Author: Nessie1
Date: 2010-06-01 13:04
Forgive me if I've mentioned this before, but I may be one of the few users of this board who has always played B&H instruments. I started on a Regent, first a school one and then a secondhand one which we found through the small ads in the local paper. Personnally I still think that the secondhand Regents which can still sometimes be found, if in good condition, are better than some of the more recent student instruments.
Then I moved on to a pair of Emperors. Personnally I would not say that these were professional level instruments - more of an intermediate or upgrade level. They were very wild intonation-wise but at least they were wood and at least I had a pair. In fact they were so sharp a lot of the time that I had a tuning ring fitted in one of the barrels so that, in effect, I was permanently pulled out. These saw me through about 8 years into adulthood and past grade 8.
For the last 20 odd years I have played on a pair of fairly elderly 1010s which I got secondhand (again) via my teacher at the time. I am happy with the sound I make on them (when I am playing at or near my best!) and I believe that such intonation problems as there may be I have got some way towards learning to cope with as you have to with any instrument. My repairer was saying only last week that they were nice instruments.
However, my comments are, FWIW, that I would second the comment that, beyond a certain point, instruments do not play in tune, players do! In particular, with the greatest of respect, we all need to use the instruments we all have like the oral cavity, air speed and our ears!
Secondly, if you are going to believe blindly that any instrument of any particular make (which shall be nameless) must automatically be better than any instrument not of that make, you could be missing some great options so that's your loss. As I am on record as saying in other thread on this board, when I can afford to upgrade, l have every intention of trying a lot of different brands and models and I'm open minded about what to get. I will admit that I heard a friend doing a university assessment recital last week on Toscas and I thought that she sounded fabulous, especially towards the bottom of the range, but that was her on one particular pair and I might not feel the same about what I am offered, played by me, at a later date.
To sum up, if anyone out there is looking for the holy grail of clarinet set ups which will automatically make them the most wonderful player in the world just by putting their hands in their pockets (oops, that's a slightly odd metaphor but you know what I mean), prepare to be disappointed. Reasonable equipment helps, aptitude is important but the vast majority of what good playing takes is hard work.
Happy playing though!
Vanessa.
|
|
The Clarinet BBoard
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
