 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Mel Jones
Date: 2001-05-04 03:22
Which is a better Clairnet for a student. Normandy 4 or Buffet E11 and or R13?
Mel
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Author: Mandy
Date: 2001-05-04 06:55
The E-11 is basically a grenadilla B-12,the E-13 is the top of the Buffet student/intermediate line while the R-13 is Buffet's standard pro horn.I personally have no experience of the Normandy,I don't think they are really available here in the UK,I do however have an E-13 which I love.Yamaha's-34 is also a good clarinet but many people do not rate the 64(this is just what people have told me.)If you are choosing a new clarinet you really need to be comparing like with like.An R-13 is very different to an E-11 in characteristics build quality and price.
Leblanc also make nice clarinets but if possible try as many different horns as you can and if you don't already play take a teacher or playing friend along with you.
Best of Luck
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Author: Dee
Date: 2001-05-04 11:10
You need to set some criteria. The Normandy 4 and Buffet E-11 are both wooden "step up horns" from the beginner plastic horns. The Buffet R-13 is a pro level horn.
Ask these kinds of questions.
1. How interested and dedicated is the student?
2. What usage are they going to have? If he/she is going to use it for marching band, better get a plastic beginner instead of one of these.
3. How well does the student take care of things?
4. Will the student make this a lifelong hobby or maybe even a career?
5. What can the student afford?
"Better" is relative and depends on the answers to these and other questions.
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Author: Anji
Date: 2001-05-04 12:14
Hey Mel,
An echo of the posts above;
If you are looking into this for yourself, budget 1/2 on the best quality mouthpiece and reeds 1/2 on the horn (at first). You should be able to get into a nice training rig, second-hand, under $400.
Don't go cheap on the mouthpiece.
It's all about the reed.
If you are buying for a young player, a good quality Hite Premier is a decent starter mouthpiece. Look into the Legere synthetic reeds, they are pretty durable and outlast regular cane 10:1.
They also resist weather-related problems that can plague a beginner.
The Vito and Bundy plastic horns are readily available, tough and surprisingly good players. Find a nice reconditioned or gently used horn under $200.
If your player gives up on the horn, sell it in the Fall when everyone wants one.
anji
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2001-05-04 14:11
The Normandy 4 is Leblanc's entry-level wooden clarinet. It's recommended by a lot of school districts for beginning players because it will carry them through their high school years and has a nice tone and plays well. Ditto for the Buffet E-11. Both are good choices for a beginning-intermediate player. If you buy from a discount music store like Mars Music, you can get a new one for less than the retail price of a plastic one. I bought several Normandy 4's last year for under $600.00. That carries a full warranty.
Or, you might try the eBay route and buy from a seller with a good reputation. I've bought several Buffet E-11s on eBay and had success with each one of them. They sound really nice and are tough instruments--so is the Normandy 4.
The R-13, as everyone has said, is a pro-clarinet and you probably don't want to spend the money on one of those for a beginner.
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2001-05-04 19:25
Mel -
For a beginner, the only real choice is a plastic clarinet. They can take the abuse and they're forgiving of a beginner's lack of control. With a decent mouthpiece, such as the Fobes, Hite, Pyne or Ridenour student models (all around $30), such an instrument will take the average student well into high school.
In my opinion, a student showing real talent should skip the step-up models and go directly to a pro model if his or her parents can possibly afford it. Such a student will almost certainly be taking lessons, and the teacher can help in picking out what to get and finding a good example -- perhaps a used one. When the clarinet becomes a central part of your life, the pleasure you get every time you take a really good one out of the case is worth every penny, and playing it feels even better. It keeps you happy for years, long after you've forgotten paying for it.
For the player who has some talent, but isn't quite at the top, a decent mouthpiece is all that's needed to sound great on a plastic instrument. However, you have to take into account the heavy social pressure (and pressure from the bandmaster) to step up from plastic to wood. In this case, a wood step-up model is the answer. A maker's lowest level wood instrument is usually identical to the plastic instrument except for material, so I'd advise going up to the next level if it's affordable.
You can start on pretty much anything, but for the next instrument, it's essential to go to one of the big 4 -- Buffet, Selmer, Leblanc or Yamaha. The off-brands aren't worth the chance, and you don't need, say, a handmade Rossi until later.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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