 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: MSK
Date: 2014-09-15 03:27
I have been playing more and more frequently in church: preludes, offertories, and with increasing frequency tranposed "C instrument" parts with the choir. Using a C clarinet would open up a lot more repertoire without needing to transpose. Therefore I am thinking of purchasing the Ridenour C clarinet
My questions have to do with ease of adjustment to the smaller instrument. I play Bb and A in orchestra. I played Eb for one semester back in college, and I remember it as a frustrating experience. Of course I wasn't using a well adjusted instrument or good MP. Does the C play more like Bb or does it share the Eb challenges? Also will my usual mouthpiece work well with the C? My favorite MP is Fobes San Francisco CF+, but I also have Vandoren 5rV lyre, B45, and M13.
Thanks for any insight
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Author: Ed Lowry
Date: 2014-09-15 03:50
The C clarinet will play much more like a Bb than an Eb, but it will be different. Your fingers will be closer together, but, for me, at least, the adjustment only takes a couple of minutes. The Ridenour C uses a standard Bb mouthpiece, and one of the several you mention is likely to work well.
Tom Ridenour personally sets up each of the C clarinets that go out of his shop, and will re-do it if there's something amiss. They have a great sound, play in tune, and the keywork is solid.
There are other discussions on this site about Ridenour and his clarinets, the overwhelming number of which are highly favorable.
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2014-09-15 10:15
I play a C clarinet frequently. I had no problems adjusting to it, and it has none of the problems of the eefer. After a few minutes you'll forget that its a c, and it will work with your favourite mouthpiece. Go for it, you won't regret it.
Tony F.
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2014-09-15 22:21
I agree with Tony, only problem I found with C clarinet is that it does suffer a bit from some of the Eb tendencies of difficult intonation in high altissimo, but that's unlikely to be a problem in your chosen repertoire.
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Author: LarryBocaner ★2017
Date: 2014-09-16 19:16
My own C clarinet is a Buffet R-13, not a Ridenour, but I assume some of the issues will be similar. It took me a while to find a mouthpiece that solved some of the of the intonation problems mentioned by other posters. Specifically flat throat tones and altissima register. Safe to say, not every C clarinet will be a good match for every mouthpiece; if you have -- minor -- problems, experiment with other makes/models of mouthpieces until you find one that works well. Mine had problems with Vandoren M15. Scale fixed itself with Morgan RM-05; also seems to tune well with Rico Reserve X5.
Incidentally, the Morgan mouthpiece also worked so well with my Bb and A clarinets that I've abandoned the M-15.
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2014-09-17 05:09
never liked it because it is so bright..rather would play and transpose at sight the Beethoven than deal with the indelicate tone of the C clarinet
David Dow
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Author: Claire Annette
Date: 2014-09-19 00:07
I love my Ridenour C clarinet and use it almost exclusively in church. I can play straight from a hymnal without having to transpose. Also, it has opened up what I can prepare quickly with violin and flute in a trio.
I didn't find the adjustment from Bb to C difficult at all. The fact that I can still use my Bb mouthpieces and reeds make the whole deal even sweeter.
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Author: Liquorice
Date: 2014-09-19 00:40
D Dow wrote: "never liked it because it is so bright"
So David- would you ever play an E-flat clarinet, or do you find that too bright also? Would you ever play a basset horn, or do you find that too dark?
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Author: tiagocunha
Date: 2014-09-19 14:57
I have played C clarinet a few times on an old Noblet and I got used to it very quickly, it's not a challenge like the E-flat IMO (I also played E-flat during a year and for the first 3 months I was so frustrated)
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Author: Ralph Katz
Date: 2014-09-23 03:48
The brightness should not be a problem unless you are playing with another person on Bb, where the contrast will be apparent. Ridenour and Fox designed their C instruments to use a "standard" chambered mouthpiece, whatever that means.
This is not in any way your R13 and you will have to adjust to get the tuning right. In the past I have used different setups on diferent instruments, ultimately deciding that this was too much trouble. It also helps to take everything in regularly to have the adjustment checked. I now use the Fobes CF+ on a Bb, A and C. But there are other mouthpieces in my cigar box which also work well.
Post Edited (2014-09-23 06:09)
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Author: ErezK
Date: 2014-09-23 23:45
I would put my summary at the beginning, feel free to skip the rest:
It is my opinion that the case of a C clarinet is no different than the case of a any other clarient let it be a Bb, A, Bass or Eb : you need to pick the one that works for *you* and blends well with the rest of *your* set up. Try before you buy.
Longer story:
I have play tested 2 C clarinets of popular brands. Both left *me* underwhelmed. One was passable, if I squinted at it, and the other had such a tuning defect that amazed me how it passed quality control. I am not going to disclose the brands because I only tested one sample of each.
From a feedback/feel: the C clarinets I tested felt stuffy to me. On the other hand, my R13s are very free blowing so my mouthpiece and reeds match them well.
Tone wise: it was not love at first sight but maybe could be better with a different mpc/reed.
Intonation was not at the same level as my R13 clarinets period. Nor was the evenness in response.
It was workable but transposing is also workable (for me), so for the occasional use I didn't see myself enjoying playing them. If I were a symphony musician, I would invest the time and expense to find a C instrument at the same level as my A and B clarinets that would blend well with them.
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Author: tims
Date: 2014-10-09 08:18
I have Ridenour C that I play regularly. Although it will work with the Bb mouthpiece you have, plan on at least testing it with several different mouthpieces to find what works best for you (for both tone and pitch). Also consider a soft ligature and traditional (thin) cut reeds if the brightness bothers you. Sit down with a tuner and map out the pitch variations because they will not be the same as what you are used to on your Bb or A. The key work on the Ridenour is more like a student instrument or an old Noblet than a Buffet or Selmer and will feel significantly different when you move quickly between that and your Bb or A. To me it feels more foreign than when I switch quickly between my Bb and my Eb (both the same brand).
That said, you do get used to it and can play it in tune without a lot of work (some of the low notes are a little more work, but still reasonable).
I would rather play the Ridenour than a Buffet E11 C ($2200) or any of the old Noblet models that are floating around, both of which have some serious tuning issues. The only other C in this price range is the Amati C, but I found it completely impossible to play in tune. You have to pay considerably more for a better C clarinet than the Ridenour. A friend used the money he saved to purchase a custom Backun barrel and bell for it along with some fine tuning by Backun's shop and still came in well under the cost of any instrument that plays nearly as well.
Buffet RC Prestige ($7,750) is, of course, a fine instrument. I have not tried the Practicola C ($3500) and Selmer only makes Cs on special order (probably at least $9000).
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