 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: GBK
Date: 2002-05-16 06:38
Before I write a few words about the Amati ACL675 A clarinet (their top of the line professional model), I must preface this by stating that I have exclusively played and recommended Buffet clarinets for my entire professional career and I currently own 11 Buffets in various keys.
On a whim, and through the prodding of another bulletin board member (who also recently purchased an Amati clarinet - and who I hope will read this and post as well) I purchased an Amati ACL675 A clarinet with 20 keys/7 rings (including a low Eb key).
http://www.amati.cz/english/production/instruments/files/acl/acl_675g.htm
The clarinet has silver plated keys and the bore is 14.6mm
My overall impression of this instrument is extremely favorable. This is the "newer" line of the Amati instruments, and it seems to be a 100% improvement over the older Amati's which had some intonation and workmanship issues.
The wood is tightly grained, the key work solid and well thought out, and all aspects of the undercutting and bore are perfect. No chipping or splintering.
The tone is quite lovely. The A is very free blowing and does not exhibit an undertones or grunting on the G,A,B above the staff as A clarinets often do. The clarinet is pitched at A=442.
The most impressive aspect of the clarinet is the smoothness in the connection between scale wise notes. No notes stick out, or strike the ear as being out of character. The altissimo is especially effortless and its consecutive notes are well connected.
At this point, the only negative aspect of this instrument is the tuning of the altissimo register which is slightly high, therefore it will take some time to determine which are the favored alternate or standard fingerings to use. I suspect this will not be a major concern.
My point behind this "review" is to give the Amati a fair assessment, by someone who now owns one and plans on using it professionally as a viable alternative to my R-13's.
So much has been written about the "Big 4" (and rightly so). I feel that there is now a very strong "#5" in the clarinet world, which should be considered...GBK
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Author: GBK
Date: 2002-05-16 12:26
Mark...No, I am not sponsored by Amati. I have enough trouble just remembering how to spell Amati-Denak or Kraslice
However, if Mercedes Benz, Lear Jet, or Porsche asked for my help, I might consider it...GBK
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2002-05-16 15:00
GBK -
Once again, I'm with you, except that I'd prefer Lamborghini, Chateau Petrus and Rolls Royce. However, I'd accept Toyota, Gallo or Morris Mini (for parking in NYC).
Ken Shaw
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Author: William
Date: 2002-05-16 15:52
For navigating in NYC, I think I'd drive a Sherman tank. GBK, thanks for the review--that's the kind of "stuff" that makes this website so helpful. Next Amati I see, I'm taking "around the block for a spin." Good Clarineting!!!!
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Author: Vytas
Date: 2002-05-16 15:57
I’ve had some experience with two Amati clarinets. Both were brand new wooden instruments I’ve purchased in 1975. I really hated everything about the first one student level clarinet because it was not properly adjusted and had terrible intonation. The second, their top of the line Amati "Luxus", (not sure about spelling) was completely deferent story. I played that clarinet for 13 years until my graduation from Lithuanian Music Conservatory. Clarinet had descent tone and GOOD intonation....V
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Author: Bob
Date: 2002-05-16 19:08
I purchased an Amati about a year ago and continue to be impressed with it. I also own and play an R13 and a couple of E-11s. I purchased the Amati not long after "coming back" and was using a B45 mouthpiece at the time. After switching to a 5RVlyre and the Buffets (coincidently and concurrently) I preferred the Buffet horns. But last week I put the 5RVLyre on the Amati and now I have a hard time saying which horns I like best. I have no problem with Kraslice or any of the other Czech towns or words as I am familiar with them
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2002-05-16 20:10
I have highly favored Leblanc Clarinets for fifty years or so. When I recently resumed playing after much too long a break, I began a long and detailed search for an instrument that would suit me in every respect. After something like a year of reading, investigating, and playing, I decided a new professional-level Amati B-flat would serve my needs very well.
Please note that Amati Clarinets come in three flavors: model numbers 2XX student, 3XX intermediate, and 6XX Professional. I am not saying anything in favor of or against any instruments other than the 6XX, as the 6XX are the only ones I have played.
I was not interested in a full Boehm, but I was sufficiently tempted by the tiny extra cost (less than ten bucks) to get the added left pinkie thingie (™ Lelia Loban), the duplicate G#/D# key. If I don't like it in the long run, I'll make it go away. The model I bought is the ACL-602 II.
