 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: johnnydodds
Date: 2020-01-22 07:53
Anyone know of a list of A-key clarinet brands/models anywhere? Really hoping to luck out and find something on one of the auction sites for cheap. But very difficult to search for A-clarinet models because Google's brain is too small and thinks A is the indefinite article and not the key. Doesn't help that Buffet often has the letter A in it's full name as well.
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Author: Bennett ★2017
Date: 2020-01-22 21:49
Search for clarinet; then look at the option panel on the left where you can select A and/or Pro and other options.
You can also add -Bb (i.e., minus or exclude Bb) to your search, i.e., clarinet -bb This will exclude clarinets that have Bb in the title.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2020-01-22 22:01
Search "Clarinet in A" as that should be more specific than "A clarinet".
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2020-01-23 17:58
I agree, Clarinet in A or even clarinet in the key of A.
ESP eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: johnnydodds
Date: 2020-01-23 18:27
Thanks everyone. Tried it, search worked better but still no list of A clarinets out there. I'm surprised there isn't one somewhere on this website. If I had a list of model numbers I could program them into ebay's autosearch.
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Author: jdbassplayer
Date: 2020-01-23 21:24
That's because most people looking for an A clarinet are looking for one from a reputable brand like Buffet or Selmer. For new instrument that are widely available it's a choice between Buffet, Selmer, Backun, Ridenour, Yamaha and now Uebel. There's no reason to make a list because other than that there are only the super high end makers like S&S and Wurlitzer or lower end Chinese instruments. OP if you want a good A clarinet you need to save up, there's no good way around that unfortunately. Good A clarinets aren't cheap and cheap A clarinets aren't good.
-JDbassplayer
Edit-somehow forgot about Yamaha...
Post Edited (2020-01-23 21:26)
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Author: gwie
Date: 2020-01-23 22:41
jdbassplayer has it right on the mark. The list of decent A clarinets is a very short one.
These days, for students in my area who will be doing a lot of orchestra playing, I usually recommend the Uebel Advantage (~$2300-$2600) or the Yamaha CSVR ($2900-$3100).
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Author: johnnydodds
Date: 2020-01-24 10:39
Yeah, clearly you didn't read my post. I certainly do own pro instruments worth a lot of money. But like I said in my post, I play outdoor gigs in a temperate rainforest, very humid and wet. So I need a plastic one or a metal one. I use spendy wood barrels and they are full of superglue from cracking on cold days. Certainly don't need that all over my good wood horns. If I am buying an A clarinet I am not buying a $5000 horn that cracks all over from my rough weather gigs, or worse, gets ripped off in this increasingly anarchic city. If I buy a wood one I am definitely going cheap as possible, hence the usefulness of a list of A models made by various companies over the years. And according to my tech some of them were damn decent and didn't break the bank either, and if you get lucky you can find them with a watchful eye on the listings.
And to be honest with you, I prefer the sound of plastic, mellowed with a wood barrel. It's louder and has a brighter, more cartoonish tone, perfect for trad jazz. I've really never been a horn eilitist. I play waht works for me and couldn't care less what kind of smirks I get from other musicians. I make my entire living performing and most of them are teachers that perform as a hobby for very little money.
This website has all kinds of lists of clarinets, so I'm not really following your conjectural train of thought on the uselessness of an A-clarinet list. If one person has a use for it it's not useless, even if that use is just to catalog all the different ones that have been made over the years.
Post Edited (2020-01-24 10:47)
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Author: jdbassplayer
Date: 2020-01-24 16:02
Again, there are no cheap plastic A clarinets worth getting. Your best option is the Ridenour (hard rubber) which comes in at $1,900. To reiterate: Good A clarinets aren't cheap and cheap A clarinets aren't good.
-Jdbassplayer
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Author: johnnydodds
Date: 2020-01-24 18:43
Hmmm, well I find it unlikely that WWBW would slap their label on a total piece of junk and charge $1000 for it, but maybe I'm wrong. If it plays in tune and doesn't fall apart in 6 months then that's a decent student horn by today's standards. $1900 isn't bad, I'll check out the Ridenour
Post Edited (2020-01-24 18:43)
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Author: jdbassplayer
Date: 2020-01-24 19:09
Oh you'd be surprised what WWBW is willing to sell, the last Allora I had needed to have at least half of the toneholes either enlarged or partially filled in and the register tube replaced with a longer one before it could play in tune (high C was 45 cents sharp!). Fortunately I have a lathe so I was able to make my own register tube but many shops don't have the equipment to do this. Many techs outright refuse to work on them so if you get one make sure you have a repair tech who's crazy like me (also be sure to get them a 6 pack for going through the trouble of getting the darn thing to work right, otherwise don't be surprised if they block your number 😂)
-JDbassplayer
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Author: Fuzzy
Date: 2020-01-25 04:10
Oh my, this can't be a serious thread can it?!
