 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: kararae02
Date: 2015-03-20 20:04
I'm a junior in high school and have been playing clarinet for six years. My little sister is interested in taking up the clarinet. She is in the fourth grade and almost 11 years old. I need to find a good clarinet for her to start on. I've heard it is bad to start on a wooden clarinet because it is slightly easier to play and beginners need some resistance in their setup. Can anyone give me advice?
She already knows how to play to some extent, I've taught her some on my R13, but we don't live together and she needs to be able to practice on her own. Any input will be appreciated!
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2015-03-20 20:35
I'll assume expense is a consideration. You'll find that Vito and Yamaha plastic clarinets are pretty good for the money.
I would NOT take advice seriously from anyone who says a beginner needs "more resistance" or that a wooden horn is "easier to play." None of that even makes sense.
You DO however want to make sure the reed/mouthpiece combination is not too resistant - a beginner would probably benefit from a softer reed on the same mouthpiece that you play because the beginner has not the experience nor the musculature to approach the horn the way you do. You want the beginner to make reasonable sounds (without too much effort) so that all bases can be covered (fingerings, posture, embouchure, reading notes) without undue stress.
..............Paul Aviles
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Author: WhitePlainsDave
Date: 2015-03-20 20:45
"I need to find a good rental clarinet for her to start on."
Sadly, "good" and "rental" often don't go hand in hand, and yet I can't see buying her an instrument until she's played clarinet enough to know it's for her.
Are there any repair techs in your area that have good reputations? They are often great people to contact for good rentals, or if you must purchase, good used instruments.
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Author: pewd
Date: 2015-03-20 20:48
> it is bad to start on a wooden clarinet
nonsense. It is very important to start on a good instrument, used in good repair, if not new.
Most of the middle schools around here specify a Buffet E12F, Fobes Debut mouthpiece, Rovner 'dark' ligature, and a box of Vandoren #2.5 or 3.0 reeds (blue box) for beginners.
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: kararae02
Date: 2015-03-20 20:52
Unfortunately there aren't any very reputable music stores in my area, and I've heard more bad than good about most of them.
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Author: Ed
Date: 2015-03-20 22:31
I like the Fobes Debut mouthpiece and Yamaha student clarinet. You can find the Yamahas are available for rent from many stores. They are also pretty easy to find used a decent price.
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Author: TomS
Date: 2015-03-20 22:36
See if your sister can afford a really good teacher. She/he would be the best resource for finding the best equipment to start out on ... and will assure steady progress in clarinet studies.
However, if no professional help is available now, rent/purchase a good used Yamaha, Vito or Ridenour RCP-146 ... Make sure they go through a good shop and are in totally PERFECT playing condition, the cosmetics aren't important, so tarnish and scratches don't matter ...
Stay away from older wooden clarinets of unknown origin and history, because the wood may have warped, cracked, pinned, etc. ... but, a new Buffet, Selmer or Yamaha might be in the future. Keep in mind, wood is not necessarily a better material for clarinets (it's controversial!) ... and the quality of new wood nowadays is discouraging.
The blowing resistance differences between various woods and other materials is probably not very significant. Its the acoustical design (and the condition of the instrument) that determines this ...
For a mouthpiece and reed try Fobes Debut and Legere Classic #2.5. Step up might be Vandoren 5RV-lyre or M13 with the same reed ... The Fobes prices have increased a lot in the last few years and are currently about 1/2 the price of the Vandorens ...
Upgrade clarinet, after her feet are good and soggy, could be Rideonour Lyrique RCP-576BC ...
There is so much great gear out there (and some bad gear too!) ... we are lucky to have such a good choice!
IMHO, the most important equipment to start out on, is a good teacher.
Tom
Post Edited (2015-03-20 22:52)
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Author: NB
Date: 2015-03-20 22:51
Plastic Yamaha YCL 250 in good condition (new pads, tight springs etc.) plus a good mouthiece.
I can recommend Vandoren M30 or B45, but the last one is more resistant. Those are hard rubber professional mouthpieces (80-90$).
If to look for an acrylic mouthpiece in Fobes Debut price range (30-40$)
I would recommend Ridenour's Encore. For me personally it resolved a lot of issues
coming from too free blowing Debut. Much more intonationally stable than Debut.
Acrylic mouthpieces do not have as ringy sound as the hard rubber ones, but for a beginner this may be absolutely fine.
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Author: ClaV
Date: 2015-03-21 01:24
NB wrote:
> Plastic Yamaha YCL 250 in good condition (new pads, tight
> springs etc.) plus a good mouthiece.
>
> I can recommend Vandoren M30 or B45, but the last one is more
> resistant. Those are hard rubber professional mouthpieces
> (80-90$).
>
Vandoren M30, even M15, may be a bit difficult mouthpiece for a beginner.
5RV Lyre and M13 Lyre are easier to start with.
Yamaha and Vito in a good state are good clarinets for a beginner.
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Author: Wes
Date: 2015-03-21 02:49
I bought a used Selmer Signet 100 clarinet for my 12 year old granddaughter a few years ago and overhaulled it carefully. It cost $100 on auction. It is a great instrument and she became the first chair as a sophomore in the Kingsburg, CA high school band. Tomorrow, now a junior, she will play at Disneyland with that band! Good luck!
