 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: reedfriendly
Date: 2015-04-06 22:35
I tried this question on reddit but figured I might get some more meaningful responses here.
I'm interested in putting together a list of active, small workshop clarinet makers around the world. I'm probably not alone in considering Buffet instruments as not what they used to be, and not deserving of their large market share. I myself would like to buy an instrument someday from a workshop that has maintained a quality and heritage, but how do you know what you're buying? I think a list of these makers is at least a place to start. Let's set the following parameters for our list:
-No mass production.
-No outsourced labor or materials.
-World class quality
-Produce at least a French-Fingered Bb instrument with the above attributes. (Since we're looking at Buffet alternatives, I think it's safe to count out exclusive German makes)
That said, the following information about the companies would be helpful to include or clarify where missing:
-Price of entry-level Professional Bb instrument
-Bore choices offered (American, French, Reform, French/Reform Hybrid, English wide bore)
-Country of Origin
-Ordering details (is there a storefront with demo models? wait list? lead time?)
I'll prime the pot with the following makers. Some may already be defunct, and I am extremely anxious to find out if Stephen Fox is still in business.
Stephen Fox
http://www.sfoxclarinets.com/Nexus.html
-Eb, C, Bb, A, G, Basset Horn, advertised a bass at one time
-Toronto
Schwenk & Seggelke
http://www.schwenk-und-seggelke.de/englisch/klarinetten_3000.php
-C, Bb, A, Basset Clarinet, Basset Horn in German Bore
-Bb & A in French bore
-French fingered Bass Clarinet available?
-Deluxe model (R13 type bore in Boxwood) Played by Charles Neidich
Rossi
http://www.rossiclarinet.com/
-Eb, D, C, Bb, A
-7 Bores Available: American, French, LR, Reform Boehm, Large Bore, English Bore, Viennese Bore
Guy Chadash
http://www.chadashclarinet.com/Products/Clarinets.html
-Bb and A
Herbert Wurlitzer
http://www.wurlitzerklarinetten.de/Wurlitzer_Clarinets/Reform-Boehm.html
-Has an American Distributor
http://wurlitzerclarinetsamerica.com/products/clarinets.html
-Reform Boehm instruments in Eb, C, Bb, A, A (basset), F (basset), Bass
F. Arthur Uebel
http://uebel-klarinetten.de/deutsch/modelle.html
-Boehm Clarinets in Bb, A, Bass
Otmar Hammerschmidt
http://www.hammerschmidt-klarinetten.at/cgi-bin/frameset.pl?sid=952096301203&vid=605662178570&l=deutsch&f=home&id=
-Boehm Clarinets in Bb and A
Frank Hammerschmidt
http://www.frank-klarinetten.com/html/willkommen.html
-Bb and A reform models?
-Article. http://holz.fureai.or.jp/catalogue/Frank01.html
Eberhard Scherzer
-No Website found. Well spoken of but presumed defunct.
Moennig-Adler/Oscar Adler
http://www.moennig-adler.de/en/instruments/clarinet/french_clarinets/oscar_adler/
-Bb and A, French Bore
-(Note: The 912S is the only instrument on this list I've played personally. It compared extremely favorably to my Buffets and would have been a major consideration had I been shopping at the time.)
Wolfgang Dietz
http://www.dietz-klarinetten.de/boehm_system_eng.html
-Models in Eb, D, C, Bb, A
-Reform, French, and Hybrid Bores
Martin Foag
http://s522394708.online.de//Englisch/frameset.htm
-Reform Boehm in Bb, A, G
Richard Mueller
http://www.klarinettenmueller.de/instrumente.html
-At least Bb and A, possibly, Eb and Basset Horn
Harald Huyng
http://www.hueyng.de/unsere-klarinetten/boehm-system/b-und-a-klarinetten.html
-Reform Boehm in Bb and A
Leitner & Kraus
http://www.leitner-kraus.de/en/?page_id=652
-Reform Boehm in Eb, D, C, Bb, A, A (basset), Basset Horn
-French Bore in Bb and A
Peter Eaton
http://www.eatonclarinets.com/
-French and English Bores
-in Bb and A
Howarth of London
http://www.howarth.uk.com/clarinets.html
-No pro clarinets currently listed but perhaps they are out of stock?
By now you've noticed that the websites are potato-quality at best, which makes this kind of shopping a difficult task for those of us interested in going off the beaten path. Perhaps we can share info here!
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2015-04-06 23:43
Howarth stopped manufacturing clarinets a while back although a new one occasionally shows up in someones stock.
