 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: William
Date: 2002-02-11 14:04
Just looking for some brief feed back--hoping to hear mainly from the pros in NYC and Chicago, but everyone is welcome to contribute: which brand and model of bass clarinet do you use? I have heard lots of opinions--ex, Selmer model 33 is the best, LeBlanc, Buffet, low C, Eb--just would like to hear what you use and where you play--no long explanations needed. Thanks, and Good Clarineting!!!!!!!
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Author: Jamie Talbot
Date: 2002-02-11 15:17
I,m a freelance doubler playing saxes clarinet,bass clarinet and flute in London UK.My bass is a Buffet RC Prestige to low C.The thing that I like about this instrument is the fact that all of the tone holes are on the body
where on the Selmer,the low C is on the bell.Maybe this improves the quality of the low notes?
At the moment I,m doing studio work(films,tv jingles ect) and and a West End show-Kiss Me Kate.
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Author: Robert Small
Date: 2002-02-11 17:25
Selmer model 37 (low C). Buttery action. Good response throughout entire range. Good volume and power. My mouthpiece set-up: Charles Bay mouthpiece (.100" tip opening) with a Powertone stick-on baffle and a tenor sax Fibracell reed (medium strength). This is a strong free-blowing set-up but is probably better suited for jazz than classical. I don't think you could go wrong with the 37.
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Author: James
Date: 2002-02-11 17:38
Years before the popular bass clarinets to get were the selmer bass clarinets they are still great horns. In that last ten years though buffet has been working on producing bass clarinets of a higher quality and they have. The Buffet Prestige model is what we have gotten. Pretty much anything made in the last year is considered the best horns. Now with these horns on the market there is really no debate on which horns are the best. It's simple buffet prestige. See for youself, but i know for a fact that almost every major chicago pro clarinetist uses a buffet prestige bass.
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Author: Robert Small
Date: 2002-02-11 19:02
I know some experienced players who have recently tried the Selmers and Buffets back to back and prefer the Selmers. So apparently there's still some debate. I myself have compared the Buffets and Selmers (a couple of years ago) and ended up getting the Selmer. But I'm more of a jazz player than classical and I suspect that if it were the other way around I would have gone with the Buffet. But claiming that one or the other is "the best" is an exercize in futility. When you get to the level of these instruments personal taste (or maybe taste imposed by a conductor or peer pressure) is the deciding factor.
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Author: Don Poulsen
Date: 2002-02-11 19:33
From a strict amateur 3 1/2 hr SE of Chicago -- I play a Buffet Prestige (low C).
I can understand your being primarily interested in the opinions of pros, but why only those in NYC & Chicago?
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Author: HAT
Date: 2002-02-11 19:58
Here in NYC it's basically a toss between the new Selmers and Buffets. I play a Selmer 37 which I think is fabulous. However, I have played some very good Buffet bass clarinets lately.
The Buffet is cheaper.
They are very different from each other, but neither is a clear winner.
Incidentally, I am speaking about low c models, because I can't imagine why anyone would buy a low eflat bass clarinet.
IN MY OPINION, the Buffet is easier for the inexperienced bass clarinetist to play decently. It is also hard to fault the keywork, on which Buffet has done an incredible job.
This latest model is the only Buffet bass clarinet I have ever remotely liked, and it is certainly the only one I have ever recommended to anyone.
I have played other brands, but have tried nothing I would recommend to anyone at any price.
David Hattner, NYC
www.northbranchrecords.com
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2002-02-11 20:30
The general word is that the best bass clarinets were the ancient Selmers with manual register keys. Stephen Freeman in the New York Philharmonic plays one that he inherited from his predecessor, and everyone I know who's played it says it's in a class by itself. It goes only to Eb, but so what? (Obviously, he has a low C instrument, too, for when the music calls for it.) Charlie Ponte had one, and I've always kicked myself for not buying it.
Josef Horak plays a low C Selmer from the 1960s, which he says he prefers to any other.
I have played the current Selmers and Buffets, and I agree that it's a tossup between them.
The Selmer is physically lighter and has a light action and an easy response. For me, the sound doesn't have enough substance.
The newest model Buffet is a considerable improvement over earlier models. The sound is good and the response and key action are almost as good as the Selmer. The way to tell the new ones is that the upper register key on the neck has two levers that press on it, one on each side of the little plate on the bottom.
I play a Buffet (to low Eb) from the 1970s, which I prefer to any current instrument. I'm told that Ron Reuben in the Philadelphia Orchestra has one of these that he plays by preference when he doesn't need a low C. The key mechanism is not great, but the sound is.
The Yamaha is also worth a try. I believe Ed Palanker in Baltimore plays one.
I've never played a Leblanc I liked the sound of.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Aaron
Date: 2002-02-12 00:35
I am in the Kansas City area and many people here play Selmer 37's. However these are people who bought their horns 20, or 30 years agao. After talking t many of them, they have stated that the next bass they buy will be a Buffet LowC.
I personally have tried the Selmer and thought highly of it. HOWEVER I ended up buying a Buffet. Simply because i thought it was a better innstrument. It's sound was more clear and free. I felt it was simpllya better instrument. However It's going to be an eevr going debate between the Buffet and the Selmer.
