 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: ruben
Date: 2026-04-24 16:31
Does there exist an affordable, half-way decent e-flat clarinet? -Chinese maybe. As I would only seldom use this instrument, there is no point in spending too much money on one. Thank you.
rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com
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Author: David H. Kinder
Date: 2026-04-24 18:37
Ridenour makes one: $2,395
https://www.rclarinetproducts.com/libertas-ebsoprano
Ridenour AureA Bb clarinet
Ridenour Artist Homage and MT36 mouthpieces
Vandoren Optimum black ligature (plate 1)
Vandoren Traditional #3.5 & #5 reeds
Brad Behn HR adjustable barrel
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Author: lmliberson
Date: 2026-04-24 20:46
Well, Ruben, no matter how expensive or how inexpensive an E-flat clarinet may be, if the intonation is questionable the instrument is useless.
That really should be your primary criteria in seeking out an E-flat clarinet, aka "the weapon".
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Author: donald
Date: 2026-04-25 03:03
My old Leblanc LL (2nd hand from a retired pro) had very ergonomic keys and fine intonation. I switched to an R13 for better tone but always had little niggly problems here and there. A pro Symphony here in NZ owns a Noblet which I had to borrow for a gig once, and it was surprisingly good, I'd look for one of these if on a limited budget...
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2026-04-25 08:22
Older Leblancs are often relatively affordable and not bad.
I have an old Vito (I bought it new in 1990) and it's decent, but sharp with the stock barrel. You can open it a lot or get a different barrel. It's not the best, but it might be the lowest cost option that is half decent if you find one. A semi professional orchestra sometimes borrows it from me so it's good enough for that at least.
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Author: ruben
Date: 2026-04-25 09:42
Donald: Noblet is a good idea. Their C clarinet was very good. Noblet was a student-model Leblanc.
rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com
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Author: ruben
Date: 2026-04-25 13:43
m1964: This seems to only be a b flat clarinet.
rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com
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Author: ruben
Date: 2026-04-25 19:35
Micke: I think you've nailed it! The Thomann seems the best buy. The Selmer E-flat Muse costs ten times as much!
rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com
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Author: m1964
Date: 2026-04-25 22:48
ruben wrote:
> Micke: I think you've nailed it! The Thomann seems the best
> buy. The Selmer E-flat Muse costs ten times as much!
The law of diminishing returns?
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Author: prigault
Date: 2026-04-26 04:18
I am quite happy with my Buffet E-11 that I have had for three years. More than decent clarinet for a more than decent price (I had it shipped from Thomann, here in Canada, clarinet prices are high in general, and Eb clarinets are just insane). I did want a decent instrument for my uses (clarinet quartet and concert band) before I knew if I would play a Eb enough (or be good enough at it) to go for Tosca/Muse prices.
The construction (much better than the E-11 Bb) and keywork are very decent. I like the little nylon screw under the left/right keys bridge, which allows the precise setting of the key height for the intonation of the upper chalumeau and throat notes.
At the time of the purchase, I only tried the Yamaha YCL-681 (three times the price) for comparison. I found the Yamaha sound quality a little more pleasing in the lower register (which does not see much uses in Eb scores), but liked it less ergonomically (I have large hands).
I also tried a bunch of aftermarket accessories on the E-11 (Backun barrels allow the use of Bb reeds, for example) and did not find they improved anything (certainly not the looks).
After three years, my view has not changed: I am not ashamed in any way to play with it, but don't use it enough to justify an instrument at several times the price, aware that the biggest upgrade to it still lies between the reed and the chair.
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Author: elmo lewis
Date: 2026-04-26 19:46
If you want a decent plastic student eefer, I recommend the Century brand. It also says Deutschland on the case. It costs about $250 here in Mexico. It's a sturdy, well-made horn, far superior to the average Chinese clarinet. The intonation is no worse than other student eefers. My beginning students are also using the Century b-flat. At $200 it's just as good as the Yamaha beginners clarinet at one-third the price. None of the instruments has needed any maintenance or repair, not even a new pad or corks.
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Author: Kalashnikirby
Date: 2026-04-26 22:54
The Thomann eefer (which is sold under many different brand names) is the instrument of my choice and crazy good for it's price. I've got some very positive feedback on the tone and intonation, which is worth something on an eefer (just played Bernstein's Three Dances from On The Town). Also, up to g''' or g#''', with the right fingerings intonation is pretty good. I tested it extensively against an RC eb and it fared very well, with some notes working better on my eefer. But of course, anything above the d''' needs your attention and while it depends on the piece, more often than not you'll find yourself having to get along with the piccolo *and* other clarinets.
But there are fine instruments out there. Heck, I won't even need a better one with how my instrument performed. It is most important to then work on the correct setup. In another thread, I've already recommended the Backun Vocalise mouthpieces, as they're optimized for synthetic reeds, which I appreciate a lot on eb for their controlled response and flexibility.
