 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: fuehrcol
Date: 2015-11-21 03:00
Hello fellow clarinetists. I am in middle school, and my band teacher ( a REALLY good clarinetist) and the high school band teacher (went to a special college for music and obviously really good) have both said that my sound quality, range, techniques, etc. is better than almost all of the middle and high school bass clarinetists and clarinetists, even the ones in honors band, and are recommending me doing solo and ensemble with my composition and do honors band. I am now looking into getting a intermediate to professional bass clarinet. I listed some of the ones I am interested in above, but am planning on getting a ridenour. has anybody tried any of these? Also, if anybody is going to say something bad about the ridenour, please specify if it was before 2012, because apparently they have improved a lot since then.
-Cole Fuehrer
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Author: AAAClarinet
Date: 2015-11-21 03:10
This past summer I played a show on a Ridenour bass that belongs to a friend. The bass was a pleasure to play. The tuning was good and the tone was powerful. (I used a refaced vandoren 40) Give Ted Ridenour a call, he will gladly answer any questions you have.
Oh, it was a low C bass
AAAClarinet
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Author: fuehrcol
Date: 2015-11-21 03:29
Ok. Thanks. Do you mind if I question you on what you liked/disliked about it?
-Cole Fuehrer
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Author: CEC
Date: 2015-11-22 05:19
Hi Cole,
The Kessler is, in my personal opinion, not a suitable instrument for a serious bass clarinetist. It is well made and affordable, but not much else. I really like Chuck Kessler, he's a super-nice guy, but I just can't recommend his bass. It has ergonomic issues (the left hand low D is incredibly stiff, for instance - like slamming a car door with your pinky). While it blows very evenly from top to bottom resistance-wise, it is a very pale, thready, uptight feeling and sounding instrument. The tuning is also very uneven from the low E down to low C. I would be willing to bet money that the Tempest is the same (or worse).
While I haven't tried it, the newest version of the Ridenour Bass has had some really nice ergonomic improvements recently. Of the three you mentioned, I'd give that one a shot!
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Author: johng ★2017
Date: 2015-11-22 22:00
Cole - I purchased a Ridenour low C bass after trying one the college where I teach bought. I don't play it professionally, but I do use it frequently while recording my arrangements to use on You Tube and as audio samples for sale purposes. So, as a recording instrument, here is what I was looking for: 1. range down to a low C, 2. with good intonation, 3. good tone quality, 4. quality, well thought out mechanism. Oh, and 5. didn't cost $10,000. Ridenour's bass handled all that. Although if I was using it as my sole instrument and playing professionally, I would most likely go with the more expensive basses.
John Gibson, Founder of JB Linear Music, www.music4woodwinds.com
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Author: CocoboloKid
Date: 2015-11-24 21:12
Ridenour, hands down. Got mine in the fall of 2013, and it's been in constant use since. I played it on an international Broadway tour, in several shows and orchestral gigs once I returned to New York, and my roommate has been playing it for the past couple months in the new LaChiusa show (First Daughter Suite) at the Public which just closed this weekend. It's really a fantastic instrument for the price, and can definitely stand up to serious playing.
I gathered my thoughts on the instrument (pros and cons) into a blog post, linked below, if you'd care to read it
http://woodwindwonderland.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-ridenour-lyrique-925-hard-rubber.html
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2015-11-25 03:21
Cole,
The Ridenour bass is fantastic.
I have played two different models (147 and the 925e) and the 925e is incredibly in tune and the ergonomics are above average. The 147, a pretty old one, was not so good. It seems that the 925e is a good copy of a Yamaha and many $Ks cheaper.
One thing I have always done with a Low Eb model is use a long case and keep the RH and LH sections always assembled. I see on the newest models, the 925e comes with the long case and is shown with a middle section lock. To constantly assemble and disassemble the instrument is very troublesome.
I do use the LH Eb/Ab a lot. IMHO, a Low C bass is not for me.
HRL
PS Do not play your bass clarinet in marching band. I was a HS and college band director for close to 20 years and would never have even considered doing this. Maybe you could learn to play a brass instrument for marching band; once you read music, learning another instrument is pretty easy.
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Author: donald
Date: 2015-11-25 03:41
"A low C is not for me"... I kind of feel the same way...