This clarinet is a real masterpiece of workmanship, and it plays as well as it looks. the wood is fine-grained and has a smooth polish, except for the bell, which is obviously not from the same billet as the rest of the instrument. By the way, GBK's comments and mine are almost parallel, with just a few insignificant dissimilar findings.
Intonation is excellent. I have yet to select a permanent mouthpiece for the instrument, and my exploration into the altissimo has not been great. So far, I have found nothing which would be in the least "uncorrectible." As GBK and I discovered, both instruments have a remarkable smoothness of tone characteristics in scales. Playing either chromatic or diatonic provides adjacent notes of similar character throughout the compass of either instrument.
Shortly after I bought my Amati, the ACL-675 (full Boehm, A pitch) became available at an attractive price, and I suggested to GBK that he consider it. I am not an orchestral player, thus an A clarinet would be of very limited use to me. Candidly, if I "prodded" GBK into buying that instrument (he now has 11 Buffets and one Amati?), I should go into politics. I would feel certain he thinks it's worth twice what he paid for it, in comparison with other Clarinets on the market.
In short, my instrument is a delight to play, and I am enjoying it greatly. I intend to continue.
Regards,
John
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Author: javier garcia
Date: 2002-05-17 13:12
It's a good knew that there are better clarinets around (and cheaper than the famous). I've borrowed an Amati 675, A clarinet, serial 107xxx and it is hard to play (with my B45 and my buffet barrel, the mp doesn't fit on the amati barrel). Many problems to play in pitch, specially on the throat register. not a bad instrument, but not to play a concert.
Fortunately things have changed and now there are more options!
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2002-05-17 17:00
The Amati barrel situation is certainly worthy of comment. I could easily expect the intonation to be awful with someone else's barrel. The 602 Bb insterument came with two barrels: one is 59.5 mm, the other is 60 mm. My ordinary Vandoren B45 fits well, as does any other MP I have lying around, but a longer barrel is not going to do the trick. Perhaps GBK will mention the barrel lengths supplied with his A Clarinet
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Author: GBK
Date: 2002-05-17 20:19
My standard Bb/A mouthpiece fit and performed just fine with the Amati ACL675 A clarinet. The traditional/standard Buffet barrel of 65mm or 66mm would undoubtedly cause the intonation to be horrendous, as the barrel supplied with the Amati A clarinet is (approximately) 60.5mm ...GBK
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Author: Kat
Date: 2002-05-17 23:50
Which retailers carry these things? I'm more interested in the Bb Full Boehmer...and curious to know how much they are. I saw one in a tiny music store in Prague last summer, but didn't have the money for it.
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Author: Bob
Date: 2002-05-18 13:28
For U.S. info re Amati clarinets try amati_strunal@msn.com
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Author: diz
Date: 2002-05-20 02:22
OMG! - GBK you moved out of your comfort zone - I AM impressed.
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Author: Barry Vincent
Date: 2011-03-08 17:37
I have two Amati Klaslice Clarinets , a Bb 605 ( serial # 304655) and an A 675 (serial # 201209) , both are full Boehms. I have never had any issues with these instruments. They are free blowing and the intonation is very good. In the past Amati had a bad reputation for poor quality of workmanship and unstable wood but that was back when Czechoslovakia was under Communist rule. They were force out in 1989. As my two Amatis are of good quality I assume that they were made sometime in the 1990s.
Both came with two barrels , the Bb has 60 & 62 mm and the A has 61 & 63.5mm. The wood is more grainer on the A.
I was regularly using the Bb up til recently when I got a Lyrique 576bc which has now replace the Amati.
Skyfacer
Post Edited (2011-03-08 22:39)
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Author: Alseg
Date: 2011-03-08 21:07
Interestingly, both the Amati "name brand" and the Forte C have shortish barrels. Must be a Czech thing.
To add to the above, Orsi/Wier, Chadash, Patricola (at least the Eb), Rossi, and Stephen Fox.
Former creator of CUSTOM CLARINET TUNING BARRELS by DR. ALLAN SEGAL
-Where the Sound Matters Most(tm)-
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2011-03-08 21:09
> Interestingly, both the Amati "name brand" and the Forte C have shortish barrels. Must be
> a Czech thing.
I'd say it's a long upper joint thing. :-)
FWIW my full-boehm Amati has a normal-sized barrel. Might be a commie thing ;-)
--
Ben
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Author: Alseg
Date: 2011-03-08 23:00
Must've caused a rush on those web site links, above, because now they are not working. Must be a long server line thing, eh tux?
