 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Carmelo
Date: 2011-05-17 13:40
Hello folks,
I just joined the forum and have been playing the clarinet off an on now for quite sometime. My question is regarding the material nowadays that goes into the contruction of the clarinet. What material would give a beginner the best sound and durablilty of the intrument. Sorry it this question seems wierd, but would like to get everyones input
1. ABS resin
2. Ebony wood compound
3. Ebonite
4. Hard Rubber
Thanks!!
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2011-05-17 14:17
Most entry level instruments are made from ABS resin which is injection moulded, though a lot of the Chinese imports you'll find on the market are made from ebonite (which is hard rubber) which is machined. Ebonite/hard rubber is more dense than ABS resin.
Ebony hasn't been used for clarinets for probably well over a century - most wooden clarinets are made from grenadilla which is part of the rosewood family.
Buffet Greenline instruments are made from pulverised grenadilla (mostly from the waste collected when turning and boring wooden joints) mixed with resin and other substances to make in effect reconstituted wood, but it doesn't have the same properties as natural wood has such as the tensile strength as there's no longer a grain patten, so it too is a composite - but this is only available on their pro level instruments (from the R13 upwards).
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: SteveG_CT
Date: 2011-05-17 14:20
To start with, ebonite and hard rubber are the same thing. I'm going to assume that the "ebony wood compound" you refer to is the mixture of resin and wood chips used to make Buffet's "greenline" instruments.
Instrument material can be a somewhat controversial subject. There are many people who steadfastly insist that only wood clarinets sound good. Others claim that it is the design of the bore and tone holes that determines the sound quality and that the body material has minimal impact. I tend to put myself in the latter group.
From a durability standpoint you would have to put wood at the bottom of the barrel as it can develop cracks much more easily than any of the other materials. I have had to deal with cracks on a few of my clarinets and while it's a problem that can generally be repaired without much difficulty it's something that I would rather not have to worry about.
I have no personal experience with the woodchip/resin clarinets but annecdotally I have heard that they are brittle and can break easily if bumped or dropped.
Hard rubber is very stable and is generally not prone to cracks. It was a more common material in the past and a lot of good instruments were made out of it. Today most hard rubber instruments come out of China and some are of dubious quality while others (like Ridenour's clarinets) are rather good.
Plastic is durable but it can be difficult to find a high quality instrument made from it. It might be better to divide platic into two categories. Most student clarinets are made from molded ABS plastic. Some high-end clarinets like those of Stephen Fox are made by machining rods of delrin.
As for what's best, my personal preference for a durable clarinet that would never crack and would still sound great would be either hard rubber or maybe machined delrin. I own a number of hard rubber instruments and have always found that they play just as well as their wood counterparts but I don't have to worry about them cracking. I'd like to try one of Stephen Fox's delrin clarinets but I doubt I'll have the spare cash to afford one any time soon.
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Author: Reedirect
Date: 2011-05-17 19:39
Hi stallion,
over the years I had a lot of hard rubber and wooden instruments in my hands. As Steve put it, hard rubber or ABS may be as good as wood from the material standpont while indeed some reports point to a susceptibility of resin/wood chip compounds to shocks.
Much more important than the particular material is the quality of the mechanical components, the pads, the regulation, the action. i.e. a thorough assembly with little play, tightly sealing pads, properly functioning springs, corks of correct height, etc.
Only few manufacturers produce good quality Ebonite or ABS clarinets (Yamaha actually produces a decent ABS clarinet: YCL-250).
A beginner is perhaps well adviced to buy a good quality intermediate level wood clarinet from the usual suspects such as Yamaha (YCL-450) or Buffet Crampon (E11). One of these will work for quite a while. A Jupiter 631 NW may work as well.
Best
Jo
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2011-05-17 21:02
The reason why most entry level clarinets are made from plastic is due to the fact it's not likely to crack if it isn't properly looked after.
Wooden instruments require more maintenance which is the owner's responsibility but that still doesn't prevent them from cracking which can happen to any wooden clarinet at any time.
So for a reliable and user-friendly clarinet, plastic or ebonite are the best materials in this respect.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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