close as possible especially the throat E and F to B and C. if the lower are flat and the uppers are sharp put them down. Check to make sure the throat tones G-Bb are equal as possible in tone and pitch. You don't want a sharp A or Ab and a flat Bb as an example. Then you want to make sure the bell notes are close enough that you can adjust with out distortion. And finally you play the altissimo notes to make sure nothing is unreasonably out. Remember, no clarinet is perfect up there. You have to play them in tune. Just make sure you can.
3- If all this is perfect you will have to only clarinet that's perfect. Try to remember, you can't find a perfect clarinet and you can make adjustment with different barrels and even bells some day.
4- Once you limit it to 2-3 make sure they are well warmed up before the final intonation test and make sure there is a little room for adjustment with the barrel length.
ESP eddiesclarinet.com
Post Edited (2014-03-27 20:00)
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