 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Jim Garrett
Date: 2000-05-16 21:17
My daughter is 13 1/2 and plays the schools Bass Clarinet which is plastic. I want to get her a wooden one for tone improvement. I know nothing about music. Can some one help by giving me some hints and clues to watch for and a price range.
Thanks,
Jim Garrett
Orlando, FL
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2000-05-16 23:29
Jim,
Bass clarinets are pretty expensive, even used. Why not offer to get the school's clarinet overhauled? If it's a reasonably good plastic bass you'd be hard pressed to find something better for less that 2 or 3 thousand dollars.
Most school clarinets are badly aligned and have leaking pads. An overhaul, plus a good mouthpiece, will make things much better and for much less money.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Don Poulsen
Date: 2000-05-17 13:30
I just ran across an old LeBlanc Paris pro-model wooden bass clarinet on Ebay (http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=334360254). The reason I mention it is that it is the same model and almost the same serial number of the bass clarinet I happily used for 25 years (until I treated myself to a top-the-line pro model last year). Mine has a pretty good sound, despite being about 45 years old. I cannot vouch for the condition of the one offered on Ebay, but beware that it may need an overhaul, which could run a couple of hundred dollars. From the fuzzy photograph, it does not look like it has been abused. At least the case is in a lot better shape than mine is. So, if you can get it for a price within your budget, it might be a good deal.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Gary Van Cott
Date: 2000-05-17 14:34
I have seen middle school kids handle bass clarinets and it was not a pretty sight (CRASH). You might want to wait until she is in high school. Is she serious about music? If she is you might be doing her a bigger favor by getting her a soprano clarinet and lessons on that.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Dave Spiegelthal
Date: 2000-05-17 14:39
Jim,
I'll repeat what I wrote a few posts below in response to another question about plastic bass clarinets, because it's relevant to your question:
Until recently I've been playing on a Vito plastic bass clarinet, which I had purchased new three years ago for about $900 (they're still about the same price from some of the bigger mail-order houses such as The Woodwind & The Brasswind, Frederic Weiner, etc.). The Yamaha plastic bass, as far as I know, is identical to the Vito. I'm a semi-pro bass clarinetist, and having owned a number of basses over the years (wood Noblet, a couple of wood Leblancs, and a wood Buffet) I find the Vito to be a very decent horn for a whole lot less money than the wooden instruments. Personally, I don't like the Selmer/Bundy plastic bass clarinets, but there are some who do. If you get a Vito, make sure it has the leather (kid) pads --- some versions have bladder (fishskin) pads like soprano clarinets, and these pads are not suitable for the larger instruments.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
