 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: neil.clarinet
Date: 2011-05-11 12:35
This afternoon I walked into one of the town music shops looking for something else, and then was struck by an E11 clarinet in the cabinet obviously 2nd hand being sold for £275. I explained I am looking for a mid range instrument for a pupil who I think needs something better than the basic Jupiter she has had since day 1 and I tried the E11. It felt reasonable, but not convinced it is a vast improvement on the basic models, and obviously nothing like the R13 I have for myself. I suppose you get what you pay for, but would people recommend the E11 as an upgrade model, bearing in mind my pupil has no intention of being a professional or going to music college. We are doing things like Finzi Bagatelles, Lutoslawski, Tartini, grade 5-7 in UK terms (advanced intermediate is probably US term)
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Author: kdk
Date: 2011-05-11 13:08
If an R-13 or equivalent isn't in the range of possibilities, then yes.
Karl
neil.clarinet wrote:
> . . . would people
> recommend the E11 as an upgrade model, bearing in mind my pupil
> has no intention of being a professional or going to music
> college.
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Author: salzo
Date: 2011-05-11 14:29
I recently played a couple of the newere E11 made in france models- I think they are awful. I liked the older (wooden) germany E11s, but was not at all impressed with the new E11s
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Author: William
Date: 2011-05-11 14:34
Years ago, I bought my daughter a Buffet E11 which I selected from a five others that were in stock. It is a really good clarinet, very comparable to my R13's in tone and intonation. In that same lot, there were two that I would never have approved and two that I thought were "ok" but not as good as "the one" that simply stood out from the rest. Bottom line is that, like with all models and brands of clarinet, there are the "good, the bad and the ugly" and it is up to you to audition and pick the one that plays for you. Simply saying that an E11--or any other model--is good, based only on its name, is not possible. If the clarinet plays good, it is good--try before you buy.
BTW--I also have a Buffet E11 C clarinet that I use for orchestral gigs.
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Author: Barry Vincent
Date: 2011-05-11 17:52
The advantage of the modern plastic student Clarinets today such as the Jupiter 631 and the Schreiber 6010s is their high quality finish and intonation and they are consistent from one instrument to another.
Seeing that this is the standard for the 'Beginners' models then the 'Intermediate' models of the above examples would be excellent Clarinets as an upgrade for someone who is not going professional ect.
I myself use the above student Clarinets in my work playing at outdoor weddings and recitals at retirement villages ect. They are my 'knock-about instruments.
I match them up with a good quality mouthpiece and sometimes a ridenour barrel and get a full bodied sound out of them.
These plastic Clarinets have come a long way from what they were like 20 years or so ago. I hear that the Vito is also excellent.
Why waste time and money on a brand like Buffet which is inconsistant from one instrument to another not to mention the second grade wood that is being used on their lower end models these days.
Skyfacer
Post Edited (2011-05-11 19:18)
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2011-05-12 19:40
I am not a fan of the E11, never played one that I really liked. The E13 in my view is significantly better or even a Yamaha 34.
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Author: trebleclef
Date: 2011-05-13 10:14
I cant comment on how the E11 plays however I have heard and seen one an compared to my clarinet (an old noblet 45). The quality of the wood wasn't up to much. Btw. an R13 is double the price of an E11 so it should be better. However my tip would be to look for something second hand. I also have a new plastic Jupiter as a knock about instrument and to be honest..that too would take you to the top grades..a great instrument (for the price)
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Author: trebleclef
Date: 2011-05-13 13:49
Hi Barry you are absolutely right. My Jupiter 631 Mk 2 was only 99 pounds..and for that price it a) sounds good b) plays in tune c) play well ... would be even better with some quality pads. Keywork could be a little quieter though. But I swear when my teacher plays my Jupiter instead of his R13 I cant really tell the difference. An as we all know the player contributes to the sound the most.
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Author: Barry Vincent
Date: 2011-05-13 18:03
Yes Trebleclef, they are of much better quality than in the past. It would be good though if there were more makers using Ebonite (hard rubber) It seems that the only ones producing Clarinets of this material are in China.
Wood has two things going for it however. It looks good and it feels good to the touch. Plastic will always feel ,well, like plastic. But plastic Clarinets have nice shiny bores and are apparently being molded very accurately.
Also as in the Schreiber 6010s you can have silver plated keys. You can't have that type of plating on Ebonite though so nickle is used instead.
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Author: trebleclef
Date: 2011-05-13 19:54
yes I must admit a wood clarinet is something special. Because of the oil used by previous owner my Noblet even has a nice smell (no idea what was used). I play it everyday for a while and then meticulously clean it and put it back in the case. The Jupiter just gets played and then thrown into a corner..(she never complains - the clarinet that is)
I also have an old Boosey Regent. I have no idea what it is made of..Bakelite..it isn't (modern) plastic that is for sure. it also has a great tone..in answer though to the question of the thread starter 275 pounds isn't bad for an E11. But at the end of the day it is just a wooden B12 probably with very similar keywork.
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Author: stasou
Date: 2011-05-14 03:14
My opinion (and, from what I can tell, the general opinion) of Buffet is that the pro clarinets are the best around, but the beginner and intermediate models are not worth buying. Perhaps your student could try the LeBlanc Bliss or a Ridenour Lyrique.
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Author: Ralph Katz
Date: 2011-05-15 12:13
Lots of people are convinced they cannot play on anything but an R13, a rather brittle outlook on the art of clarinet playing. There is a definite need for instruments below £600, and is not realistic to expect them to play like £2000 instruments. But there are some that deliver value.
A student of mine has a German E11 which is a very acceptable instrument, enough so that I was looking for one as a spare.
Another option on this side fo the pond is Ridenour, which people either like or not, but there are some pretty good players using them.
Not everyone can afford a professional instrument. We have to work with players like this and try to keep them advancing.
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Author: clarinetist04
Date: 2011-05-15 20:03
Go try it. All the comments generalizing E11s from Germany, France, or the moon as bad or not worth the money are ridiculous - they're dumb comments. My E11 took me through college where I played in the wind symphony, subbed in one of the orchestras, and frankly, it did me quite well. There are good E11s out there. But you really need to go try it because there are horrible E11s out there just like there are horrible R13s out there. When I bought my R13 I tried about a dozen instruments and I remember at least three that were so bad I had trouble making certain notes sound. One was so awful that I thought it might be my setup so I took another instrument out, played a few notes to make sure it wasn't me, tried it again, and finally gave it back to the salesman and told him they needed to take a look at that horn or send it back to Buffet.
So go give it a whirl and let us know how it goes!
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Author: leonardA
Date: 2011-05-16 03:40
I am an adult beginner to intermediate player and my German E11 has always done fine by me. It is a great tone and the key action is comfortable. I think 275 is a great price if it's in good condition because they go for about 1,000 now.
Leonard
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Author: LarryBocaner ★2017
Date: 2011-05-16 14:06
I have no experience with the current French-made E-11's, but in my opinion the German-made ones are a terrific bargain -- a lot of clarinet for the money. Especially if the supplied 64.5mm barrel is replaced with a quality 66-67mm one. Improves the tuning and the tone quality amazingly.
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