 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2011-05-13 16:17
If you had to recommend a plastic clarinet for a beginner (or for the parents for their kid) from one of the more popular established makes listed below (both new or used but perfectly playable), which will it be out of (in alphabetical order):
1 - Artley 17S/Armstrong 4000 series
2 - B&H Regent/Series 1-10/Rudall-Carte Graduate
3 - Buffet B12/Evette/B&H Regent II/Schreiber 6010
4 - Jupiter
5 - Selmer (USA) Bundy/Selmer (USA) 1400/Buescher Aristocrat/B&H "78"
6 - Vito Resotone/Martin/Holton/Wurlitzer (USA)
7 - Yamaha YCL 24/26II/250
And what order would you rank them?
(Forgot to list Jupiter but it's in there now)
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2011-05-14 09:49)
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Author: SteveG_CT
Date: 2011-05-13 16:47
Personally I'd rank them as follows:
1. Yamaha
2. Vito
3. B&H
4. Buffet
5. Bundy
6. Artley
I think the Yamaha student models are really tough to beat. I would recommend them to any student without hesitation. I'm also partial to the Vito's as I used one for my "outdoors clarinet" for a while. I'll probably have the B&H ranked higher than most but I've seen how good they can play after a proper overhaul. I've never been impressed with the B12 and I think the only reason they are popular is the "halo effect" from the Buffet brand. Bundy's are ok but finding a used one that hasn't been beat to hell can be challenging. I've never been impressed with any Artley clarinet I've played.
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Author: Barry Vincent
Date: 2011-05-13 18:12
Vito resotone
Yamaha YCL 250 or 24
Jupiter 631 mk 2
Schrieber 6010s
In no particular order, and the last two not being on the list but should be.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2011-05-13 19:14
The Schreiber was already on there (3) but I added the Jupiter while you were typing.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Ed
Date: 2011-05-13 19:18
I would definitely have the Yamaha at the top.
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Author: trebleclef
Date: 2011-05-13 20:27
I have a Jupiter 631 mk 2...and it is pretty good...I also rate Yamaha as a good manufacturer of instruments. Both Yamaha and Jupiter have very tight quality controls (iso 9001) The Schreiber 6010 is made in Germany and is also a very high quality instrument, with a specially designed valve system. I think if I were buying new I would definitively test the Schreiber..well priced too. The Boosey isnt made anymore. As for the others I they arnt that available in europe I dont think..so I cant say
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Author: Barry Vincent
Date: 2011-05-14 04:20
Ah yes Chris , I see it.
As my wife would say, I must have had a touch of domestic blindness
Skyfacer
Post Edited (2011-05-14 04:24)
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Author: Barry Vincent
Date: 2011-05-14 04:23
Trebleclef , when you say specially designed valve system , do you mean the sexy looking wrap around speaker key ?
Skyfacer
Post Edited (2011-05-14 04:23)
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2011-05-14 04:37
1 Yamaha
2 Vito
3 Jupiter
These 3 are in current production, and will be easy to get service as required.
4 Selmer Bundy, Buescher Aristocrat.
5 Boosey and Hawkes Regent, Edgware of Emperor.
5 Selmer Signet or Signature.
These are out of production, but are still freely available. A good one will serve well at a modest price. No problems with service.
There are numerous others out there, some excellent instruments, but probably not the ideal instrument for a beginner.
Tony F.
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Author: Tony M
Date: 2011-05-14 13:12
Reading the responses, the Yamaha and Vito seem to get the big vote. My back-up instrument is the Vito and it is nice to play. I like to say nice things about it when people get all cocky about wood.
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2011-05-14 16:36
If the plastic instrument is meant as a transient instrument (to be replaced by a "pro" - whatever that means - instrument some day), then one should also consider resale value, and here I think Yamaha and maybe Buffet win hands down.
On the other hand, if that isn't an issue, I'd probably go with the Vito. And if the Jupiter Sopranos are of a comparable quality as their basses, why not a Jupiter?