I've played bass clarinet in professional symphony orchestras, international touring shows and for contemporary music, and appreciate that the range to C is necessary for this work, but I'm considering playing Bass clarinet as a Jazz instrument in my fading years, and really can't imagine I'll use the basset notes. Ok, there's something cool about hitting a low C FFFFF and sitting on it so it rattles the windows, but the novelty of that fades quickly for me personally- wheras the pain in the arse of the bigger, heavier instruments does NOT fade...
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2015-11-25 06:02
Donald,
I feel exactly the same way about the bigger, heavier instrument. But there is also the issue of keeping all those long rods and linkages in adjustment.
After the low C FFFFFF euphoria and swoon has passed, you still have a bigger case to lug around. However, Cole is young and probably strong but for us oldsters, lighter is better.
Funny about the jazz usage idea; I have been thinking about the same thing. Using the entire range on the bass seems to bring forth some interesting timbre issues. Eric Dolphy would probably be pleased. Check this out. I don't quite know how to react but it is different.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKX3U5Pnf5Q
HRL
Post Edited (2015-11-25 16:12)
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Author: donald
Date: 2015-11-25 07:07
With the double octave key it's much easier to make a soloistic tone quality in the upper register so I wouldn't sacrifice that... but I'm not likely to use the basset notes in improvisation (or the head of a tune for that matter). Maybe I'm just lacking in imagination...
That said- a colleague is selling an R13 Prestige bass to low C next year, and I'm seriously considering investing in it....
dn
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2015-11-25 10:05
>> and really can't imagine I'll use the basset notes... Maybe I'm just lacking in imagination... <<
>> there's something cool about hitting a low C FFFFF and sitting on it so it rattles the windows <<
>> After the low C FFFFFF euphoria and swoon has passed <<
It all depends on what you want to do. I play mostly improvised music, new composed music and jazz, and I almost always use the low notes. Probably more often at pp and any other dynamic other than ff... only occasionally at ff.
It's not something that anyone can generalize. The low C and other notes are not just "FFFFF euphoria" or "cool". Many use them just like they use any note... or anything in their "toolbox"... to be able to make the music they want to make.
It's possible that some use the low notes in that way, but you can hear terrible music on a Bb clarinet in the most "normal" range too.
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Author: fuehrcol
Date: 2015-11-25 16:33
Hi again. Sorry about that long wait for me to respond. Our WiFi was cutting out and was really slow. I just have a really quick question (I have to go to school in about 5 minutes): how much taller and heavier is a low c bass clarinet compared to a low e flat ?
-Cole Fuehrer
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2015-11-25 19:54
It depends on the exact model. For example the Selmer low C is about 700g heavier than the low Eb. The material can make some difference, but I recently tried a bass clarinet that was significantly lighter than mine, even though both were low C and made of wood.
The length depends on the exact specs (where the low Eb key is, the bell, etc.) but I'm guesstimating (from memory) around 20-30cm.
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Author: fuehrcol
Date: 2015-11-26 02:09
OK. Thanks for that info. I have been looking all over for that information.
-Cole Fuehrer
Post Edited (2015-11-26 02:10)
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Author: BflatNH
Date: 2015-11-30 07:11
I think my 2009 925c is a little less than 8-1/2 lbs by itself.
It is well in tune with itself and has good tone throughout its range.
The lowest D LH pinky key is hard to use but can be made a lot better by lightening the spring tension, and reducing the normally open position with cork spacers (until it affects the tone) to reduce the key travel necessary to close the hole (this also helps the RH thumb keys). Also, the LH pinky key long rod bends a bit, reducing the mechanical advantage of the linkage requiring the extra force - I added a plastic clip to the support midway along the long rod to retain the rod from bending as you press the key, and that makes the key play better. On the day of a concert, I add a very small amount of key oil under the nylon tips that press the low F - C pad cups to make the keys play easier. Also, if you have acidic fingers, the chrome may wear through on the hole covers where your fingers land, so I recommend a light coating of clear fingernail polish.
BTW, I have received complements on the sound quality.
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Author: fuehrcol
Date: 2015-12-01 01:43
OK, thanks. So this is completely off topic, but does anyone hear play the cello? There are a couple instruments I want to play and oddly enough, all of the sudden, I want to play the cello!
-Cole Fuehrer
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