 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: charidemus
Date: 2012-02-16 13:27
i need some quick advice regarding a clarinet purchase (common question i guess). so yeah I need a reasonable clarinet (anything better than my old chinese imported stick - a trusty but scratchy malfunctioning friend).
I've been looking at an intermediate buffet e11 on ebay for about 750. (online is my only option in my isolated town, and i'm comfortable with the ''risks'' online).
Would a quality second hand instrument be better? or in any case look for a deal in which the clari has been serviced before being sent? or would a cheaper yamaha intermediate do the trick? what's the best i could get from ebay in my situation..
And yes, 'money restrictions' are stupid when in the honest search for a
'good' instrument, but i myself can't really go higher than 800 dollars - and surely i can get something better than what i have.
thanks!
PS: I'm learning jazz mainly, and i really love the deep, unsmooth, resonating, bassy tone in the low register, yet a smooth roundish upper register. Haha ah guess talking about tone is absurd, tone is all a mouthpiece+reed matter, right?
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Author: MarlboroughMan
Date: 2012-02-16 13:52
"I'm learning jazz mainly, and i really love the deep, unsmooth, resonating, bassy tone in the low register, yet a smooth roundish upper register."
I recommend getting an old, large bore Selmer or Leblanc if you want the "fat bottom"and "high glossy" thing. You might get a pretty good one used for your price range.
If you can't get one of those, the only other model I've played than can approximate the type of sound is the Selmer 10S, which, with the right set-up, can sound pretty fat and glossy.
Eric
******************************
The Jazz Clarinet
http://thejazzclarinet.blogspot.com/
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Author: SteveG_CT
Date: 2012-02-16 13:58
You can often get a better value by buying a used professional clarinet instead of a used intermediate one. However, if you have no opportunity to play test before buying you may be better off getting a new instrument as you will usually have the ability to return it if you end up not liking the way it plays. You may want to check with some repair technicians and see if they have any used instruments for sale. I have found that techs will often allow you to return an instrument bought from them if you don't like it.
What are you playing on right now? You may be better served by waiting until you can afford to spend more as your options for new instruments will be really limitted with an $800 budget.
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Author: Ursa
Date: 2012-02-16 20:28
What Eric and Steve said...
...in the meantime, you could get an inexpensive, large-bore clarinet off of an Internet auction site to tide you over while you save up for something truly special. Selmer's Signet Special and the Boosey & Hawkes Edgware, 2-20, and 4-20 clarinets would be fine introductory large-bore instruments and all can be found for around US$100--sometimes much less. Add some for repairs and a decent mouthpiece, and you're off and rolling for a total investment of about $400. There's a chance you might ultimately find one of these to be just perfect for your style of playing, and never need to upgrade.
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Author: SteveG_CT
Date: 2012-02-16 21:34
I second the recommendation for the B&H clarinets. I have a couple and think they are among the best bang-for-the-buck clarinets available. Another option would be Penzel-Mueller clarinets (also usually available for ~$100-$200) although I'm not sure what the availability would be for these in Australia.
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Author: Ursa
Date: 2012-02-16 22:10
Another thing with B&H--you can get an Edgware (and probably other models) made of hard rubber or wood. Down in Oz, that might be a major consideration depending on the climate where you live and perform.
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Author: SteveG_CT
Date: 2012-02-16 22:13
One word of warning regarding B&H. I just noticed a counterfeit clarinet listed on ebay as a Boosey & Hawkes. Caveat emptor. Remember that B&H stopped making clarinets nearly 30 years ago so if you see one for sale that looks brand new, is made of brushed plastic, and comes with a screwdriver the chances are good that it may be a counterfeit.
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Author: mihalis
Date: 2012-02-16 23:11
charidemus, get a Yamaha 250, bend the springs a bit to make the
fingering a bit faster, and with a good mouthpiece you can have all
the sound you want. Look at Gumtree site for your area.
You can get one for less than A$200 dollars.
Mike.
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Author: charidemus
Date: 2012-02-22 11:58
Hey ppl thanks for all the suggestions!
i went for a quick upgrade of sorts and am instead saving the money and looking for a decent mouthpiece.
this is the clari i bought, forum rules permitting...
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/CLARINET-BOOSEY-HAWKES-EDGWARE-EXCELLENT-MODEL-/120858556164?pt=AU_Musical_Instruments_Instruments&hash=item1c23bb3704#ht_2159wt_600
I'm sure this is miles better than what i had - in any case, i should be satisfied :D
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Author: SteveG_CT
Date: 2012-02-22 12:35
charidemus wrote:
> I'm sure this is miles better than what i had - in any case, i
> should be satisfied :D
>
Looks very similar to the B&H Edgware A clarinet I have. Since it is freshly overhauled you got a pretty decent price providing that the job was done well. Every B&H clarinet I have is a very good player so I think you'll be happy with it.
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Author: William
Date: 2012-02-22 14:41
For jazz, I think it is hard to 'beat' a vintage Selmer BT. Big, velvety sound and used by a lot of the vintage jazz clarinetis.
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Author: Jeroen
Date: 2012-02-23 09:34
William wrote:
> For jazz, I think it is hard to 'beat' a vintage Selmer BT.
> Big, velvety sound and used by a lot of the vintage jazz
> clarinetis.
Certainly true but good vintage Selmers (RI, BT or CT) are difficult to find and relative expensive. I've just purchased a cheap B&H Edgware and I think it will replace my Selmers CT and RI as primary Jazz horn.
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