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Author: jd
Date: 2015-04-07 01:12
Some more clarinet makers from germany.
Klarinetten-hufnagel.de , near Frankfurt
Dörfler Klarinetten, musikhaus dörfler in geretsried near München,
.
Greatings from Berlin
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Author: James S
Date: 2015-04-07 01:30
I got a few lil' additions:
Fratelli Patricola
-Italy
-http://patricola.it/
-A,Bb (standard, Full-Boehm, and 3/4 Boehm), C & Eb in one bore. I just call it an "Italian" bore. It's very round with a pinch of sweetness.
-You can probably get some on trial from Muncy, though Patricola doesn't have much of a dealer network in the US. The mostly sell directly through themselves (at least for the EU)
Gao Royal
-USA
http://www.gao-usa.com/en/
-Bb Boehm clarinets with a French/American-esque bore.
-You can get them from http://www.hkarlssonwoodwinds.com/. Heather is SUPER nice to work with.
Schille Clarinets
-Latvia (formerly Sweden)
-He's redoing his website right now so I can't share a link, sorry.
-Bb/A Boehm with French or Viennese bores
-They are all made to order by Bernd, so you need to contact him.
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Author: derf5585
Date: 2015-04-07 01:42
"Howarth stopped manufacturing clarinets"
Tongue in cheek
They changed the name to Hogwarts
fsbsde@yahoo.com
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Author: reedfriendly
Date: 2015-04-07 04:14
I've always been a little wary of Patricola and a lot wary of Ripamonti.
A peek at their sites seems to indicate that their offerings are those of a professional firm. But can anyone attest to these instruments being of a high enough quality to be a serious orchestral contender? My litmus test would be, is your average Patricola/Ripamonti going to be made to a higher standard, from keywork to woodwork, than your average stock R13?
A redditor mentioned the Josef company as an addition to my list. Their site does look very promising:
http://www.josef-oboe.com/en/clarinet.html
A lot of nifty innovations: vent keys, a radical G#/A redesign, and... are those ceramic tone hole inserts?! I have high hopes for this one, but I'll wait to hear a few reviews.
I'm also on the fence about the Bakun clarinet. I'm skeptical that it's being handmade here in the US simply because that very circumstance is so extraordinary these days. I'm happy to be proven wrong.
And again, does anyone know if Steve Fox is still around? I have been a fan of his ideas for many years but was never in a place where I could reasonably pursue the idea of acquiring one of his instruments. I've tried to contact him recently by email with no success. If anyone can shed some light on him or his work, whether he's still around, whether anyone has trained under him to keep Bonade's acoustic legacy alive, I would be extremely gratful.
Thanks for all the responses so far!
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2015-04-07 04:39
Probably not small, but not huge either is Uebel and they make GREAT Boehm clarinets that are just starting to catch on here in the States.
I'm not sure though if I am comfortable with the premise that Buffet is not "worthy" on some level (at least of being the market leader). A colleague of mine put it this way, "We live in a Buffet world and I already have one."
If we didn't really think they were worth while we wouldn't buy them.
.............Paul Aviles
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Author: James S
Date: 2015-04-07 05:40
Recent Patricolas are indeed above R13 caliber, assuming you like their sound. I've spent a ton of time with em and the RECENT ones are awesome. I'm emphasizing the "recent" because the family has been fiddling with their designs year after year. A 2014 Patty doesn't play like a 2008 etc... I never liked the older ones, though the new virtuoso models (that have the gold plaque on em) are built like tanks. The wood is dense, the keywork is plated with upwards of 40 microns of silver (for comparison your R13 and friends hang between 12-20), and an alternate Eb lever is standard. The rosewood option has a very, very sweet sound but doesn't project as well (IMO) as good ol' grenadilla. A number of serious players, especially in Italy, use em, but Patricola spends very little time and no money promoting its brand through artists. The entire clarinet section of the Arena di Verona (where they have those massive opera festivals every summer) Orchestra plays exclusively on Patricolas. Gabriele Mirabassi (Italian Jazz clarinetist) is all about Patricolas as is Rocco Parisi (though he's mostly known for his bass clarinet work) and Gleb Kanasevich (a wonderful specialist in contemporary chamber music and former junior instructor at Yale).
