 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Steven Ocone
Date: 2017-01-19 03:22
Has anyone tried a clarinet from Royal Instruments? I just set up eight of them.
http://www.royalmusicalinstruments.com
Steve Ocone
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Author: bassclarinet101 ★2017
Date: 2017-01-19 04:29
I haven't, but as they are right over in Glen Ellyn, I'm definitely curious to set up an appointment and try their instruments. I have GI surgery tomorrow, but pending the results, I will drop their showroom a line and investigate further. Hopefully they are something I can recommend to friends and fellow clarinetists.
-Daniel
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Author: Roxann
Date: 2017-01-19 05:51
What is meant by "oh, ah, and ee" voicing? Nice design!
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Author: seabreeze
Date: 2017-01-19 07:21
These used to be called Gao clarinets, weren't they? The designer kept changing the models, and they were hard to find and hard to keep track of. This latest sample (including the basset model, the C clarinet, and the boxwood) all look like new designs. What was your impression of the ones you set up? Were they all different models?
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Author: Steven Ocone
Date: 2017-01-19 16:42
I will let others review the clarinets as I have a business relationship. More specifically, I was paid to set some of them up, and will be doing so in the future. I will say that they exceeded my expectation. Unlike another professional Chinese made clarinet that has become popular, they can be played in a section with Buffets and blend in.
Steve Ocone
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Author: seabreeze
Date: 2017-01-19 20:24
Steven,
Fair enough, but until recently, H. Karlsson Woodwinds, in Carrollton, Texas, used to advertise a great variety of these in the Bb soprano model alone. They included a student model, a step-up model, a Viennese bore, a soloist model, a couple of orchestral models, and so forth, across a wide price range. This alone would tend to put them in a very different category from the typical clarinet coming out of China. And now at the Royal website, they have added a boxwood model too, while the Karlsson site has dropped advertising all of them! Just for the sake of clarity, can you tell us what particular models you are setting up so we know we are talking about the same instrument? Have they dropped the Gao name?
Over the past 3 or 4 years, Ive seen so many different models of this limited production brand advertised, that they seemed to be more like experimental prototypes rather than models intended for stable and regular sales. Someone would say they tried a Gao at a big clarinet fest and liked it but couldn't remember which of the models it was. If these clarinets are as good as many say they are, we need to know what to expect from each model. Which one, for instance, is in the right price range and has the qualities to--as you say--"blend well with Buffets"?
To see graphically what I'm talking about, look at each of the following web sites for Royal clarinets:
http://www.royal-musical.com
http://www.gao-usa.com.
and finally, http://www.royalmusicalinstruments.com
The models that Steven and others on this thread are looking at are all in the last Internet site--the ones in "oh, ah, and ee" voicing and selling for $2000 to $2500. What happened to all the other models shown in the previous sites? Have they been discontinued? Evidently the showroom moved from Mass. to Illinois and Lisa Canning has come on board as an advisor.
Post Edited (2017-01-20 01:59)
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Author: seabreeze
Date: 2017-01-20 02:19
As a follow-up, I asked Gao by email yesterday if he planned to bring a selection of his up-dated clarinets to the ICA Clarinet Fest in Orlando, Florida this July, and he replied today: "Yes, we will bring lots of different models of our clarinet and all accessories as well." So I'm satisfied with that and will try them then. I hope many others will as well.
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Author: Steven Ocone
Date: 2017-01-20 03:20
I'll have to get clear on this. There are now 2 web sites and I was told that Gao was selling in other countries. For the web site that I gave, there is only one model. I didn't know about the different voicings. Perhaps Lisa just separates them as they come in. I'll see if I can get her to respond.
Steve Ocone
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Author: LisaCanning
Date: 2017-01-20 06:23
Please do set up an appointment. We would love to have you come check out our first US model. We are the exclusive distributor for GAO Royal Musical Instrument Collection in the USA.
Lisa's Clarinet Shop
www.LisasClarinetShop.com
847.774.2938
Lisa@LisasClarinetShop.com
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Author: LisaCanning
Date: 2017-01-20 06:33
Hi everyone! To set the record straight. GAO has been selling for 5 years in other markets. He has a number of different models that sell in other markets. We will be showcasing these in trunk style shows from time to time. However we do have a brand new series being designed for the US market specifically.
Our first, the Classical Limited, is presently available in Bb and A and can be chosen with a variety of different barrels and bells. We do have 3 main types of voicing these instruments are available in as well. Everyone has a natural voicing type and our instruments are designed to help you achieve the best color, focus and Flexibility you want . We ahave a full course available on voicing also under our Music for Good tab. Check it out and feel free to email me or Lacy too for more information. Lisa@royalmusicalinstruments.com or
Lacy@ royalmusicalinstruments.com
Lisa's Clarinet Shop
www.LisasClarinetShop.com
847.774.2938
Lisa@LisasClarinetShop.com
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Author: bassclarinet101 ★2017
Date: 2017-02-01 00:30
Tried and reviewed:
http://curiousmusician.com/2017/01/31/royal-clarinets/
To save a read, they're worth checking out.
-Daniel
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Author: Stbgplayer
Date: 2020-09-02 00:55
I have. I own a Buffet Festival, maintained by RDGilbert. Fine instrument.
But I decided to give myself a pandemic gift, and tried out:
Uebel Superior
Uebel Zenit
Royal Firebird
Thanks to Midwest Musical Instruments!
All three had superior intonation and eveness than my Festival. I used 3 1/2 to
4 strength Vandoren V21 and either my Borbeck, Frank Kaspar (Cicero), or Vandoren BD 5 mouthpieces.
The Superior had a gorgeous dark sound. The Zenit sounded a bit more Buffet like. I preferred the Superior. Both we impeccable in intonation and evenness, and the mechanism is buttery.
But the instrument I kept coming back to was the Firebird. It fell perfectly to my hand, had buttery smooth action, and great evenness. It’s sound was gorgeous and flexible, while the Superior did not as immediately reflect changes in mouthpiece, reeds, etc.
I had expected I’d buy the Superior, but I fell in love with the Royal Firebird.
I’m delighted with the instrument!
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Author: Reed B Chirpin
Date: 2020-09-02 02:31
Agreed with Stbgplayer... These instruments are tremendous. I'm typically a Buffet player who enjoys the ping and core characteristic of those instruments, but I could enjoy the added warmth from Royal clarinets while keeping a balanced sound. It's not dead at all. The Firebird Bb and A I tried from New York Clarinet Workshop were really great, but the Firebird Low C bass clarinet was a real game-changer. It has a wooden bell and a wooden resonator that goes on the neck, but this thing easily surpasses the Prestige 1193s in terms of response, intonation, and general evenness. Talk to the people at NY Clarinet Workshop because they gave me a really flexible trial process.
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