 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Jim Han
Date: 2025-02-10 20:09
Anyone know the difference in construction and material of these two horns?
Also, just took delivery of a MAX, and am wondering about maintenance and break in. Any advice?
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2025-02-10 20:44
You bought it at the wrong time of year if it's wood, so play it in carefully and don't subject it to extreme changes in temperature and humidity.
You should've waited until around late March/early April when the weather is getting better (assuming you're in the northern hemisphere).
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2025-02-10 21:17)
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Author: David H. Kinder
Date: 2025-02-10 21:02
It won't matter regarding the time of year for either clarinet:
Greenline: an environmentally responsible and climate-resistant composite material
Buffet Crampon's unique Greenline series provides the same impeccable craftsmanship as its standard series instruments. However, by using a combination of 95% grenadilla wood and 5% polycarbonate fiber, Greenline series instruments have a much higher resistance to the effects of temperature and humidity changes, preventing cracking and other damage due to atmospheric conditions. Plus, the Buffet Crampon Greenline series helps reduce the impact of instrument manufacturing on the world's African grenadilla population.
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/BFR13GreenS--buffet-crampon-r13-greenline-professional-bb-clarinet-silver-plated-keys
Royal Global Max: Proprietary Eco Wood
The Royal Global MAX Bb clarinet is the perfect choice for students of all ages and abilities, as well as professionals who need an instrument that can withstand the elements. Meticulously crafted from Royal Global's proprietary ECO Wood, the MAX delivers a superior feel and sound compared to all other plastic or synthetic clarinets. With similar density and acoustical properties to grenadilla wood, the MAX offers a rich, warm, and expressive sound, but without the fear of cracks and dimensional changes associated with wooden clarinets.
https://www.royalglobal.us/clarinets/max-bb
Ridenour AureA Bb clarinet
Ridenour Homage mouthpiece
Vandoren Optimum Silver ligature (plate 1)
Vandoren #3 reeds
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2025-02-10 21:05
Copying and pasting company guff isn't the be all and end all.
Greenline can still crack even though it's meant to be a wonder material.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2025-02-10 21:06)
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Author: jdbassplayer
Date: 2025-02-10 21:16
I used a Greenline for a couple years and own a Max. The Greenline has better key work and maybe slightly better intonation but the Max has much better response which is why I prefer it.
No break in is needed since it’s composite. Just swab it and wipe it down with a microfiber cloth after each use. Mine has been one of the most reliable bass clarinets I’ve ever owned.
-JDbassplayer
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Author: David H. Kinder
Date: 2025-02-10 22:07
Chris P wrote:
> Copying and pasting company guff isn't the be all and end all.
>
> Greenline can still crack even though it's meant to be a wonder
> material.
>
>
> Post Edited (2025-02-10 21:06)
True. I cracked a plastic clarinet before, but that's because it hit the floor. (I was in the 4th grade.) I could reasonably expect the same to happen with the greenline epoxy/sawdust composite as well for the same circumstances.
Will it crack due to weather? Probably not.
Ridenour AureA Bb clarinet
Ridenour Homage mouthpiece
Vandoren Optimum Silver ligature (plate 1)
Vandoren #3 reeds
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Author: Dan Shusta
Date: 2025-02-11 08:17
I find the warranty differences between the Buffet Greenline and the Royal Global Max to be very interesting.
Buffet Clarinet Warranties
https://na.buffet-crampon.com/bc_US_en/services/warranties.html
Notice the long 10 yr warranty for the Greenline.
Royal Global Max Bb ECO wood construction seems very similar to Buffet‘s Greenline material from the description in the Rice Clarinet Works link. Rice Clarinet Works offers a 1 year warranty and Sweetwater offers a 2 year warranty.
https://www.clarinetworks.com/royal-global-clarinets/ (1 year warranty)
<https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MaxCL—royal-global-max-bb-clarinet-silver-plated-keys> (2 year warranty)
The only conclusion that I can come up with is that the Buffet Greenline’s material is far superior to the ECO Wood composite material used in the Royal Global Max Bb clarinet.
Any other ideas?
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Author: David H. Kinder
Date: 2025-02-11 09:34
Sometimes the only way something sells is with a longer warranty (eg. Hyundai & Kia).
One is certainly marketed as a student level instrument (RG Max) while the other is a professional-level (Buffet GreenLine). The higher dollars would certainly command more scrutiny behind the purchase, hence the longer warranty.
Ridenour AureA Bb clarinet
Ridenour Homage mouthpiece
Vandoren Optimum Silver ligature (plate 1)
Vandoren #3 reeds
Post Edited (2025-02-11 09:36)
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Author: Dan Shusta
Date: 2025-02-11 10:21
It just seems to me that the Greenline is built better to last a professional for a long time.
Whereas, with the Royal Global Max being a student clarinet, perhaps the quality of construction is not there because its basic existence is meant to be a temporary stepping stone to a professional clarinet.
Just my opinion.
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Author: jdbassplayer
Date: 2025-02-11 19:44
Apologies, I completely forgot about the Max Bb!
I was really skeptical of the new Royal clarinets until I tried them, they are quite well built and are a significant step above other Chinese made instruments, even good ones like the Ridenour.
>Sometimes the only way something sells is with a longer warranty (eg. Hyundai & Kia)
This is a great point. Toyotas have a much shorter warranty, yet there's no doubt that they have better build quality (my friend recently had his Kia stolen because the manufacturer neglected to install a $5 part but I digress...). You can't really correlate build quality to warranty length as there's lots of factors that go into both. Maybe Buffet just wanted to ease people's nerves about buying a non-wooden clarinet.
The Max instruments are still new, but so far I have not heard of a single one breaking, even the basses which are probably more vulnerable to having a tenon snap. The Greenline material may be a bit better but it is certainly not "far superior", both materials are more than durable enough for building clarinets.
The only thing "student" about the Max instruments is the price, the key work is the same material and quality as the pro models.
-JDbassplayer
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