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Author: Gunthos
Date: 2015-03-23 18:08
If you are willing to spend $200, we bought a Legacy CL750, which has gotten good reviews on Amazon. Our instructor thought it was quite good for the price.
Also, here is a link to a list someone made for top 10 clarinets of 2015, but these are all for beginners.
http://bestreviewsadvisor.com/top-10-best-clarinets/
Some of these are closer to $100.
Also, if you can afford a little more, get a nice mouthpiece, which you can always put on a new clarinet upgrade. We have a Rico X5 on our Legacy CL750.
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2015-03-23 21:54
Ask your band director if your school district (or she/he) has a list of recommended brands of musical instruments or a list of brands to avoid.
I wouldn't pay much attention to the "top 10" list, above, aside from the (rather grudgingly included) Yamaha YCL-250. The other clarinets (or, perhaps, clarinet-shaped-objects) look questionable at best to me. The comments describing specific instruments on the list suggest the list's compiler doesn't really know much about clarinets. IMO, the truth is that any clarinet you can buy new for around $300, let alone $100, isn't likely to be worth having.
If you can rent a Yamaha, Conn-Selmer brand (Selmer, Vito0, or Buffet student clarinet, you'll probably be giving your sister a fair chance to succeed. If you settle for a cheap Pacific Rim instrument, you are rolling the dice with her chances of success -- and the odds aren't good.
Ask your band director, which local store s/he sends school instruments for repairs. Then call that store and ask what clarinets they have to rent. You can call other stores in the area as well. When you have identified some specific available instruments, let us know what they are and we can offer advice.
If Auburn, NY, isn't too far away for you to consider, you might check out Fleischman Music at:
http://www.fbicmusic.com/
At least from their website, it looks like they might have a decent rental program.
Best regards,
jnk
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Author: kararae02
Date: 2015-03-24 05:23
Most of the clarinets our go to music store carries are Selmer Aristocrats and the Selmer CL301. Oh, and a lot of Artley clarinets. She's probably going to buy one straight out from an auction site. Are there any particular plastic horns to avoid? Besides the obvious super cheap $100 new horns that come in a variety of colors
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2015-03-24 05:46
I suggest you ignore the "Best 10" list, the only clarinet on it worth a look is the Yamaha 250, the rest are nasty plastic rubbish. If your sister is going to buy an instrument from an auction site then the ones to look for are Yamaha, Selmer 1400, C201/301 or Bundy, Buescher Aristocrat, Leblanc Vito or Bliss. There are lots of others, many of which are excellent instrument, but if she stays within the models/makes listed she is unlikely to go far wrong. Be aware that any instrument she buys from an auction site may need work, so allow 50% on top of purchase price for this. Google 'Clarinet-shaped objects" and you'll find a lot of information about what to avoid.
Tony F.
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2015-03-24 09:00
There are good buys to be found on eBay, particularly for someone who knows what they are doing. However, the reason prices are lower there than, for example, from a local store is that the buyer must assume greater risk. For someone who doesn't know much, if anything, about evaluating an instrument online, (and I put you and your sister in this category), the best way to minimize (but you still cannot entirely avoid) risk is to stick with relatively new instruments from reputable brands. Since Buescher went out of business in the early 1960s, I would avoid their instruments. Otherwise, I agree with Tony F.'s list.
But, considering the number that are always on eBay, I think you would simplify the process by limiting your search to the Yamaha YCL-250. You might wind up paying a few dollars more than you would have to pay for a Selmer or a Vito but Yamaha's quality is consistently good. Leblanc Backun Bliss clarinets are also very high quality. But they are likely to cost considerably more than you appear to want to pay.
My advice would be that, before you actually buy, look at completed auctions and track prices for a while to see what you should reasonably expect to pay. Actually follow the bidding on a few instruments to see how it goes. Set a limit for yourself and, if the bids get beyond your limit, let the clarinet go. As long as your limit is reasonable, there will be other opportunities. Look for a clarinet that has a lot of good pictures that show it to be in good condition. But reject instruments from sellers who have negative feedback. Only considering sellers who have 100% positive feedback on over 100 transactions can reduce risk but also may eliminate some good opportunities. I personally look closely at instruments being sold by parents because their child has quit playing. There is a decent chance these instruments will have been lightly used and, if the pictures look good, they may be in good playable condition. Also, since the seller often won't have a lot of feedback, you may not have as many competing buyers. Just a few thoughts. Good luck in your search.
Best regards,
jnk
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Author: clarinet2302
Date: 2015-03-28 01:40
Hi,
I began on a
"Leblanc7242 USA" model when I first started out and got on with it really well. It was clear and consistent throughout all of the registers and was easy to get a great sound.
I've since moved on to the wooden "Leblanc Espirit".
I'm obviously team "Leblanc"...!
I hope you find what you're looking for.
Best wishes,
Liam
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Author: TomS
Date: 2015-03-28 02:01
Only issue I have with Yamaha 250 is that it is tuned quite sharp. This may not be an issue with new or younger players that have a tendency to play a bit flat.
Mine was so sharp, at least for me, it was unusable on a warm day outside.
Otherwise it is typical Yamaha stuff ... which is GREAT!
Tom
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