"It's louder and has a brighter, more cartoonish tone, perfect for trad jazz."
Fuzzy
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Author: smokindok
Date: 2020-01-25 05:14
I paid $20 for my first A clarinet, about 45 years ago. It was an old Henri Farny, Paris, that I bought from the other clarinet player in my orchestra. I have no idea how old it was or where he got it from, but he didn't want it because it was Boehm system. Since I played Boehm system, he offered it to me. The one redeeming thing about that purchase was that the clarinet came with a nice Portnoy mouthpiece, otherwise, it played so miserably out of tune that I went back to transposing on my Bb. Eventually I gave it away. Saved up and bought a used Buffet. Tuning on the Buffet wasn't great, but manageable.
That clarinet player was a wonderfully kind gentleman and it was always a pleasure playing with him. I miss him. Ruhe in Frieden, Herr Schmidt.
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Author: oldreedguy
Date: 2020-01-25 13:21
Dude, if you're going to lay out $1900 for a plastic Ridenour I think that's a bad idea. I'm the guy with the 1919 A that I got some money back on, I know why you want plastic...look, I played outside in Rome on a selmer 33 bass in the middle of summer and R13s in Portland OR outside...there is a Noblet 40 "A" for sale on reverb for $1100/bo...there's a guy here in California that has an E11 A for $1300...you can rent one from a dealer in Minnesota by the month...go that route, I suggest. I know you're a sax guy who wants the easier transposition, but get a decent horn. Forget plastic...you're a pro. Go pro. Learn your scales on clarinet...don't waste your bread. Seattle is expensive enough!
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Author: Fuzzy
Date: 2020-01-25 20:30
Oldreedguy...aren't Ridenour clarinets hard rubber? Why is that a bad idea? Just curious what your thoughts are.
Fuzzy
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Author: johnnydodds
Date: 2020-01-25 23:07
that's useful advice about the Allora. I very nearly bought one of their year end clearance open box ones for $365, now I'm glad I didn't. I'm starting to really prefer metal clarinets lately anyway. Louder, and I can get a good sound out of them too. If only I could find an A. Saw one pass through the listings paired with a Bb a while back and kicking myself for not bidding.
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Author: johnnydodds
Date: 2020-01-25 23:11
Yeah Fuzzy, it's a serious thread. And I don't appreciate your remarks. I make my living playing trad jazz and my band plays high paying corporate parties. Just did one last night with a 7-piece plus tapdancers. I like what I like and couldn't care less what other musicians think about my gear. They aren't paying my rent, my clients are, and they love my band.
Wood clarinets are quieter and yeah, they have a deep, rich tone. But that isn't what I'm going for. I also play kazoo in my band, does that give you a better idea what I'm going for?
Post Edited (2020-01-26 00:12)
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Author: johnnydodds
Date: 2020-01-25 23:17
Thanks for sharing. I'll put that on my list of duds. I really wish there was a Boehm clarinet that has rollers between the pinky keys like a sax. I can't stand playing Albert system, but love being able to pinky roll from key to key.
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Author: johnnydodds
Date: 2020-01-25 23:26
Oldreedguy - Why do you assume I don't know my scales? Because I like plastic clarinets? There's a lot of strange prejudice in the pro music world and I guess I understand where it comes from, being so many amateurs out there, some of whom really stink up the stage and others who lowball the rest of us out of work. But no need to stereotype me just because I don't prefer the same horns as typical academian types. And yeah, I play a lot of outdoor gigs in winter, like ribbon cutting ceremonies, political rallies, parks activation program gigs, farmer's markets etc. And I busk occasionally too. My tech is the most knowledgable guy around and he agreed, plastic is a better choice for me. I just bought another vintage Selmer Paris barrel only to have it crack everywhere from playing out in the cold and damp.
And those concerns aside, I'm not going to buy a really expensive horn just to be in the expensive horn club. I already have an R13 Bb I rarely play, because I prefer the sound of my Yamaha 20. If that makes me a weirdo to the rest of you, well, maybe that's an opportunity for some healthy self-reflection and possible broadening of perspectives.
Thanks for your advice on the Ridenour though, and suggestions on other horns. Very helpful.
And btw I have two 1920'S era Buffets I love most of all, fantastically fast action and great tone, but too dark and quiet for what I'm doing right now. I played my Conn Cavalier recently at a corporate party and thinking that metal clarinets will end up being what I play most. So if you have any siggestions for an A-key metal clarinet I will add that to my hunt.