I've never heard anything (either good or bad) about Ripamonti. Maybe one day I'll get to fool around with a few...We'll see
I also second Paul's admiration for the Uebel boehm line. Though they're not a small "cottage clarinet" workshop their instruments are very well-made. If you're at all a fan of Yamaha's CSG horns I advise checking them out. I believe Weiner Music carries them now. However, I don't know if that have any sort of trail system. IF they do, have em send a Superior or two your way! I strongly agree with the pro-Uebel gushings you can read about here: http://woodwindwonderland.blogspot.com/2014/08/clarinetfest2014-all-laughter-all-smears.html
I can't believe I forgot about Josef :O
I had a wonderful opportunity to spend time with them at Clarinetfest 2014. The tone hole inserts on their MK11 (which comes in both Bb and A) are faux-ivory. They certainly give the horns a distinct look (as do the gold posts)! The G#/A redesign is pretty cool. I'm not sure if it helps the tuning at all (I was testing em out in a crowded exhibit hall so it was very tough to tell), though I'm sure that's what the redesign was developed to accomplish. The various vent keys are not Josef innovations; they're staples of the reform-Boehm school and have been around since the 1950s. However, Josef is the first manufacturer (to the best of my knowledge) to apply all those vents to a French-bored instrument.
The Josef clarinets have a very focused, fluid quality to them. A bit resistant for my tastes and a bit bright. They certainly don't sound like a reform Boehm, which I assumed they would given the vent system. My big issue with them was how cramped the key work felt. Josef is originally an oboe maker, and it shows in their mechanism. The plating is wonderful and the action is pretty good, but everything felt a bit squished together. However, I'm 6'5" with monster hands, so you may fair better than I! They are costly (the MK11s are 7-8 grand each) and I don't think they have any dealers in the Americas. I'm sure that will change, but for the time being you'll have to go to a trade show to spend time with em. They are certainly an attention-grabber!
I'm not sure what Fox is up to. He makes all of his instruments custom for each customer so no one is going to have a bunch of them around to try. He's certainly alive and well, though I'm not sure what his manufacturing situation is like right now. I would contact him over facebook. That's how I stay in touch with him.
Hope this all help!
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Author: PhillipS
Date: 2015-04-07 09:10
Paul, what I'm not comfortable with is the fact that entry-level R13s are so inconsistent that there is a cottage industry built around getting them right after manufacture. No matter what they can do with the Prestige and Tosca line, I find what they have done with the standard R13 untoward and unbefiitting of a maker with such a prestigious name. The reason people are still buying Buffets is the same reason we have pointless brand loyalty in any corner of the music industry... most teachers did their shopping and comparing when they were young. They're not going into stores every year so if the Bach Strad or the Otto Link or the R13 takes a nosedive in quality they'll still go on recommending it.
This is a bit of a rant for me because in college I spent the only 3k I had on a new, silver-plated R13. And within a year, it was an utter dog. It played worse than anything else in my studio, I didn't have the money for an overhaul, and it was mostly a total loss. I ended up acquiring later, a set of R13s from the early 60's, which are my primary instruments. I had done a lot of research on "golden era" Buffets and knew they were what I wanted. For me, they live up to their reputation and I prefer them to 19/20 new Buffets that I try.
After college I worked as a full time tech for a few years before getting into teaching. What I saw of Buffet's corporate policies, warranty support, and general give-a-hoot for their customers upset me almost moreso than my own experience with my lemon.
I understand that this is just my perspective and that it's a jaded one. I'm happy for my friends when they find Buffets that they like. And I would stand behind the company had they chosen to value instrument quality over mass production for EVERY pro horn that they sell. I love the early instruments, the history, the lore. But after my experiences, I feel like there are too many other makers who are putting real care and attention into instruments that perform as well if not better to keep on supporting a company that feels like it can just phone it in.
--------------------------------
James S... WOW, thanks so much for the fascinating information!
I am in fact an admirer of the CSG. It's tempting to include it in this list, if only because Yamaha is producing few enough of these to perhaps keep the quality high. (It's fascinating, to me, the inverse relationship between production scale and quality. I've seen some REALLY interesting key misalignments on brand new Custom saxophones, but somehow I doubt the clarinet work would be as sloppy. I could be wrong though, and I'm still wary.) Maybe I'm not thinking about it the right way, but in any case the CSG is a fine instrument that has made enough inroads among major performers that it should be a serious consideration in the states.
Fascinating, the Patricola stuff.
Thanks for the update on Fox! I will try Facebook.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2015-04-07 14:16
I am on board with what you say to a great extent about the lack of "care and attention" being a part of being a big lumbering company. Buffet is a victim of its own success. I don't know if it would ever be possible to produce as many horns per year and be able to cater to customer needs in a more detailed way.
