Author: SwingQuavers
Date: 2019-06-28 00:33
Hi!
I learned clarinet for 7 years as a child/teenager and gave it up, mostly for health and time reasons. About two years ago (= about 10 years after I gave it up) I came back to clarinet, but I played it only on the weekends (I had a faulty student instrument, but didn't know that the instrument was the reason that it was so hard to blow) for fun.
In December I bought a new Buffet Crampon E13 clarinet.
In January I joined a local amateur symphony orchestra (until then I didn't know that amateur symphony orchestra existed).
The other two clarinetists in the orchestra have a Buffet Crampon RC.
I play my E13 with Vandoren BD5 mouthpiece, Vandoren Optimum ligature and Vandoren Rue Lepic 3 (or 3,5) reed strength.
I love my E13 and its sound. But ultimately I have some doubts about the instruments I bought.
The reasons why I bought an E-13:
1. Years ago, one of my teachers said to me that tone and sound depends for about 80% from the player's anatomy and embrouchure, for about 15% from mouthpiece and only about 5% from the instrument (or so). Therefore, according to him, it's useless to spend a lot of money for professional instruments.
2. The clarinet is only one of my hobbys. Although playing the clarinet is very dear to me, I'm afraid I can't dedicate so much time to a professional instrument as it would deserve.
3. On the Internet (and on this board) I found that professional instruments are more difficult to blow than student and intermediate instruments.
4. Price: I got the E-13 for about 1700 €, the RC would have been about 3000 € (I absolutely need the version with the auxiliary Eb-lever). And I wanted a new clarinet, I don't like used instruments.
My previous instrument (a Buffet Crampon E10) wasn't so easy to blow, didn't have such a nice sound and had lower build quality.
But Stephen Howard stated in his review that the E13 lacked the "true power of the symphonic clarinets" and another source on the Internet said that professional clarinets provide a wider dynamic range and more freedom in shaping the tone.
So: although I'm happy with my E13, I have the doubt now that it would be suitable for a symphony orchestra for the limited dynamic range? Both the E13 and RC tune to 442 Hz (I'm Italian). Or is this only a matter of practice?
What do you think? For the reasons above, I again would decide for an E13. But there is this grain of doubt.
What is marketing (regarding the RC/R13) and what is not?
Post Edited (2019-06-28 07:36)
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