Post Edited (2020-01-25 23:59)
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Author: Fuzzy
Date: 2020-01-26 03:39
Johnny,
I found it unbelievable that a serious trad musician would call the sound he was after, "cartoonish" - just as I'd doubt the seriousness of a classical player saying something like, "Yeah, this combination makes my tone sound dead and boring - just what I was looking for!"
So, I do think my question about the seriousness of the thread has/had merit. (Especially in light of your initial responses to jdbassplayer.)
I follow trad jazz very closely, kazoo, slide whistle, jug, etc. - all fine - not if done cartoonishly.... so I'd love to know the name of your group so that I can listen to your albums and understand the sound - perhaps we simply have different ideas of what "cartoonish" means? Perhaps I know some of the folks in your band.
Fuzzy
Post Edited (2020-01-26 20:49)
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Author: Ursa
Date: 2020-01-27 01:33
Seems to me that a hard rubber Boosey & Hawkes A could provide a solution here. They are not easy to find, but--other than the 1010--don't command high prices when they do come up on offer.
I have deployed B&H's plastic 1-10 and wooden 8-10 B-flats for jazz playing and have always been quite pleased with them. But...they rarely see the light of day anymore as I also prefer the Yamaha 20.
The metal Silva-Bet was offered in A and represents another option, though likely hard to find.
Post Edited (2020-01-27 01:46)
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Author: Mike Sz
Date: 2020-01-28 02:43
Hello the jonnydodds,
I have read your posts about a suitable Clarinet in A.
For what you want to do can I suggest that IF you can find a Metal Clarinet then you seriously think about it.
I play in a local wind band and I recently overhauled a metal clarinet that I bought cheaply several years ago, a Bb model. I am now playing this in the band as I feel that the sound I get is so much brighter and better than my wooden B&H 926. The 926 still is a good instrument and I have received many comments about 'is that a soprano sax' etc.
I must say I was astounded at the good sound that I can get from this.
It is a model called MADELON, one I have never heard of before. It is not a great looking instrument and is in need of re-plating at some time. But I think the sound is much more important.
Hope you find this a little helpful?
Mike Sz.
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Author: johnnydodds
Date: 2020-01-28 09:31
Fuzzy - Yeah, well, sorry you take issue with my description of the sound I'm going for, but your opinion doesn't mean anything to me. Like I said, I play for my clients. My peers and colleagues aren't putting a roof over my head like they are. A big part of my show is humor, fun. The band I am most influenced by is Firehouse Five Plus Two. Go take a listen to that band and tell me cartoonish is an inappropriate way to describe them. They are literally a cartoon band, started by a Disney animator, and their sound is most certainly cartoonish and that's what makes them so fun. This conversation is just dumb. I don't understand why people can't just answer my questions and keep their snide remarks to themselves.
And no, you can't hear my band. I don't crap where I eat.
Post Edited (2020-01-28 10:00)
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Author: johnnydodds
Date: 2020-01-28 09:33
Ursa: Excellent suggestions! Thank you sir, I will add these to my hunt!
Post Edited (2020-01-28 09:34)
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Author: johnnydodds
Date: 2020-01-28 09:37
clarinetist04 - thanks! unfortunately it doesn't list the model numbers of the A clarinets to look for. If I could figure out some easy way to tell the A's from the Bb's it would be a lot easier. Haven't been able to figure out any "smoking gun" that will distinguish them in a picture. And the problem of parallax makes it very difficult to measure them in a picture.
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Author: johnnydodds
Date: 2020-01-28 09:44
Mike Sz - This is very helpful. I will add that brand to my list! And you're absolutely right. The more I play my Cavalier the more I prefer it. The fat A and Ab keys feel so much nicer under my fingers, and my tech is going to weld a stopper post under the A for me, since there really should be one there since the key pushes down too far and that note plays slightly sharp anyway. Compared to my plastic and wood clarinets it speaks very easily and has that fat low end resonance only a metal Conn instrument can make. This site actually trash talks them a bit as a student horn, and the action is a little clunky in places but it has solid intonation and it's the only metal clarinet so far I can actually push far enough in to play sharp, giving me enough play to tune it properly in all wealher conditions. I had my own predjudice against metal clarinets because long ago my first sax instructor said they were horrible and sounded like a dying goose. And I heard a few people play them so badly I assumed he was right. Now owning one of my own for only a month I realize how wrong he was and that in the hands of a player with good embouchure control metal clarinets sound fantastic.
Post Edited (2020-01-28 09:57)
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Author: sax panther
Date: 2020-01-28 17:28
Ursa beat me to it - I was also going to suggest looking for a B&H. 1010s are still usually quite pricey, but Edgewares and Emperors go cheap . Even if you can't find one in hard rubber, the wood ones go cheap enough that it wouldn't be too upsetting if it cracked.
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