--
Ben
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Author: Leanne E.
Date: 2011-05-14 18:30
I'm a barrel scraper. I'd recommend talking to other parents and the band director to see if anyone in the area is looking to get rid of one. I may have been lucky to find my excellent quality Yamaha student clarinet that had just been overhauled, but hey, it's worth a shot! You can always say "never mind"!
That said:
Yamaha, Bundy/Selmer, Buffet, and the others in any order.
Yamahas are great instruments. Durable, great quality, affordable. Yamaha is the total package.
But I'm not exactly unimpressed by Selmer's Bundy line. They can be a little spottier model to model, in my experience, but a Bundy can really sound just like a decent Selmer with the right equipment.
Buffets are nice. I played one for a while. I wasn't really impressed, but it was definitely a great instrument. Just a little pricey.
And as for the others? I really don't care for Vito or Jupiter, but that's just me. I only have non-clarinet experience with Artley, and it left me with a similar feeling, the instrument might age poorly and really frustrate a young player.
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Author: Ursa
Date: 2011-05-14 21:28
My top vote goes to the Vito V-40. The refined tone, even response, accurate intonation, ergonomic key work, very good build quality, and sheer ruggedness make this my favorite. A V-40 in excellent condition will handily outperform many intermediate wooden clarinets.
In my experience, other Vito models don't tune as accurately as the V-40, and matching mouthpieces to them can be challenging. It's well worth investing the time and modest price premium to get a V-40.
Sadly, the V-40 has been out of production for some time now and can be difficult to find. I lucked out and found a gently-used example in a thrift store for US$100.
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Author: justme
Date: 2011-05-15 00:43
Leblanc Bliss LB320.
Get one with a serial # higher than JB500.
Just Me
"A critic is like a eunuch: he knows exactly how it ought to be done."
CLARINET, n.
An instrument of torture operated by a person with cotton in his ears. There are two instruments that are worse than a clarinet -- two clarinets
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2011-05-15 14:48
Selmer USA has apparently dropped the Reso Tone name, but a similar instrument is still made as the BCL-300 http://www.wwbw.com/Bundy-BCL-300-Clarinet-463680-i1412691.wwbw.
For a young beginner, the first requirement is durability. For that, the Bundy Reso Tone is in a class by itself. It takes a lickin' and keeps on playin' better than anything. With a decent mouthpiece and tight pads, it plays remarkably well. Yamaha and Vito may be a bit better, but a beginner will sound the same on any of them.
Also, Bundys are available for pennies at http://www.shopgoodwill.com/search/SearchKey.asp?itemTitle=clarinet&catid=0&sellerID=all&closed=no&minPrice=&maxPrice=&sortBy=itemEndTime&SortOrder=a&showthumbs=on. The only caveat is that in the 1950s, they switched from a flat spring to a needle spring for the throat A key. The needle spring is too short to be durable, so you need to avoid these.
Any auction clarinet will need regulation and new pads at a minimum. In the NYC area, I recommend Susan Eberenz, who's expert (formerly with Haynes) and inexpensive. She's at vintageflutes@aol.com, (917) 861-6234, (212) 302-5893. She usually has restored student clarinets available.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2011-05-15 15:08
Reso-tone was a Vito name - Selmer (USA) used 'Resonite' on their plastic instruments. But that's probably academic seeing as they're all part of the one company now.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2011-05-15 15:08)
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2011-05-15 19:41
Chris --
Oops. Brain cells dying fast. ![[whoa]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie10.gif)
But Selmer USA has still stopped calling their plastic Resonite.
Ken Shaw
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Author: leonardA
Date: 2011-05-16 03:49
I started with a Vito Resotone 3 and still use it for outdoors. It has a great tone and is easy to play. I was amazed what a full tone my teacher got out of it. Plenty of them on the auction site for not much.
Leonard
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