 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Ralph G
Date: 2002-08-27 18:28
For clarinets, Buffet is often held as the premiere maker (I know it's a matter of opinion -- don't mean to start a mafia war here). What about for other instruments? If I asked 10 violinists, trumpeters, etc., who made the best instruments, what might I hear?
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Author: javier garcia
Date: 2002-08-27 19:43
for oboes, Lorée, Rigoutat and Marigaux are considered the best makers. The three are from France.
For bassoons, Heckel in Biebrich, Germany is considered the best.
In both cases there are other very good makers. Laubin in USA is the finest oboe maker for instance.
For other winds instruments, I don't know
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Author: GBK
Date: 2002-08-27 20:06
If you think clarinetists have strong opinions as to which is the "best" manufacturer, just ask a flutist...GBK (who plays a Haynes)
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Author: Ralph G
Date: 2002-08-27 20:16
BTW, I'm not asking to stir up arguments. I truly don't know who's who among other instrument makers, especially violins.
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Author: Ralph G
Date: 2002-08-27 21:12
Well, yeah, but I meant current makers. Not every violinist who's serious is gonna have a million and change in their couch cushions to get one of those or a Guaneri.
Aw, heck, never mind -- let's close this thread up and help out nahya. Thing is: nahya hates it when people put colons after "is." :-)
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Author: Pam
Date: 2002-08-27 22:20
For flutes, Yamaha are widely respected. Haynes is top of the line in many people's opinions.
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Author: diz
Date: 2002-08-27 22:57
Ralph G - you make good point here. The Australian Chamber Orchestra (who appear regularly in Carnegie Hall) have a wonderful violin which was purchased by one of our Banks and then loaned permanently to the orchestra's leader (Richard Tognetti). Musicians, in general, are never able to afford to fork out millions for instruments and the benefits of banks' philanthropy is the often only answer.
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Author: Hank
Date: 2002-08-28 02:02
Hi,
For saxophones, Selmer has been the preferred for many years. I have a Mark VI tenor and alto and those are very sought after horns. However, if you can get your hands on saxes like a Martin, SML, Buescher 400, or King Super 20 from the 1950s in the right shape you really have something excellent. I've owned examples of most of these and while not quite up to the Mark VI level are very fine instruments.
Some of the Conn saxes of the same vintage are also very good. I did own a Yamaha YTS 64 (I think this was it) about 20 years ago and it was a beauty; huge sound. Sold it for a Mark VI though and have never looked back.
Regards,
Hank
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2002-08-28 15:16
For trumpets, the Bach Stradavarius model was the top for many years. These days, hand-made Monette trumpets seem to have the edge. They have no lacquer and so quickly turn dull. Also, they have heavy bracing, and, on his top models, have the mouthpiece integrated with the leadpipe. (Winton Marsalis plays one.)
Alexander has made some of the best French horns for many years, but again there are custom makers these days.
Miraphone and York tubas.
William Kincaid and many other top flutists played Powell flutes. Many makers trained by Haynes and Powell have started "boutique" flutemaking shops. Brannen is one of the top ones. At least some of James Galway's gold flutes were made by Flutemakers' Guild in Britain.
In France, Buffet (French model) bassoons are almost as dominant as their clarinets.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: kjr
Date: 2002-08-28 16:59
I would give my left leg for a Stradivarius violin! (i can't give arms or i wouldn't be able to play it:)
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Author: tim k
Date: 2002-08-28 19:06
As the clarinet world has its Buffet mafia, the sax world must deal with Selmer snobs. Hank's list of good saxes is accurate but very incomplete. Modern Selmers are good, and so are the pro lines by Yanagisawa, Keilwerth and Yamaha. Some good saxes were made in the 50s, but, depending on the model, great saxes were made in the 20's through 40's by Conn, Buescher, Martin and, of course, Selmer. There are excellent saxophonists who prefer some of these horns over Selmer MkVI.
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Author: Hank
Date: 2002-08-28 22:28
I guess I am just a Selmer sax snob. Wait until Tim K sees that I also play a Series 9 clarinet (I do have Buffet and LeBlancs as well).
Not having played a Keilworth or Yanagisawa I can't answer about them. However, since most of the players I have been associated with still use Selmers, it would seem that is still the preferred manufacturer. I have not tried the newest Selmers; they may be excellent saxes but do not seem to have the cachet of the vintage models.
Hank
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Author: tim k
Date: 2002-08-28 22:45
You know how we sax players are--"They just don't make 'em like they used to. Harumph!"
Tim K, who will admit to being entrusted with a 1936 Conn 10M, but is also very pleased with a new Yani tenor.
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Author: Mark Pinner
Date: 2002-08-29 02:24
Bassoons- Fox (I play a Renard Artist long Bore), Puchner, Moosman (including Kohlert which I also have,Polisi), Mollenhauer, Huller, Yamaha
Saxophones- Selmer (I have 3 mark VII's), Yanigasawa 991 and above, Yamaha 875, Keilwerth are popular, and vintage Conn's, buescher's and King's (not King SML)
Clarinets- Leblanc, Yamaha, Hammerschmidt, upper level Schreiber Oehlers, upper model Uebel's, Selmer,
Flutes- Muramatsu, Altus, Mateki, Primo Sankyo,
Oboes and Cors- Loree, Fox, Mariguax, Tom Sparkes, Rigoutat, Yamaha
Brass Band (cornets, tenor horns, baritones, flugelhorns, euphoniums, basses) Boosey ad Hawkes/Besson Sovereign
Euphonium- Wilson
Cornets- Benge, Selmer Paris, F. Besson, Bach
Trumpets- as above plus Calicchio
Trombones- Bach, King, Conn, Edwards, Selmer Paris
Tubas/Basses- As above plus a plethora of european makers such as the B&S group or anything out of Marknuekirchen.
Cymbals- Zildjian, Sabian, Paiste
French Horns- Alexander, Holton, Paxman
Plenty to choose from.
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2002-08-29 03:33
> Trumpets- as above plus Calicchio
And Kanstul. and ...
A number of trupeters I know lust after a Monette (the Raja and Raja Samadhi models especially). Not only do they sould good, they are incredibly cool looking.
And Dave Monette is an incredibly nice guy. He spent some time a years back answering a 12 year old's questions about trumpet mouthpieces. That kid is now 18, plays a relatively new Besson/Kanstul Meha and Selmer K-Modified from 1955. Still hasn't bouth anything from Dave, but will probably splurge soon on a Monette mouthpiece (which will set him back a few hundred bucks ...)
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