 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Sabolk
Date: 2014-03-27 02:51
Looking for a good plastic or synthetic bass clarinet to play in bar and outdoor gigs - places where my Buffet Prestige low C shouldn't go...any suggestions for make and model? Low Eb would be fine.
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Author: Gandalfe
Date: 2014-03-27 19:49
Love my Buffet Prestige low C and have played it outside. But if I were going to get a practice/outdoor horn I'd go with a Prestige Eb greenline. As little as I use the low C, I wouldn't go out of my way to get another one of those.
Jim and Suzy
Pacifica Big Band
Seattle, Washington
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Author: alanporter
Date: 2014-03-27 23:00
I have a Vito Resotone 7166 plastic bass down to Eb. Just like the Vito sopranos, it is built like a tank, and can stand a lot of abuse, hence it is often the choice of school bands. I find it plays perfectly in tune.
Alan
tiaroa@shaw.ca
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Author: Sabolk
Date: 2014-03-28 00:04
Thanks for the info...I am looking for something more affordable than a Greenline. Besides the Vito (I'll look into it!) what other brands/models are worth looking into?
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-03-28 00:35
There's Jupiter and Yamaha who both offer a plastic bass to low Eb.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2014-03-28 02:15
Since low Eb is fine, I'd look for a good used Yamaha YCL 221ii. Good design, outstanding workmanship.
Best regards,
jnk
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Author: Ursa
Date: 2014-03-27 22:47
The Conn Director hard rubber basses from the 1960s get my vote. These were made in France by Malerne. To this day, it is the best-sounding non-wooden bass I've laid my hands on.
These are nearly always misidentified as plastic basses. You will want to get the neck angle adjusted when you get the instrument overhauled.
I have the matching Conn/Malerne alto and it, too, sounds lovely.
Not many of these come up for sale, but are worth the trouble to find for the gorgeous sounds they can produce.
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2014-03-28 15:48
They're a bit hard to find, but the Artley 32S (only that particular Artley model) was a surprisingly good plastic bass clarinet. That aside, I add another vote for the Vito, I think it sounds better than the Bundy/Selmer USA instruments.
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Author: Ursa
Date: 2014-03-28 20:23
David, how does the Artley 32S compare to the Conn/Malerne 20N and 6N basses?
6N: Low F# pad cup on same side as low G#; no keyguard on low Eb; upward-tilted mouthpiece receiver
20N: Low E/F/F# pad cups all in a row; keyguard on low Eb; nearly-horizontal mouthpiece receiver
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Author: bbillings
Date: 2014-03-29 04:53
I have a Yamaha YCL-221 and it has good intonation. In fact, I've gotten some nice compliments on my tone from accomplished players. I purchased it used locally through Craigslist which was probably lucky but it was in the July/August time frame when instruments seem to sell and be sold. Have only had to replace a couple of pads despite it being stored and not played for several years. It has a conveniently sized, protective case and breaks into (5) pieces which is nice and compact. Has rubber rings instead of cork for the connection between the lower joint and bell which seems odd but works fine. From my reading, the 221 is tuned to 440 and the 221ii may be tuned to 442. Haven't tried the 221ii to verify. All that said, if you spend much time in the upper registers or playing over the break as a soloist then I'd prefer having a register vent on the adjustable neck similar to your Buffet bass. I've exchanged several emails with Ted Ridenour and have nothing but good things to say regarding his willingness to help, though I haven't tried their offerings. Theirs has a "professional" key arrangement which seems rare on synthetic bass clarinets. Hadn't heard about the Conn Director from the 60s but it would be nice to try one. I often wonder if older rubber clarinets begin to smell like old mouthpieces can. Hope some of that information is helpful, Best Wishes!
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Author: acermak
Date: 2014-03-29 06:01
I have a Bundy that I like a lot. I've got a bay style neck on her and added a floor peg and she plays perfectly in tune with my Kessler low C and is as easy to play as the Kessler.
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2014-03-31 04:21
For something relatively inexpensive, the Yamaha 221II and the latest Jupiter are both not bad and IMO far better than any old Vito or Bundy.
That said, I use a low C Buffet for concerts outside and in bars, etc.
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Author: donald
Date: 2014-03-31 23:43
The older Yamaha student Alto clarinets are identical in construction to the Vito Alto. This is certainly NOT the case with their student B flat instrument, but I wonder if this is the case with the older Bass clarinets? (certainly, not the more recent models).
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