Former creator of CUSTOM CLARINET TUNING BARRELS by DR. ALLAN SEGAL
-Where the Sound Matters Most(tm)-
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2011-03-08 23:33
Alseg wrote:
> Must've caused a rush on those web site links, above, because
> now they are not working. Must be a long server line thing, eh
> tux?
yeah, they might want to use that pipe cleaner trick with their tiny bit tubes as well. Or maybe it's time to repad the servers. :-)
--
Ben
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Author: 2cekce ★2017
Date: 2011-03-10 02:21
I purchased my amati 615 full boehm a few months ago just to play on something different, had a yamaha custom, buffet Eb and vito for marching
I fell in love with the amati and tone and ease of playing it are great,its very free blowing. It has been a great instrument and there wasnt a problem
with the extra keys as my yamaha had most of them anyway so was already used to using them. the Articulated G# comes in handy a lot since a lot of the music I read has 3 or more sharps. anyway I ve had great success with mine.
setup is amati615fb
vandoren M13 profile 88
Mitchell Lurie premiums 4 and 4.5
vandoren optima lig with 3 different plates
Ton Kooiman tr
p.s. got rid of the student Eb since I wasnt using it but kept the others
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Author: The_Clarinetist
Date: 2012-03-28 07:45
I recently registered on this webiste primarily to advice people not to get involved with these amati full boehm horns.
I bought the amati 615II after having read a lot of positive comments about it on this forum. There were no music store near me that had these in there assortment and because of the relatively low prie I figured I might as well order one without testing it beforehand.
I do not know if all full boehms are like the amati's but the 615 had a really unpleasent tone, suitable only to that unpleasent eastern european "music". The tones of the lower register sure were powerful and dark but in an aggresively vibrating way. The same was noticeable with the register key pressed. B1 and C2 above the throat tones were hard to produce due to high resistence, and no, my clarinet was not leaking, the resistance must have come from improper design of the bore. The fifth key for the right hand little finger provided no alternative for throat Bb as the tone was too high/low, can't remember, and required a considerable amount of air support to produce.
Not surprisingly, the supplied mouthpiece was absolute rubbish. The case was in a class of itself. It looked very old at the outside yet in an anachronistic way had a big red Amati badge on it. After undoing the buckles it was still not easy to open the case as the two halves of the case got stuck to each other like there were some kind of glue on them. If you closed the case gently and opened it directly again it was no problem because the half-sticky surfaces did not get time to "seal". Well on the inside it had this partition for papers seen on prestige cases of Buffet, however it looked as if it was made of black snake skinn. Barrels and bell were made of some wood or plastic material, it was hard to discern, and the lower and upper joints were made of an other kind of wood. The big Amati badges on all pieces were no feast for the eyes. The springs for some of the levers were to weak resulting in keys that would not rise immediately from tone holes after being released. The pad simply got stuck to the tone hole for a while.
The complex mechanism did make some rare manoveurs easier but at the expanse of a less stable key mechanism that needed to be precisely adjusted with the two adjustment screws. In addition, arpeggios and some scales were hard to play fast since the key mechanism could not keep the pace.
Don't get fooled by the number of levers, it is the easiness of playing and quality of sound that counts.
Post Edited (2012-03-28 15:33)
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Author: rtmyth
Date: 2012-03-28 13:40
About 15 years ago a colleague purchased an Amati and found it more to his liking than his Leblance Opus. Point of story left to you dear reader.
richard smith
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2012-03-28 17:45
FWIW I too have an elderly Full Boehm Amati (Bb, though), and it's a nice instrument with good tone and intonation - properly set-up, that is.
Every instrument shipped from afar might require a technician go over it - that's why brick-and-mortar stores often (but not always) are a bit more expensive than a mail-order box mover where you can't even be sure that you don't get an instrument that was x times rejected and sent back in the past.
(I don't mean to badmouth mail order shops, it's just that there is a certain risk involved in buying "sight unseen")
--
Ben
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Author: orbystander
Date: 2012-03-30 01:05
Isn't the euro about to go south against the dollar? Even so, a clarinet that satisfies GBK must be pretty good even at its current price!
Problem appears to be the opportunity to try out the clarinet you are going to buy. Hopefully US dealers will have a decent selection.
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