Then there's alternative fingerings... I found some extreme differences between instruments (and the noblet or bundy eefers didn't perform favorably in that regard, imho). You can email me if you get the Thomann, for the most notes I've got it figured. They differ from what's suggested in the Hadcock book.
Best regards
Christian
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Author: gwie
Date: 2026-04-27 04:54
I have an RZ student model that I bought from Thomann Music that is a pretty decent player for the price. Intonation is not as good as the Buffet RC Prestige I used to play, or the Yamaha 881 that I picked out for a student some years ago, but it is a fraction of the price. I had to get the springs adjusted because the tensions were way too high out of the box, but other than that it has been quite reliable.
I'm also eager to try out the new "Balance" series Eb ($795) from Ryan Pereira:
https://www.pereira3d.com/product-page/pereira-custom-balance-series-eb-clarinets
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Author: Micke Isotalo ★2017
Date: 2026-04-29 11:57
Christian, which Vocalise are you using - the G or H? Which reed and strength?
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Author: Kalashnikirby
Date: 2026-04-29 19:26
I'm using the 3.75 Légere eb european cut on the Vocalise G model. Softer reeds work at the expense of stability (in the upper range), a 4.0 is already way too hard for me at least. 3.75 is also what Backun recommends.
I should add that closed facings -at least for me - produce much more predictable results on eefers. This particular combination saved me from a lot of squeaking and still had enough room for dynamics and vibrato.
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Author: ruben
Date: 2026-04-29 23:00
Kalashnkirby: May I ask what you-and others on this thread- use your e-flat clarinet for? I haven't played in orchestras since before the COVID lockdowns, and playing e-flat clarinet would give me some orchestral opportunities.
rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2026-04-30 09:45
>> May I ask what you-and others on this thread- use your e-flat clarinet for? <<
I used mine to start learning clarinet, I was too small for a Bb clarinet so I started with an Eb.
In the next 30 or so years since then, I've used it a few times for new music that had an Eb part, or when a local orchestra borrowed it for classical music that had an Eb part.
I wouldn't mind going through the rest of my life without playing it. I don't have anything against it, I just don't particularly like playing it compared with bass and Bb.
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Author: ruben
Date: 2026-04-30 09:57
clarinetbass: the e-flat parts never seem to be very long: just a few bars. -mercifully short?
rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com
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Author: Kalashnikirby
Date: 2026-04-30 11:40
ruben, I also use it only occasionally, but the program of a recent symphonic band project was really cool and I got to play that solo from On The Town, "Times Square (Ballet)",
among other fun stuff.
Peter Hadcock's orchestral studies for eb clarinet more or less lists all the relevant solos in classical literature. There are some other really cool parts, for example the first bars in "Winds of Nagual" for symphonic band. But it's always the highest grades were stuff gets interesting. Grade 3-5 is often a mere doubling of the 1st clarinet, if an eb cl. part is written at all.
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Author: ruben
Date: 2026-04-30 12:31
Kalash: Somebody also mentioned its use in clarinet quartets. A friend said it could be made amusing use of in Klezmer for a few bars.
rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com
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Author: prigault
Date: 2026-04-30 16:39
> Somebody also mentioned its use in clarinet quartets.
> A friend said it could be made amusing use of in Klezmer for a few bars.
I make my own arrangements for my clarinet quartet, so I am not limited by the literature but only by my own (bad) taste.
I am interested in whole parts, not small excerpts of a few bars, and as I play first clarinet in my quartet and absolutely love the sound of a Bb/A clarinet in all registers, the Eb must really bring something acoustically to warrant a part. Most of my scores (about 50 so far across genres) are therefore written for three Bb and a bass, but I find the Eb can be featured in baroque (intonation being the real challenge there), eastern europe (Bartok, folk, kletzmer), dance and modern music.
This arrangement by Les bons becs is a good example of putting an Eb in good use in a quartet IMO:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsCBgdRoLZM
In band scores, Eb parts are not rare (unlike in a regular orchestra), but they are often simply transcribed as a cut-paste of a high voice, without much consideration of its acoustic characteristics and limiting it to the high register (likewise, most band scores for bass do not even touch the instrument's register key, but at least they often consider the timbre of the instrument).
In addition, the fact that the Eb interventions are (for good reasons) sparse in many pieces add to the difficulty of playing it well, because you have to deal with temperature and reed readiness changes, which add to the already challenging intonation and blending (or contrasting) with the ensemble you play with.
There is the occasional well written Eb part, like this one I played this year (an will play again in a few weeks), with a an interesting and exposed Eb part for a full 45 seconds (at 5:10):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_oiSvt0gW0&t=308s
I would say I use my Eb for one piece on average in each band concert.
As I play first/solo clarinet in my band, when there are small Eb parts excerpts that have to be played, I most often add them to my part and play them on the Bb.
