Author: SonicManEXE
Date: 2017-10-31 00:19
Hi all,
All this talk of tuning has got me wondering: is it possible to make a bass clarinet with the functionality of a well-known brand without going overboard on price? Something I've noticed is that as great a value as the Yamaha 221 is, it plays very sharp and that can only hurt the potential of a player in an ensemble, especially in middle/high school when a student is still learning fundamentals of the instrument. I've heard about alternate mid range/professional basses that rival the price of the 221, such as the Kessler Custom and the Ridenour models, all of which feature necks that can adjust from the middle rather than the neck receiver, but how GOOD are they? I have experience with the Allora low C bass and to put it in the simplest term I can, it is trash. Absolute trash. Every register tunes differently and lower notes are a challenge--not to play, but to press down the keys.
Something I've noticed about cheaper low clarinets is that the register mechanism is not made very well and it makes lifting the throat tone A key extremely difficult; that is, unless you're pressing down the G/D key which releases the pressure. It's a terrible design, but I've seen it on instruments ranging from the Allora to the Leblanc L7181 reso-tone contra alto. Even the 221 suffers from this to a degree, but not as much as the other two I mentioned.
I suppose my question is: are we fooling ourselves into thinking we're getting a good deal with the 221, or are the alternatives with lesser-known names secretly better? Essentially, if a high school director wanted to get actual good bass clarinets for their program, should they go with the Yamaha, one of these other choices, or splurge and get the Buffet student model?
Thank you all.
Jared
Ft. Lauderdale & Tampa, FL
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