 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Augustine
Date: 2018-02-11 06:08
Has anyone had any experience with these clarinets. I would like to hear peoples thoughts, experiences and what ever.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2018-02-11 14:14
I've only ever seen them when the middle tenons have snapped off which is a common thing with them.
Greenline composite is very brittle and has nowhere near the same tensile strength as grenadilla. But it is far more dense which a lot of players prefer.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Steven Ocone
Date: 2018-02-11 17:54
There was a rash of breakage early on. Then the formula was changed and this improved. They are still more subject to breakage, but that wouldn't affect my choice to buy one or not (maybe it should - I'm getting clumsy). I have at least one professional customer who loves his Greenline clarinets. One consideration is that they are heavier.
Steve Ocone
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Author: seabreeze
Date: 2018-02-20 10:01
I'm bringing this thread back after over a week because I'm surprised owners of Buffet Greenline clarinets did not respond. I don't own a Greenline but I have tried a few and heard several players, some students and some pros play on them, so I can at least give my impressions. When the Greenlines first came out many players complained that the sound was not the same as what they were accustomed to on wooden Buffets and also pointed out that the Greenlines would be subject to breaking at the tenon joints. These observations are true as far as they go, but there are many more positive features these clarinets have that need to be stated as well. I, and many players I know who grew up playing wooden Buffets find the general tendency of the Greenlines is to play a bit more subdued and perhaps darker sounding throughout their range than their wooden equivalents. When you consider all the money players spend selecting "fat boy" and cocobolo barrels to tone down the upper partials on the wooden Buffets, they might just consider using the Greenlines instead. I've found that most Greenline players don't go looking for "after-market" barrels much and are rather pleased with the ones that come with the instrument. Also, none of the players I know personally have had any trouble with their Greenlines fracturing on the tenons.
Some fans of Greenlines believe that that material is harder or denser than wood and therefore allows drilling tools to achieve a greater level of accuracy in making and undercutting the tones holes than can be accomplished on wooden instruments. Indeed, Buffet boasts that its newest model, the Legende, has Greenline tonehole inserts to stabilize the pitch. So to get that same stability for much less in a Greenline R13 should be considered a bargain.
I find the tone of Greenline R13s very stable, concentrated, and ringing though noticeably darker and more covered than I get on most wooden R13s. At the very competitive Ghent Clarinet Competition in Brussels in 2017, one of the finalists, Vitor Fernades played the Spohr 4th Clarinet Concerto on a Buffet Greenline instrument though I'm not sure if it was an RC, an R13, or a Festival Greenline. You can see and hear the performance
in this YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=vitor+fernandes+plays+Spohr+4+Clarinet+Concerto.
The Greenline certainly supports his excellent interpretation in every way. Good intonation, very expressive, even tone across all registers, and not screechy at all on those very exposed and scary passages in the upper altissimo. I compared his performance with that of many seasoned players including Karl Leister, Gary Dranch, Sabine Meyer, and Paul Meyer, and in many ways I prefer the way Fernades sounds. Of course credit for that must go to him, not to his clarinet. But having a Greenline certainly did not hurt him. So I think Greenlines are worthy of serious consideration as fine pro level clarinets. Certainly you should try some for yourself.
Post Edited (2018-02-21 08:11)
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Author: anonrob
Date: 2018-02-20 23:43
I spend my summers playing outdoors in a professional musical theater setting and got a Greenline R13 about 17 years ago. I have found it to be very consistent and at least as good as any Buffet I have owned. My section mates also like the sound. It has not, like my previous Buffets, cracked. With the extremes we get here in the Midwest, the last time I cracked a clarinet it was 105 in rehearsal on Monday and 63 Tuesday night in the pit, I have found it to be an excellent choice.
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Author: Johan H Nilsson
Date: 2018-02-21 00:00
None of the people that complain about the sound would pass a blind test.
Personally, I prefer greenline since I know it is form stable, it requires no maintenance and chances are higher the pads seal well. Buying a 2nd hand greenline instrument should especially offer fewer disappointments than a wooden one.
