 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: super20bu6
Date: 2011-05-01 12:14
Looking for advice on buying a bass clarinet. This will primarily be used for pit orchestras so not my primary instrument. I'm trying out an old Guy Humphrey's Bass right now...but it's "stuffy". Supposedly, it was recently repadded. It has an unmarked/unreadable mouthpiece and I've been using a 2 1/2 Rico Reed to test it out. Could the "stuffy" sound be just the mouthpiece??? Or could it be the bass itself. I'd prefer a 2 piece bass clarinet, just for portablility.....and don't even know if there's a Resotone/composite Bass that is a 5 piece. I'm not looking for a professional level bass clarinet...just something that I can use for pit work as a doubler.
Thanks for your time!
Mark
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2011-05-01 13:24
FWIW the Jupiter 675 and the Yamaha 221 are 5-piece models. Jupiters are copies of the Leblanc Vito 7166 and 7168 models, respectively, or the Yamaha YCL-220 (predecessor of today's 221).
I wouldn't chose my instrument by physical shape alone - my Artley/Bundy bass is a one-piecer but the tone is very good.
If it were for pit work in an amateur/semipro setting, I'd probably choose the Yamaha 221 II - five-piece composite body, silverplated keywork (optional), and good reviews all over. Its resale value would be a fair bit higher than with "lesser" brands - something that might (or might not) be important for you.
And then there are the Ridenour models to consider...what's your budget, by the way?
Per your current equipment - see if you can find a bass player and get a second opinion about how it plays, maybe it's indeed just the mouthpiece and/or reed, or your embouchure... ?
--
Ben
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Author: CuriousClarinet
Date: 2011-05-03 21:19
Well, I'm not saying I'm an expert on bass clarinets but I have played a few different models. I haven't ever used the older bass clarinet you mentioned, but my school owns some rather ancient bass clarinets, and they all sounded rather stuffy to me. I own a plastic Selmer 1430 (a one piece body) and although I agree the case size is rather awkward, it seems to do its job okay. However, mine is almost never in tune, I can tune one note just to learn that the note a half a step up is very sharp. I played a Yamaha YCL-221 once but can't remember much about it. I didn't remember being amazed by it.. However, later at an honor band I attended there were two bass clarinetists who had Yamaha YCL-221's. I was surprised they were actually in tune, because mine and the plastic bass clarinets my school owns are not consistently in tune. I like the two piece bodies, so if I could go back and redo my purchase, I think I would have picked the Yamaha. =P
Tictactux has a good point, though.. You may want to find another bass clarinetist and get their opinion. It is much easier to give advice about these things if you can play the actual instrument being questioned.
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Author: Red Chair
Date: 2011-05-03 21:35
I wouldn't discount the Amati models. Good sound, well made and based heavily on the Selmer models. The low E flat horn in particular is very impressive for the money.
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Author: super20bu6
Date: 2011-05-04 10:36
Ben - my budget is whatever I can get for another instrument I'm selling. Hoping to keep the cost below 2 grand. I haven't done much investigating...and didn't know the Yamaha was a 5 piece until you mentioned that in your email. Still just looking around...not going to buy until I sell my other instrument. I don't think it's my embouchure causing the "stuffiness" as I recently got an Eb Contra Alto on which I sound pretty good...and it's in tune. This Guy Humphrey's Bass is pretty much in tune...I just want to "open up" the sound some more. NOT a big selection of mouthpieces or other basses around here to try out.....and I'll be in Boston this weekend. I plan on hitting a store and seeing what they have..both mouthpieces and instruments.
While I've thought about the 1 piece body...the thought of trying to manuever that case along with a Bari Sax or Contra Alto is slightly daunting.
And yes, I'll have another bass clarinetist try out this Guy Humphrey's with their mouthpiece. That'll prove whether or not it's my mouthpiece. After taking the contacts out and getting VERY close to the mouthpiece, I was able to see that it's a "Selmer 4".....no indication of the tip opening..and a quick internet search when I had a minute didn't reveal any information about the mouthpiece dimensions. I'll probably try to find a Vandoren B45 to see if that works.
Thanks to all for the input!
Mark
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Author: CuriousClarinet
Date: 2011-05-04 23:36
Well, good luck finding a bass clarinet that works for you! I have the same issue with music stores not having a very good selection of bass clarinet stuff. They give you a choice between two mouthpieces, both of which look like they have been gathering dust for the past three years... and if you're lucky they might have a used student bass clarinet that's been on a rental plan for a few months. They usually return in pretty awful condition, though, so I'm not sure "lucky" is a good word to use in that sentence. =P
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2011-05-05 04:16
I consider the case a significant issue. I wouldn't like that long case for a one piece bass clarinet. The Yamaha case, if I remember, is pretty nice and small. I think for this price I would get the Yamaha 221 (not the 220 which is a Vito) if I bought a new one. It seems hard to find these used but if you do it should be cheaper anyway.
For around the same price you might be able to find a used (older) Selmer Paris which could also be excellent.
As far as that stuffy old bass, some bass clarinets (especially older ones) can be stuffy because they just are... but it can also be because of their condition. Also definitely check if the issue is the mouthpiece and/or reed.
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2011-05-05 07:02
> I consider the case a significant issue. I wouldn't like that long case for a
> one piece bass clarinet. The Yamaha case, if I remember, is pretty nice and
> small.
Personally I find a one-piece Pro-Tec case to be easier to haul around than a (however compact) suitcase which often don't have a shoulder strap. And not having a shoulder strap means not being able to commute by motorbike.
--
Ben
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2011-05-05 09:40
>> Personally I find a one-piece Pro-Tec case to be easier to haul around than a (however compact) suitcase which often don't have a shoulder strap. And not having a shoulder strap means not being able to commute by motorbike. <<
I also prefer a case with a shoulder strap and preferably two to carry like a backpack. But most other student models don't come with a Protec case, they come with the worst option of a one-piece suitcase type case. You could always keep the body assembled and use a Protec (even some Selmer Paris models came this way), but you can also buy a different case for a two-piece body bass. Or you could get a case cover with a shoulder strap.
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2011-05-05 10:02
For som $130 the Pro-Tec bass case doesn't really blow the (student instrument) budget. It was my first investment after having seen what sorry state the original case was in.
Too bad they don't make them for five-piecers.
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Ben
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Author: jack
Date: 2011-05-06 05:05
Best advice I have anyway, is for sure - do not buy a mouthpiece until you try a Grabner, seriously. Secondly, my preference here would be a leather type ligature, something like a BG Super Revelation. Thirdly, by all means do try the Legere reed. Jmo.
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