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Re: Need Help Choosing Clarinet

Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2020-09-10 07:56

Hi again, Jenny

Given that you are inexperienced when it comes to evaluating clarinets, I agree that buying from an established store or repair tech is a much better idea than buying online. You may end up paying a bit more than you would from an unknown online seller but the extra amount you pay is for a reduction in the amount of risk you have to assume. I don't know Gary Armstrong or his work personally but everything I read about him and his work is quite positive. I think you can be confident that an instrument he sells you will be in good playing condition and he will stand behind it.

You mention in your last post that the clarinet he is offering is a Backun-designed Leblanc intermediate wood clarinet. That suggests to me that the clarinet is probably either a Leblanc LB210 or its successor the L210. While these instruments are perhaps not as well-known as Buffet/Selmer/Yamaha, their general reputation is that they were very well-designed, indeed.

Rather than attempt to write a history of Backun's operations, let me just give you a link to his Wikipedia biography.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backun_Musical_Services

It's short and I think you will find it interesting and perhaps it will give you even more confidence in the instrument Gary Armstrong is offering. IMO, nowadays, Backun's instruments are the Mercedes-Benz of clarinets.

The article mentions that Backun worked in partnership with Conn-Selmer which, by that time, owned Leblanc. Initially, he designed professional clarinets but around 2008 or 2009 he worked with Julian Bliss to add innovative student and intermediate models to the line. The result was the LB320 (all composite material -- of Backun's own formulation), the LB310 (mostly composite but with a wooden barrel) and the LB210 (all wood). While Backun was still affiliated with Conn-Selmer, he manufactured all the wood barrels and bells (a selling point) in Canada while Conn Selmer manufactured the rest in the U.S. After the partnership dissolved, Conn-Selmer manufactured everything in the U.S.

I expect that the $800 price you were quoted is Canadian dollars which for comparative purposes translates (at today's exchange rates) to just over $600 U.S. If the clarinet is indeed an LB210 (with Backun-made bell and barrel) and Gary Armstrong stands behind it, I think this is a good price for a good clarinet that will take you a long way.

Best regards,
jnk

Post Edited (2020-09-10 07:58)

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