If you want to spend the $6000 to buy a Selmer or the $5000 to buy a Buffet, and both instruments be basically the same, well I'd save 1000 bucks. The ultimate isn't all about money though.
I also played the older model of Buffet along with the newly designed buffet and really do reccomend the new instrument, The old design Buffet had many inherent peoblems due to it's design. The old model did not have the low c on the bell, where the new model does have the low c on the bell. After playing noth models I prefre the Low C ON the bell. The sound is so much clearer and focoused than the low C# and C of the old model Buffet. I do prefor the new models of the Buffet.
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Author: graham
Date: 2002-02-12 08:09
Strictly on the amateur side, I play a Chabot. I had been using (trying to!) a modern Selmer before i got the Chabot about 12 years ago. The C blew the S away. But I don't even know what decade it was made (20s, 30s, 40s?) because I have yet to encounter anyone who knows about this maker.
By the way, a professional player who was using a c. 20 year old Selmer sat next to me about a year ago and commented how good the Chabot sounded. Some degree of envy there.
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Author: David Spiegelthal
Date: 2002-02-12 14:38
I play a late-50's Kohlert (Winnenden, Germany) hard-rubber low-Eb bass because I can't afford a new Selmer 37 or Buffet 1193-2, which are the two instruments I'd be evaluating if I had the bucks. But I'm only a semi-pro player, not a full-time professional musician, so my needs are not as critical.
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Author: William
Date: 2002-02-12 15:02
Wow!!! Posting on my own post! Anyway, FYI--yesterday, I made a stop at IMS and played on an absolutely fabulous Buffet Prestigue bass clarinet (the only one they happened to have in stock). Not being an experianced BC player, I was able to tongue G#s and As (above the staff) with ease--something I can not do on my Bundy Reso. Also, I was able to play from the lowest C all the way up to the squeeky double high C, chromatically, each note speaking with ease. The sound was resonant in the normal registers and full in the extneded, each note even with the next and each and every note was "right on" with my tuning meter--about the same as my LeBlanc Concerto Bb. My mpc was a VanDoren B45 with a LeGere #4 reed. Am currently counting the pennies in my piggy bank as I would like to give this Bs cl a good home. (There may be an excellant Selmer S-80 soprano sax listed in the Classifieds soon, if Lisa at IMS will not trade) Thought some of you might be interested with my findings as I am in your postings. Thanks, all and Good Clarineting!!
PS--I also played a Buffet Prestgue D clarinet that had a great sound, but had serious intonation problems--cheaper though, than the bass.
And, I also bought a great Yamaha "lightweight" dbl clar case that seems to be just what all of us clarinetist are looking for. Adequate protection, store bells separtely from lower joint and plenty of room for "stuff" and concert size music. Shoulder carry included--seems perfect for airline carry-on also. I'll let you all know how it functions after a couple of weeks "in use." Good Clarineting (again!!!!!!)
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Author: HAT
Date: 2002-02-12 16:10
William,
You say you played a D clarinet with 'serious intonation problems.' Have you ever played a d clarinet before? If not, I suggest you are not qualified to say whether the instrument has any problems or not.
This is the kind of information that gets out there and causes problems.
Eflat and D clarinets don't just play in tune or out of tune. People play them in tune or out of tune.
Sorry to get off topic.
David Hattner, NYC
www.northbranchrecords.com
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Author: Robert Small
Date: 2002-02-12 21:40
You want out of tune? You should hear me play the violin.
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Author: William
Date: 2002-02-12 23:10
Hat: Thanks for your input on the bass clarinet--you are exactly the kind of player that I was hoping would repond and I appreciate your consul. On the matter of my qualifications in commenting on this particular D clarinet, as I am able to control the intonation pretty well on all other related instruments--A, Bb, C and Eb clarinets (which I own and play regularily in orchestras and bands) I think I should know when a D clarinet has serious tuning problems. But, perhaps I should have practiced the age old advice of saying nothing if I can't say something good. Did I mention that it had a nice sound and that it was cute? The intonation problems I noticed can be remedied (or made controlable) by fixing the barrel--it would not even go all the way on the upper joint as the tendon sleeve was too short to allow complete assembly making me suspicious that this barrel was not the original Prestigue issue--or just plain poor workmanship from the factory. I also noticed that the bore of the barrel was somewhat smaller than the bore of the upper joint. With a little tweeking, this little D clarinet could be a winner, but it is much too difficult to play in its present condition. OK??? Good Clarineting!!!!!
As I also said, the Prestigue bass clarinet was supurb--a real pleasure to play. I noticed that a few others have also good reports for these instruments. Thanks, everyone!!!!!!!!
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Author: Forest Aten
Date: 2002-02-14 00:26
I perform with a Selmer Model 37 in the Dallas Opera orchestra. It is a very fine clarinet.
In the past 3 years I have played numerous Buffet Bass clarinets and find them to be of equal quality....just different.
I've got to get the sound out of a pit and into a 3600 seat hall. The Selmer seems to do the job a bit better than the Buffet.
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