> I wouldn't mind going through the rest of my life without playing it.
> I don't have anything against it,
> I just don't particularly like playing it compared with bass and Bb.
I could say the same, but I have a cure for this: whenever I hear the Molter concertos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDAUpFZFSXM
or this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR21aOMtLp0
or this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpqVYvPIv1s
I immediately feel the urge to grab my Eb.
Post Edited (2026-04-30 17:22)
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Author: lmliberson
Date: 2026-04-30 18:02
There are plenty of terrific Eb parts written - they just happen to be part of the orchestral repertoire. (I haven't played in a concert band in over fifty years...).
There are also a number of decent clarinet trios and quartets with meaningful Eb parts.
Also, just for clarification, the Molter Concerti are written for clarinet in D.
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Author: OpusII
Date: 2026-05-01 01:47
As several musicians have already pointed out, a Leblanc LL or a Noblet is an excellent choice. These E-flat clarinets are known for their rich, focused tone and reliable intonation, which is both stable and easy to adjust when needed.
By experimenting with barrels and bells from other manufacturers, you can refine and personalize the instrument’s voice to match your own musical preferences.
Personally, I play on a setup consisting of a Leblanc LL paired with a Backun tulipwood barrel and a Backun bell, combined with a Backun Vocalise G mouthpiece. This configuration has consistently delivered outstanding results for me and has earned me compliments on multiple occasions.
The Vocalise G mouthpiece, in particular, has taken the intonation to an even higher level. It provides a strong sense of security and stability while playing. I specifically selected this mouthpiece with intonation as my top priority, even though the sound was not ideal at first. However, as is often the case, you adapt your playing style over time. As a result, I now enjoy the benefits of excellent intonation while still achieving the personal sound I was aiming for.
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Author: GoatTnder
Date: 2026-05-01 02:26
Hey OpusII - I've got a Noblet Artist Eb and want to replace the barrel. I tried out a friend's Backun and it was super wobbly. That could easily be fixed by cork. But do you find the bore is similar enough in size?
Andres Cabrera
West Coast Wind Symphony
https://WestCoastWindSymphony.com
sbwe@sbmusic.org
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Author: Ebclarinet1
Date: 2026-05-01 03:23
I just witnessed an amazing transformation of a friend's Bundy Eb clarinet recently. It sounded pretty crappy when he brought it in to play. He had avoided playing it because it was so bad!
I had been collecting mouthpieces and barrels for years so I told him to go through these and try different mouthpieces and barrels to see if he could improve the horn.
It was like a miracle! The horn plays in tune and has a much better sound. We have been doing duets since!
Eefer guy
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Author: OpusII
Date: 2026-05-01 09:39
I’ve had good experiences with the Backun, the clarinet bore is quite similar. I do notice some wobbling, but this can be corrected with cork.
During testing, you can also temporarily reduce the movement using rolling papers. I also use both an internal and external tuning ring to ensure a precise fit with the wood.
I would also very much like to test the PS Zoom barrel, but despite several direct contacts, I still haven’t been able to obtain one.
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Author: Ursa
Date: 2026-05-01 19:51
If considering a Noblet E-flat, note that there is a Normandy E-flat sharing the same acoustic design.
Some years ago, my technician team sold me a vintage Martin Freres Model 1 E-flat. Thanks to their meticulous setup, It's a superb instrument. Intonation, tone, ergonomics, and response have far exceeded my expectations. I play mine with a Vandoren 5RV mouthpiece and Buffet 42mm barrel.
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Author: Erez Katz
Date: 2026-05-02 23:26
I have a Bundy eefer and I am pretty happy with it.
My orchestra is doing Mahler's 2nd and I am covering the 1st Eb part so I got to spend more time than ever with it. It is not a trivial part to play.
I felt I was struggling with the part or instrument but my technician told me that it's a good design (he once heard it was based on the selmer bore) and worth getting it to high standard of repair.
While it was being overhauled I borrowed a friend's Leblanc.
When I got it back, indeed the issues I faced were mostly due to leaky pads.
Comparing these two specific horns:
That Leblanc was brighter sounding and more free-blowing.
That Bundy was darker and more resistant, which is fine with me.
Intonation was better with that Bundy - no complaints in that department. That Leblanc was not bad but the Bundy more consistent.
For my large hands, the Bundy felt a little less cramped.
I used the word "That" to emphasize what is said is about a specific copy of an instrument and does not always generalize the entire model.
As mentioned above, a good mouthpiece is absolutely essential here. I recently switched to a Vandoren BD5 and it works very well for me.
As a coincidence, the player covering the 2nd Eb part also plays on a Bundy and she sounds great and we are well and easily in tune with ourselves and the rest of the high woodwind. She is pretty happy with the Vandoren M30.
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The Clarinet Pages
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