 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Wayne
Date: 2001-07-15 02:40
I have seen Jean Baptiste and Monique Bb clarinets for students and wonder if these are good quality despite the relative low price. My R-13 is strictly an inside horn and I would like to be able to play outside without worrying too much about the weather. What does you think ?
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Author: jbutler
Date: 2001-07-15 03:09
I think you would be better picking up an older resonite Vito. I think they play very well. I found a Vito "Clar-i-Tone" at a pawn shop in May for $35. The plating was good. I was looking for a clarinet to repad for a student of mine. She had been using a school instrument. She was going onto high school and the parents couldn't afford to come up with the $ to buy her one. I gave it to her as a reward for the super effort she made in the three years at middle school. I know you didn't need to know all of that.....but it turned out to be quite a nice playing clarinet for the money.
John
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Author: David Pegel
Date: 2001-07-15 04:20
Wayne,
There is a recent post on good student model (Mostly plastic) clarinets that reccomends some really good brands. Why don't you take a look?
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Author: mw
Date: 2001-07-15 04:26
JButler is correct as usual. If it doesn't move when you touch it & the price is right, you can't go wrong. I found what appears to be an Evette stencil from W Germany recently. It is the best playing plastic horn I have ever played. It was very inexpensive. It would have been a bargain at $150. JButler has a great eye for horns. Your mileage may vary. Stick w/plastic horns made by Buffet, Vito, Yamaha, Bundy. Best, mw
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2001-07-15 14:13
Great advice above, I have an older Evette-Shaf. [wood] which is quite similar in playing to several brand new Buff Vintages we locals are trying out [will report our findings] . So, I'd suggest trying to find a similar-playing Buff-made horn, Evette, B12/13, etc so as to not have to "adjust" to a diff. make, unless you would like the challenge! Luck, Don
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Author: Wayne
Date: 2001-07-15 20:11
All:
Thanks for the superb advice ! I will keep looking for those mentioned...I read the post David referred to after mine was submitted.
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Author: Allen Cole
Date: 2001-07-18 03:59
I've gotten some really good reports on the new Buescher plastic clarinets, but have not tried one myself.
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Author: dew
Date: 2001-07-18 13:50
I read these posts with great interest because I did not see any recommendations for Ridenour clarinets, and that is what our beginning band students get as rentals.
Of course, when they reach seventh grade, if they show promise, they are strongly recommended to play on R13s.
Is there a good plastic clarinet for this transition?
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Author: Dee
Date: 2001-07-18 16:16
7th grade is, in general, too early to expect students to move up to an R-13 or any other professional grade instrument. This is a major chunk of change and at this age the typical band student has no idea on whether they will pursue music as either a profession or important hobby past high school. In addition, a significant percentage of students at this age (not all of them though) simply won't take proper care of such an item. It is unreasonable to press the parents to invest this kind of money at that point in time. Good mouthpieces, reeds, and private lessons will make a far bigger difference in the students' sound than any instrument.
Naturally there are some exceptions for whom a parent might consider such an investment. Plus there are families who can easily afford these things and so my comments aren't relevant to them.
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Author: David Pegel
Date: 2001-07-18 17:45
7th grade? R-13s? those two don't sound right together.
I don't think it really matters how much money a family has. Unless they are extremely wasteful - which they won't be if they have that kind of money - they would probably think twice before buying such a nice clarinet for their 7th grade son or daughter. And if they do, and the child ruins it, they definitely won't do it again.
I am an instrument collector in my fashion, and even though I only have one clarinet in playing condition, I have another 30 some-odd instruments in my home of various types. The funny thing is, most of them are in mediocre condition. No woodwind or brass instrument in my house is professional-caliber. I play a Bundy clarinet, which is a chain of student models. And I am satisfied with it all. I do not think that you need an R-13 to play beautifully. All you need is a Bundy or Vito and some skill.
If I ever play clarinet professionally, then I will no doubt invest in a better clarinet. But honestly, how many 7th graders out there know that they are going to play professionally someday? I agree with Dee on this case.
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Author: dew
Date: 2001-07-19 12:51
The school's private teacher is a professional clarinetist. By seventh or eighth grade, in our area, kids are making decisions about how seriously to pursue music. If they are in seventh, eighth, or ninth grade, they are required to audition for all-district band if they are in the top performiing band. Professional instruments in competitions are common, even in junior high. Top chairs play R13s.
I don't think 7th graders are deciding overall to being professional players. I do think good players go to stepup presentations at the school and the private teacher encoourages pro instruments. The band directors appreciate and reward pro instruments with higher chairs.
The same store that "sells" them the Ridenour in 6th grade "sells" them E11s or R13s in 7th grade.
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Author: David Pegel
Date: 2001-07-19 15:38
You said the band directors reward pro instruments with higher chairs? In my opinon it should be a matter of who's better than who.
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Author: dew
Date: 2001-07-19 19:38
A pro instrument affects whom is better than whom (is that correct grammar?)
I don't make the rules, I just report them ;~)
If a director has two, or four, comparable players, the ones with pro instruments generally sit higher chairs.
Since Wayne already plays an R13 and was looking for a plastic choice alternative, I thought it was logical to ask what is a logical beginner predecessor to R13.
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