 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: LaurieBell
Date: 2015-09-22 20:26
Help! Our community band has some outdoor concerts in December and I don't want to play on my Buffet R13 clarinet cause "Baby it's Cold Outside" :-)
Back in my Army Band days we were issued pretty good plastic clarinets but for the life of me I can't recall the brand.
Looking around I found a new Buffet B12 Student Bb Clarinet made from ABS resin with an appearance and sound similar to that of genuine grenadilla wood (so says the ad). Priced about $689. More than I want to pay but I need something that will play fairly well and in tune.
Any one have experience with the B12, or can you recommend a good clarinet (under $800) for outdoor playing?
P.S. I may have requested this information before, but searched and couldn't find a post so forgive me if I've repeated.
Post Edited (2015-09-22 20:49)
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Author: KenJarczyk
Date: 2015-09-22 20:34
Go to the Ridenour page on e-Bay. He is wholesaling his "Speranza" Hard-Rubber clarinets on the cheap!
Ken Jarczyk
Woodwinds Specialist
Eb, C, Bb, A & Bass Clarinets
Soprano, Alto, Tenor & Baritone Saxophones
Flute, Alto Flute, Piccolo
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Author: fernie51296
Date: 2015-09-22 20:37
I have not had good experiences with the B12. In my opinion, it is the worse of all available student clarinets amongst the top brands. I'd recommend a student Yamaha clarinet. They are well priced and play better than many wood intermediate clarinets I have tried. Tuning isn't as great as an R13 but that is true of all student clarinets. Of course if you were willing to shell out $900 I'd recommend a Ridenout. Those are hard rubber and imo play better than an R13.
Fernando
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Author: KenJarczyk
Date: 2015-09-22 20:54
Ridenour is wholesaling the "Speranza" for $595. It is the equal to his $900+ "Lyrique" horn.
Ken Jarczyk
Woodwinds Specialist
Eb, C, Bb, A & Bass Clarinets
Soprano, Alto, Tenor & Baritone Saxophones
Flute, Alto Flute, Piccolo
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Author: gwie
Date: 2015-09-22 22:08
I'd recommend the Yamaha YCL-AD200 or the Backun Alpha for an outdoor clarinet. I have a Backun Alpha for my outdoor gigs and it is the best plastic clarinet I've ever played.
I used to recommend the B-12, but after running into too many ones with issues new out of the case, I no longer think they are the best choice. The Yamaha and Backun are more consistent in terms of fit/finish and the intonation is better. In most cases, they can be found at a lower price than the B-12!
Post Edited (2015-09-22 22:09)
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Author: Bob Barnhart ★2017
Date: 2015-09-22 22:32
Try the "Solist" Bb hard rubber student clarinet from Kessler Music. $250, great sound, great response, good intonation.
Bob Barnhart
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Author: Ed
Date: 2015-09-22 23:04
Try to find a used Yamaha student model. They play very well with nice even response and good tuning. I am always amazed at how well they play for the price.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2015-09-22 23:10
B12 is the worst clarinet made bar none (by this I mean as you play one note, the next is either sharp or flat to the one you just played and then the note after that is "God knows where"). It is a pile of intonation disasters that cannot be rectified.
The Army (back in the 80s) used to buy Selmer Signets which are not great either (far better than the B12 but not great). Today the Army buys Greenline clarinets for $3500 and calls them "plastic" because (obviously) they are NOT wood.
I'd go with a Bundy or Vito that you can usually buy between $300 and $400. They respond wonderfully and have pretty good intonation characteristics.
..............Paul Aviles
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Author: Clarinetart
Date: 2015-09-23 23:58
Bottom line....any clarinet that seals well and is properly adjusted will play well enough for almost any outdoor gig where acoustics are bad and audiences forgiving.
That said...my personal fav is the leblanc Bliss... hands down above anything else i have tried ...superb intonation, even resistance between registers and sweet highs.
I bet ...with a high end barrel and mouthpiece....you wouldn't miss even an R13 badly.
Yamaha, Buffet, Vito, Selmer ....many options all good....IF in good condition and regulation.
Only one that challenges the Bliss acoustically ...is the Ridenour....but keywork is underwhelming to say the least.
And... dont overlook some vintage brands you can get for a song...like noblet, thibouville, cousenon and others.
If what you play is technically challenging...an argument can be made for using a buffet, evette or evette schaeffer because tonehole layout and keywork will be familiar.
Last but not least....a buffet greenline R13 would do dual duty?
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Author: Ursa
Date: 2015-09-24 01:52
In the quest for the perfect outdoors instrument, I own the following non-wooden clarinets: Backun Alpha, Boosey & Hawkes 1-10, Bundy (Selmer) 1400, Pruefer Festival Six-20, Pruefer Special Model, Ridenour RCP-576BC, Vito 7214, and Yamaha YCL-20. I've also owned a Vito V-40 and Pan American 58N.
The Backun Alpha is at the head of the class here. Intonation accuracy and evenness of response rivals the acclaimed Ridenour RCP-576BC; the instrument has strong, beautiful silver-plated keywork; and there is something about the timbre of the Alpha that projects easily and powerfully when played outdoors. It's a true delight to play, indoors or out.
I really need to sell most of those other clarinets--since getting the Alpha, they're all just gathering dust in the closet.
It pains me to say this, but the Backun Alpha turned out to be everything I hoped the Ridenour would be. If Ridenour would contract with Backun for keywork, that would represent a huge upgrade for Ridenour clarinets.
Post Edited (2015-09-24 02:06)
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2015-09-24 01:56
I would just clarify that any clarinet you play should seal well and be adjusted well mechanically. The pitch tendencies are a function of the bore dimensions, tone hole placements and the time and energy put into making them acoustically viable. If they are not manufactured properly, such as the Buffet B12, nothing that you do to it post production will help........period.
..............Paul Aviles
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Author: Ursa
Date: 2015-09-24 02:54
What Paul just said. If you have the good fortune to have a technician who will set up and maintain your plastic clarinet with the same care and precision as with your R13--instead of treating it indifferently like some anonymous rental beater--that will make a huge difference in your satisfaction with the instrument.
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Author: Monsterchef
Date: 2015-09-24 14:13
I have a yamaha 250 which I replaced some pads with pisoni bladder and tweaked some key regulation. It is still no way nearly as good as my CSG II but I'm can play most pieces on it.
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