Of course I am not sure if there ever was a "Golden Era." I have to refer back to the recently posted video synopsis of a dissertation entitled "The Signature Sound of Daniel Bonade." It is stated that there has been a cottage industry of folks who customize Buffets for a long time (I believe the research picks up with Hans Moenig, but I'm sure he wasn't the first). Trouble is no two clarinetists deal with the tuning and timbre vagaries of the clarinet in the same way. So what happens is one person will need an area of the clarinet tuned higher while another would want the same area tuned lower.
Here is just my current problem (not even addressing specific tuning): I prefer clarinets that are able to play with a wide dynamic and wide color spectrum (but not too wild), doing so by allowing more physicality (don't know how else to say this). I never really cared for the Prestiges and Toscas that I found too brash, but I am currently fond of a Vintage that I have been playing for a few months. I also have been auditing a Divine for some time and greatly appreciate the detailed nature of its sound. It truly feels solid in tuning and tends toward the more introspective end result I want. It turns out though that it is too introspective for me and I still prefer the Vintage or my personal set of Yamaha CSGs.
Is there no satisfying a clarinet player?
..................Paul Aviles
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Author: PhillipS
Date: 2015-04-07 16:15
The thing I have heard about "Golden Era" R13's (I want do say 40k to 80k serial 60numbers) that would physically differentiate them from their modern counterparts is that apparently Buffet did an extensive bore sealing procedure at the time that they did away with around the end of this number run (maybe mid 70's). Similar to what Wurlitzer does now. Of course, for my part it's essentially hearsay.
But I completely identify with your statement about the flexibility of the sound and a more "physical clarinet." And what I do know is that my 60k Buffets possess a "slot," that is, an intonational and tonal center for a given note, that is much more ample than the extremely narrow slot on most current instruments. I feel like I have more responsibility for tone and intonation but that I have more tonal freedom. Modern Buffets to me feel like Bumper Bowling. What's the point of having a sound that the instrument completely makes for me?
Now, my vintage Selmer Balanced Tone has a rather wide slot, and is a real joy to play. Too wide, probably, for your needs, and, ultimately, for mine. Unfortunately my example has not stood up to the years and perhaps needs some work to the tone holes. So for the time being I'm happy having a set of Buffets that sound like Buffets and that I can stand to play. But, eventually, I would like to move on to something with a sound more personal to me, but to an exacting modern standard. It's possible I could find something like that used, but I'm not holding my breath.
My current "I'd like to play" wish list includes Rossi, Chadash, Schwenk and Seggelke, Fox, and any Reform Boehm. (I play Rascher style classical saxophone, so yes, I might be crazy enough!)
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2015-04-07 21:13
Chadash and Rossi are on my list of "gee I'd really like to try those out." But don't discount the Uebels. The top two models are real "honeys."
..............Paul Aviles
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Author: PhillipS
Date: 2015-04-07 21:24
And I just found out that Uebel has a Savannah, GA location! Maybe it's time to warm up the driver's seat...
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Author: James S
Date: 2015-04-07 22:22
DO IT! They're distributed by Moe-Beichner (http://www.moe-bleichner.com/) You'll want to talk to Victoria. She'll help you out!
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Author: reedfriendly
Date: 2015-04-07 23:58
I'm confused. There's Orsi Milano and Taplan-Weir. The former has a potato website and the latter I could swear used to make their own clarinets but do not currently advertise them.
....?
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Author: kilo
Date: 2015-04-08 00:26
Quote:
I'm confused.
Me too — that's why I was a bit tentative about adding the name to the list here. I'm pretty sure there were "Orsi and Weir" clarinets once but I can't seem to find out the whole story.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2015-04-08 04:59
There were Orsi-Weir clarinets but I think they parted company after a brief stint due to the variable quality of Orsi instruments.
I know I mentioned another Italian maker on here, but Italian woodwind instrument makers have never really been praised for their consistency.
Salvi are one Italian instrument maker I'd stand by for their quality, but they make harps.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: reedfriendly
Date: 2015-04-09 07:02
Ok, that makes sense now. Thanks for the (heh) clarification!
And now, our updated list thanks to the contributions in this thread!! In alphabetical order, even!
--------------------------------------------
Moennig-Adler/Oscar Adler
http://www.moennig-adler.de/en/instruments/clarinet/french_clarinets/oscar_adler/
-Bb and A, French Bore
-(Note: The 912S is the only instrument on this list I've played personally. It compared extremely favorably to my Buffets and would have been a major consideration had I been shopping at the time.)
