Author: clarinetguy ★2017
Date: 2015-10-17 21:13
Ken gave you great advice.
Leblanc was once known for great clarinets, but today it's part of Conn-Selmer Inc. To the best of my knowledge, there are only a couple clarinets manufactured today with the Leblanc name, and they're considered to be beginning and intermediate clarinets (although they're still very nice). Here's a link http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=386841&t=386824 to an old discussion about Leblanc clarinets, and within it is a link to a Leblanc Clarinet catalog from about 20 or so years ago. The Leblanc Soloist was not one of their better-known clarinets, and it isn't easy to find out much about them. I suspect that Ken is right.
This Leblanc might be a good instrument, but there are several things to consider. Is your daughter a very serious clarinet player who practices faithfully every day, goes to music camp and/or participates in outside-of-school music activities? Does she live and breathe music? Is she considering a career in music, and if not, is she the kind of person who might want to do some serious playing after graduating from high school? If the answer to any of these questions is "yes," I would probably pass on the Soloist and consider a Ridenour (as Ken mentioned), a Buffet R13 or E12F (if you can afford them), or a Yamaha (such as the 650 or one of their pricier models).
On the other hand, if your daughter enjoys music, but it's only one of many activities she enjoys, the Soloist might be fine. Have her try it, and if she takes private lessons, have her private teacher look at it. Sometimes these non-famous clarinets turn out to be fantastic, and it's possible that with a good mouthpiece and reed, this might be one of them.
Your daughter is probably planning to attend college, and from personal experience with my own kids, I know how expensive it is. You shouldn't feel pressured to spend more than you can comfortably afford. If $1,000 is your limit, don't feel guilty. Look around, and you might find a nice used Selmer Series 10, a professional Leblanc, or a Yamaha 450 or 650 in your price range.
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