Author: Chris P
Date: 2023-11-10 02:51
I've currently got an Odyssey Premiere low C bass in for a full service as I let the owner of it try my Rosedale bass the other week and she couldn't believe how much easier it was to play compared to hers which hasn't had any proper setting up or anything from the day she bought it. The only reason I had her play it was one of the clarinet players wanted to buy it off me, so I took the opportunity for her to put it through its paces for him. He bought it, so all's good. Now the owner of the Odyssey bass wants it to play as easily as my Rosedale.
Turns out while they are both very similar basses in their design (both based on the Yamaha YCL-622II bass), the less costly Rosedale is definitely far better built than the more expensive Odyssey. Even before I've taken it apart, I've had to sort out the barely operational automatic speaker mechanism which has the spring tension cranked right up on the long linkage rod so throat A and RH3 are ridiculously heavy to use. The thumb low D key and consequently the LH low D lever are also heavily sprung in order they will return due to the excessive friction from using natural cork on the sliding linkages.
If you compare the two basses, the differences are subtle and only apparent when you see them. Now I've always had a problem with the cost of Odyssey instruments when the same ones (or near identical ones) are being sold for much less. In the case of these two Chinese low C basses, the Rosedale is definitely the better quality one compared to the more costly Odyssey, even if it does need a full service from the word go.
Rosedale (£1499.99): https://www.gear4music.com/Woodwind-Brass-Strings/Rosedale-Bass-Clarinet-by-Gear4music/RW0
Odyssey Premiere (£1999.00): https://www.gear4music.com/Woodwind-Brass-Strings/Odyssey-Premiere-Bb-Bass-Clarinet/1UIX
What any player with the view to buying any Chinese instrument has to bear in mind, regardless of the price, is to factor in the extra expense of a full service to be sure it's all fully functional as they rarely are if not sold through a woodwind specialist (and even some specialists don't service them before sale).
What's the term for two unrelated animal species in different parts of the world evolving in such a way they're almost identical to each other in both appearance and behaviour as well as in the role they both fulfil? Well, that's what these two basses seem to be like - both may seem the same on the surface and perform the same task, but up close there's loads of differences.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2023-11-10 02:56)
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The Clarinet BBoard
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