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clarinet 'A'

Author: Kaizhi
Date: 2001-05-17 08:51

Hi you all,

I am sure this has been dicussed a lot here; I am keen to purchase an A clarinet to complete the pair. I have heard that a matched partner (my Bb is a Leblanc Concerto) isn't always guaranteed to play the same or give the same amount of satisfaction and that some As are actually problematic as compared to the Bbs. I hope to hear your suggestions and comments on some of the As out there.

I actually have a colleague who bought a different brand A to go along with her Bb just so that she doesn't get the 2 of them mixed up!

What do you all say?

Kai

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RE: clarinet 'A'

Author: Anji
Date: 2001-05-17 12:00

I would be cautious about having keywork that is radically different, but tonal character may be independent of brand names.

If you play the Clarinet in A only rarely, bargain hunting should yield some interesting results.

If you play regularly, at a pro or semi-pro level, having a matched set makes alot of sense.

It also makes eventual sale of the pair more likely.

What are your current shopping items?

Have you contacted John Butler restorations or Dave Spiegelthal (both netizens on this Bulletin Board) handling 'previously loved' horns.

Brenda Siewert has some nice things rolling around, too.

anji

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RE: clarinet 'A'

Author: William
Date: 2001-05-17 14:41

As a clarinetist who performs on Concertos, if you like your Bb, you will love the A. As no two clarinets will play the same, it is good advice to try as many different brands and models of instruments as you can before you buy, but please be sure that you try a couple Concertos in A. IMHO, they are sooooo nice!!!!! For a few years, I played on my 1960s vintage Buffet R-13 Bb and my (at that time) new LeBlanc Concerto A and they were a good accoustical match. However, they had a different "feel" even after I tried to adjust the keys on the LeBlanc to match the action of the Buffet. So, rather than go back to the Buffet A (never played a Buffet A that I liked), I decided to buy a Concerto Bb and stay with the Concerto A. I still like my Buffet R-13 Bb for its sound, but it is nice to have the keywork of both clarinets feel related to each other during the more difficult times in the music. Also, the tuning chacteristics of both instruments are quite similar, which is another plus. Good luck in your choice(s) and good clarineting!!!!!!

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