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Re: Student looking to upgrade, Please HELP!

Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2011-10-08 17:42

As a general principal, I don't like to see threads hijacked or participate in their hijacking (at least until they have exhausted their ability to satisfy the OP's request) so I will limit my comments to those that I think are relevant to Mackenzie, except to note that my general "rule of thumb" relates to age only and says nothing about design. My recommendation of "mainstream design" was directed specifically to Mackenzie (and others like her who have little experience with different designs and little experience and expertise in selecting clarinets and therefore have to rely to a greater extent on a seller's description and information and on chance to find a clarinet they'll be happy with. (Mackenzie, I apologize if I have your gender wrong. I'm going by the Ms... in your screen name and the fact that I've never known a guy with the first name Mackenzie. Please correct me if I'm wrong.)

Steve writes, "Older instruments can be less than ideal as they may not have intonation quite as good as newer models and it may be harder to find one in good condition." Exactly and this is why I recommend you exclude them from your search. The general consensus among serious players is that intonation is the most important factor in selecting a clarinet. (In fact, some will say it's the top 5 or 10 factors.) Saying that "it may be harder to find [an older clarinet] in good condition is equivalent to saying that the probability (frequency) of clarinets in good condition is lower among older clarinets than it is among new ones. Actually, in my experience, it is much lower. If you are looking for a needle in a haystack, doesn't it make sense to select the haystack that has the greatest number of needles to begin with -- especially if you aren't quite sure what a needle looks like.

In my experience, the probability that a clarinet will have serious problems and need major repairs is directly related to the age of the instrument. Certainly the predictive function could be improved by adding other variables but the dominant factor is, IMO, age. The older a clarinet, the greater time it has had to suffer abuse (sit in a damp attic or cellar or a closet where the humidity changes frequently, be played by a smoker, be dropped, have keys bent by someone trying to adjust for a slight leak or problem key). The older a clarinet, the more likely it will have had time to develop nagging little problems that aren't necessarily apparent to someone who isn't looking for them, e.g., keys that are slightly loose or chipped tone holes. No matter how good an old clarinet may look, you don't know where it's been or what it's gotten into. A good repair tech like Vytas can fix these problems. But make sure you have a good repair tech. An amateur hack can oil and polish a clarinet's wood and keys, slap on Valentino pads so they seal well, and put on new corks so that the clarinet looks like new and prehaps even plays decently for a time but, again in my experience, the older a clarinet, the greater the likelihood that it will not "hold" an overhaul for an appreciable period of time.

The other thing is, the older a clarinet, the older its technology. Right now, Mackenzie, you appear to know very little about clarinet technology. But if you keep playing, you will learn. Do you want to buy and, with repairs, spend several hundred dollars now for a clarinet you feel you've outgrown and need to replace in three years? Can you find an old clarinet that you will fall in love with and that will last you forever? Yes. But IMO the odds are that the newer the instrument you can buy, the greater is the likelihood that you will be happy with it for a long time to come -- particularly if you become a good player.

My reason for recommending a mainstream design to you, Mackenzie is simply that the design is "mainstream" for a reason -- it is the design preferred by most modern players because it works best for them. Odds are then that it will work best for you. Might you be happy with something completely different? Perhaps. But the odds going in favor a newer instrument of a design that most modern players prefer.

Here's what I recommend you focus on. I think you can be happy with any of these clarinets. I think you can grow with any of these instruments and won't find them a hindrance to your progress. They should take you through high school and, if your goal is to play in a college band or orchestra, should be more than adequate. I also think you could start just about any music program with them, though you would probably want to upgrade eventually if you find yourself in a strong performance program. I also think you have a reasonable chance of finding them, though some may prove to be outside your price range:

Buffet R13 made in 1990 or later (older is OK if in near-mint condition)

Yamaha CS, CX, CSV, SEV, 650. (I'm partial to Yamahas. I think they provide the best value for the dollar so, even though it goes outside my rule-of-thumb age range, I would consider a 72, 72CS or 82 if its in great condition.)

Leblanc Concerto, Concerto II, Opus, Opus II. (A Sonata can also take you a long way.)

Selmer: Series 10 or 10G (though this can take you outside my age range) or any professional Selmer clarinet made subsequent to the Series 10)

Mackenzie, you ask if $1,000 is a good price for a used Opus. I would say, yes, if it's in good condition. I see that the two Opus IIs that recently sold on eBay both brought $1,700. My recollection is that there really wasn't much change in design from the Opus to the Opus II.

As for my other recommendations. The Buffets are probably out of your price range. You might get lucky and find one for $1,100 - $1,200 if you are willing to be patient. It might take awhile for one to turn up.

You should be able to find one of the Yamahas near or below your price limit. Several years ago, in two separate purchases, I bought a pair (Bb and A) of Yamaha CSs for a total of $1,200 on eBay. Both were in excellent condition.)

The ConcertoII and OpusII models appear to be outside your range. Though I think the recent prices may have been a little high for eBay. Neither appears to have been a traditional auction. The older models should be pretty close to your range. If you have a line on an Opus in good condition for $1,000, I would recommend you give it a very good look.

I see Selmer Series 10 and 10G clarinets selling on eBay mostly in the $500-600 range. These tend to be 30 years old and older -- outside my age range but I think this is the earliest model you are likely to be happy with and I think you may have a hard time finding a Signature (or Recital) within your price range.

BTW (I forgot to mention this), if you have a teacher, absolutely get him/her involved in your decision. Not only for the reasons rmk54 noted but also because teachers sometimes know of good instruments that are for sale.

Best regards,
jnk

Steve, your experience with the Edgware is quite different from mine. I reconditioned one for our secretary who had inherited it from her dad. IMO, it was a piece of junk -- flimsy keys, and a barrel and bell that appeared to be coated with some sort of plastic laminate. I don't have experience with higher end Boosey and Hawkes clarinets but I suspect that saying the one I worked on is similar to a professional model B&H is sort of like saying an E11 (or Evette) is similar to an R13 -- only less so. Again, IMO, there is a very good reason Edgwares bring less than $100 on eBay and it isn't buyer ignorance.

Post Edited (2011-10-08 17:50)

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