I haven't dropped any greenline instrument so I can't tell about fragility. There are carbon fibers mixed with the epoxy and grenadilla powder to strengthen the material. One drawback is that it is easy to scratch the body surface if you slip with a screw driver.
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Author: andy63
Date: 2018-02-21 02:11
Hello
I own an RC greenline!
I have had it for about 5 years now.I have used it for marching band and concert work.I live in sweden and use the instrument daily during the winter months as i dont want to risk my Tosca spliting due to the cold weather when i transport it. My Rc has never given me any trouble it is very stable and the Tenons have never broken.I havent tried droping it or smacking it against a wall ! I doubt that a wooden RC would fair any better if one did this.
My RC sounds just as wooden as all the other clarinets i have owned so i dont agree with the people that say that GL sounds ”unwoody” it is a bit on the heavy side though.
Regards Andy
Buffet Tosca ,Buffet Rc Greenline ,Yamaha YCl-881 Eb
Post Edited (2018-02-21 02:19)
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Author: Doug Leach
Date: 2018-02-21 06:44
I'm also playing on an R13 greenline, going on the 4th season this spring. Originally bought used (2 yr old) for summer outdoor playing. After having it overhauled after the summer season (thanks Wes Rice) I found I couldn't tell the difference between the greenline and my late 60's vintage grenadilla R13, either in our band room or the concert theatre at my kids' school. Even in a blind test with two section mates in the back of the hall. I now play the greenline year round. Although as others have noted, the greenline is heavier, that's an excuse for a neckstrap. On the plus side, as the greenline is much newer, Buffet seem to have fixed some of the classic off pitch notes such as B and C above the staff.
Doug
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Author: garciajr
Date: 2018-02-21 07:44
I just purchased a set of Greenline R-13’s this past May. I have been playing the side by side with my wooden R-13’s. What I can say is this:
#1 There is a bit of a difference in sound between the two types.
I don’t necessarily say that it is darker or duller. Just a bit different.
#2 They are definitely heavier (although I use a strap for both R-13 types).
#3 The peace of mind I get when I am carrying and playing the Greenlines in the winter is so reassuring. I bought this set because my 36 year old A Clarinet cracked last winter.
I guess if I could only afford one set, it would be the wood R-13’s.
However, I believe I have the best of both worlds.
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2018-02-22 05:44
I like 'em. Any band I go to, if they have the ability, I request a greenline Buffet festival. In my mind, the best bang for your buck instrument you can buy (new). Love the sound, keywork, and the peace of mind of using greenlines in any weather.
I've seen and played on more than my fair share of greenlines over the years with people I've worked with. In about 30 greenlines, I've seen two snapped tenons. One Buffet Tosca which snapped early on in the warranty period, and a greenline oboe which snapped the night prior to a WWQ performance (while on tour....talk about stress!!!)
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: ving
Date: 2018-02-22 18:48
I’m a pit musician/doubler and replaced my wood r-13 last year with a used Greenline and very happy with it thus far. While I had avoided any cracking on my old horn thus far, I did find it far more sensitive to the temp and humidity in the way the horn responded, and I’m happy not to worry so with the Greenline. The new horn feels much more consistent in the way it responds in varying temps and humidity. I’m wondering if any Greenline owners have had success with aftermarket barrels. The grenadilla fobes and Icon barrels I have don’t seem to work as well on my Greenline. So far I’m preferring the synthetic Pyne barrels I have but I’m curious to try an Icon in the Greenline material. I feel like maybe there would be the best match in resonance with matching the material of the barrel with the body. FYI, I do not use the stock 66 Greenline barrel as my needs are usually for a shorter barrel due to switching horns and really cold pit situations.
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Author: Doug Leach
Date: 2018-02-22 22:26
I use one of Brad's EVO barrels on my R13 greenline and absolutely love it. Besides helping with tuning on some of the throat tones and 12ths, it's the one barrel I've found that provides a benefit in tone, most noticeably in the focus and clarity of my sound in the mid- and upper clarion.
Doug Leach
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Author: ving
Date: 2018-02-23 00:23
Cool, nice to hear of good options! I’ll give the Behn barrel a try.
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