Author: claritoot26
Date: 2007-02-26 14:06
Dear Columbus,
A great location for you to start would Vince Marinelli's in Wilmington, DE. He has a great selection of mouthpieces, clarinets, and all accessories. He mainly has Buffet clarinets and Vandoren mouthpieces, but carries a full stock of all models in those brands. He's also a very friendly and knowledgable person with good advice. I don't know where Blackwood, NJ is, but Wilmington was a good day trip for me from Laurel, MD. In fact, I just went there last Friday and bought a brand new Buffet R13 Prestige clarinet which I love.
My advice to you is to start by upgrading your mouthpiece very soon. Changing too much equipment in one day can be confusing. Also, it's important that you bring a knowledgable teacher with you to listen as you try things (especially clarinets, since they're soooo expensive!). Make sure you try a bunch, don't limit your selection too much. It can be very confusing, especially for a young person, to choose from a wide selection. I'm very glad I had a friend from the Naval Academy Band with me to help with my clarinet selection, because I would have been quite overwhelmed without her.
If you go to Vince's shop, the minimum model of clarinet there that I would recommend for a college music major would be the Buffet R13. He had a couple of very nice ones in both silver and nickel plated keys, but you have to try LOTS of them. And if you buy one, make sure you follow the break-in procedure he recommends and buy a cello Damp-it to avoid cracks. Silverplated runs $2495, nickel plated will be a little less. The model of Buffet I bought will go up by $900 next year due to price-fixing by the Buffet company, so you might want to purchase sooner than later, if you have the budget.
For mouthpieces, I like the M13, M13 Lyre, and M14. But, I have also heard good things about the M15, M30, 5RV Lyre. Don't care much for the B45. And, the Vandorens are fairly inexpensive as far as mouthpieces go. It's a good brand to start with.
Of course, there are many many other brands of clarinets and mouthpieces. You mentioned 3 brands of clarinet, but don't forget Yamaha. I just mentioned Buffet and Vandoren because that's what Vince carries, and I mention him because of your location in NJ. If you live closer to New York, there may be some nice shops up there that carry the other brands. Again, you should have a knowledgable professional with you (especially for the clarinet purchase), and go for the mouthpiece first.
When you go for the clarinet purchase, make sure you are playing on a good mouthpiece with a good reed to eliminate other variables in the sound.
Good luck!
Lori
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