 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Kalashnikirby
Date: 2025-02-09 01:36
For years now I've been eying other bass clarinets as my Leblanc 430S never really gave me that sort of joy a bc should bring to anyone. Well, at least not when trying more technical stuff or register jumps.
What can I say - the max is really fantastic. In particular I'd like to point out that it also beats the Thomann BCL-C, which I did a review on (also sold as Leslie Craven BC01, Morrél MCL-341S and whatnot) in terms of sound, intonation and keywork ergonomics.
While it's quite unclear to me whether or not the material is the same, or if these are made in the same factory, Royal must've gone the extra mile to refine this instrument in some ways. It is, distinctly, a Buffet-ish bass with an even playfeel and nice keywork. Notably, spring tensions are too high and the register mechanism needs adjustment, but nothing out of the ordinary. Pad seating is really good.
Playing the bass, I was really impressed. It has that extra bit of "oomph" and sweetness in its sound that makes you think it is a wooden bass, something the BCL-C couldn't fully deliver (even if it is a good, affordable bass) - my wife found that she didn't miss the 430S at all and also suggested the max sounded better than the BCL-C.
It does have similar "tendencies" like a Buffet prestige, so you will find that the throat b is difficult to control, but the altissimo works rather well. Quite different to the Selmers (I will not comment on this debate - Selmer vs. Buffet - I just like both...!).
DO NOT buy it if you love the recent Selmer model. The way a Selmers upper register sings is quite different, it generally has less resistence and wants to "open up", while I'd say the tone isn't as "focused" as with a Buffet. What to do then? Save some more money for the Selmer, or consider the Alpha? That's hard to say, admittedly...
On top of that, the case is kinda nice. Missing my BAM trekking case a bit, but this one is even slimmer. You can actually wear a helmet and not hit the case with the back of your head while on a bike!
Should you buy the max now? Well, for me, it was easy: I could sell the Leblanc 430S for a rather decent sum and only had to pay an additional 1k (€) to afford the max, so that was a no brainer.
Some might want to wait for the Backun Alpha Bass, but I personally couldn't see justify waiting much longer when I finally found a vendor in france that shipped to germany and actually had them in stock - plus I didn't enjoy the prospect of having to swap all the synthetic pads on the alpha, had I bought one. To be sure, if I were to get my hands on one, I'd love to compare it to the max. That's all for now! There's already excellent reviews on that bass out there, but maybe some find this perspective interesting.
Best regards
Christian
Post Edited (2025-02-09 01:51)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Micke Isotalo ★2017
Date: 2025-02-09 12:09
Christian, what would you regard as drawbacks of the "custom black Valentino" pads originally mounted on the Alphas? Don't know how they possibly differ from the Valentino Masters, but at least the latter ones seem to be quite well regarded here - at least concerning durability and how they seal.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Kalashnikirby
Date: 2025-02-09 13:07
I'm sorry, maybe I shouldn't have commented on that - to be clear, Valentino pads are fine.
Personally, I don't like their spongy feel compared to traditional leather pads. That's all.
Or to sum them up with the words of Lohff and Pfeiffer: https://clarinet.dk/content/show_content.php?id=121&cont=us&lang=en&instr=cla
But that's a little OT.
The Alpha is going to be a fantastic value either way.
Post Edited (2025-02-09 13:12)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: RBlack
Date: 2025-02-09 19:43
I am also not a huge fan of the valentinos in this context. They are very prone to becoming warped and not flat when you try to change the level of them. If they’re set up well I have no issues as a player, but do as a tech.
To be clear I like valentinos for small pads on soprano clarinets, it’s just these large diameter pads that I don’t love dealing with.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Kalashnikirby
Date: 2025-02-09 20:14
Still a little OT 😅
But indeed, my fear with large valentinos would be just that. Even the very nice Pisoni bassoon pads, which are sometimes used for bc even for the low notes can warp badly (and they have a much more stable backing than other leather pads), which is why I'm glad the max used rivetet/ resonator pads.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