-Germany
Bakun
-Bb and A
-http://backunmusical.com/clarinets/backun-clarinets/
-Canada
Guy Chadash
http://www.chadashclarinet.com/Products/Clarinets.html
-Bb and A
-USA
Wolfgang Dietz
http://www.dietz-klarinetten.de/boehm_system_eng.html
-Models in Eb, D, C, Bb, A
-Reform, French, and Hybrid Bores
-Germany
Dörfler Klarinetten
-http://www.holzblasinstrumentenbau.de/index.php?article_id=18&clang=0
-Bb and A
-Germany
Peter Eaton
http://www.eatonclarinets.com/
-French and English Bores
-in Bb and A
-UK
Martin Foag
http://s522394708.online.de//Englisch/frameset.htm
-Reform Boehm in Bb, A, G
-Germany
Stephen Fox
http://www.sfoxclarinets.com/Nexus.html
-Eb, C, Bb, A, G, Basset Horn, advertised a bass at one time
-Toronto, Canada
Gao Royal
-USA
-http://www.gao-usa.com/en/
-Bb Boehm clarinets with a French/American-esque bore.
-You can get them from http://www.hkarlssonwoodwinds.com/. Heather is SUPER nice to work with.
Frank Hammerschmidt
-http://holz.fureai.or.jp/catalogue/Cla_Frank.htm
-Bb and A
-Germany
Otmar Hammerschmidt
-http://www.hammerschmidt-klarinetten.at/cgi-bin/frameset.pl?sid=952096301203&vid=605662178570&l=deutsch&f=home&id=
-Boehm Clarinets in Bb and A
-Germany
Hanson Clarinets
http://www.hansonclarinets.com
-assuming Bb and A
-UK
Hufnagel
-Klarinetten-hufnagel.de
-Bb, A, and kinder-clarinet in high G!
--near Frankfurt, Germany
Harald Huyng
http://www.hueyng.de/unsere-klarinetten/boehm-system/b-und-a-klarinetten.html
-Reform Boehm in Bb and A
-Germany
Josef
-http://www.josef-oboe.com/en/clarinet.html
-Bb and A
-Japan
Richard Keilwerth
-http://www.keilwerth.de/index.php/home/herstellung/klarinetten
-assuming Bb and A
-Germany
Leitner & Kraus
http://www.leitner-kraus.de/en/?page_id=652
-Reform Boehm in Eb, D, C, Bb, A, A (basset), Basset Horn
-French Bore in Bb and A
-Germany
Leitzinger
-http://www.leitzinger.de/en/ins_nav_04c.html
-assuming Bb and A
-Germany
Marvent
-assuming Bb and A
-no website at present
-Spain
Richard Mueller
http://www.klarinettenmueller.de/instrumente.html
-At least Bb and A, possibly Eb and Basset Horn
-Germany
W.O. Nuernberger
-http://www.nuernbergerklarinetten.de/produkte.htm
-Bb, A, and Bass
-Germany
Fratelli Patricola
-http://patricola.it/
-A,Bb (standard, Full-Boehm, and 3/4 Boehm), C & Eb in one bore. I just call it an "Italian" bore. It's very round with a pinch of sweetness.
-You can probably get some on trial from Muncy, though Patricola doesn't have much of a dealer network in the US. The mostly sell directly through themselves (at least for the EU)
-Italy
Rossi
http://www.rossiclarinet.com/
-Eb, D, C, Bb, A
-7 Bores Available: American, French, LR, Reform Boehm, Large Bore, English Bore, Viennese Bore
-Chile
Schille Clarinets
-He's redoing his website right now so I can't share a link, sorry.
-Bb/A Boehm with French or Viennese bores
-They are all made to order by Bernd, so you need to contact him.
-Latvia (formerly Sweden)
Schwenk & Seggelke
http://www.schwenk-und-seggelke.de/englisch/klarinetten_3000.php
-C, Bb, A, Basset Clarinet, Basset Horn in German Bore
-Bb & A in French bore
-French fingered Bass Clarinet available?
-Deluxe model (R13 type bore in Boxwood) Played by Charles Neidich
-Germany
F. Arthur Uebel
http://uebel-klarinetten.de/deutsch/modelle.html
-Boehm Clarinets in Bb, A, Bass
-Germany (with US distributor)
Herbert Wurlitzer
http://www.wurlitzerklarinetten.de/Wurlitzer_Clarinets/Reform-Boehm.html
-Has an American Distributor
http://wurlitzerclarinetsamerica.com/products/clarinets.html
-Reform Boehm instruments in Eb, C, Bb, A, A (basset), F (basset), Bass
-Germany
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2015-04-09 18:14
If you want to make the links clickable, surround the address with < and > without spaces.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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The Clarinet Pages
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