 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: LeftHandedClarinetist
Date: 2017-01-27 08:51
My Current Instrument: Yamaha 250, Student ABS model.
What I found:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/232218898836
I am considering using the financial payment on eBay to purchase up to an R13 up to $1500 in good restored playing condition.
Also considering:
-Buffet E12F
-Buffet E12
-Buffet E11
-Yamaha 450
-Yamaha 650
-Yamaha 54 (YCL-52/Discontinued Model)
-The link above (an Evette Golden Era)
I need desperate help.
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2017-01-27 09:28
For what it's worth, If I were buying any of the instruments on your list then my choice would be the E12F or the Yamaha 450/650. I think the Yamaha 450 is one of the great clarinet bargains. In terms of playability it's hard to distinguish it from the more expensive 650 and it comes at a much lower price. The Buffet E12F is to my mind a far better instrument than the E11, either the French of German models. It's also a step up from the E12.
Don't pay too much attention the all the blurb in the EBay post for the E12 concerning the superiority of the French-built instrument. Schreiber did a top job on the German E11, whereas the French one was plagued with build quality problems. An E13 might be a good choice if you can find one. Note that this is entirely my subjective view, I'm sure others will differ.
Tony F.
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2017-01-27 09:37
You can get decent a sound out of any instrument but each horn can have its issues. I'm more concerned about your embouchure and your mouthpiece.
If you are looking at used R13's I'd take a serous look at the top of the line Yamaha horns. The SEV's and the CSVR's used are around the same price as the R13's. I sold a pile of R13's because the Yamaha pro lines are that good. I'm not the only pro playing on them, some major symphony players are using them. The upper registers speak out better compared to the R13's. I played the Copland Concerto not long ago and during a rehearsal I played the piece on a Buffet. Everyone found the Yamaha to fill the hall much better, so I sold my last set of Buffets then. Whats fun about the Yamaha pro line is you can attack the upper register. Hitting some of the notes with the Copland can be scary, but that fear factor went away on the Yamaha's. The CSVR's.
I'm always trying and buying mouthpieces. This is what makes the sound magical. Finding what works. As a double lip player all of my life I get sore lower and upper lips if the setup is wrong. Too open of a mouthpiece, too close of a mouthpiece, too hard or too soft of a reed can cause you to hurt. With the correct setup you should be able to play for several hours, but it takes time.
I cannot tell you how important playing long tones are as warming up and using a mirror. It's a must. Starting with low E at PP < FF > PP then E#, F, so forth. If it doesn't sound right do that note over. You need to hear a great sound and when you do repeat it. In my opinion you may change mouthpieces and reeds a few times with doing these warm-ups. You have to be comfortable. If you hurt well playing the clarinet and or the saxophones suck. It's just not fun.
Music should be fun.
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
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Author: LeftHandedClarinetist
Date: 2017-01-27 10:23
Is this a good deal?
http://www.pmwoodwind.com/instruments.cfm?c=1&instrumentid=4710
This is a used Buffet E13. Price is $1250+tax so around $1375 with tax. I can play test it and stuff.
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2017-01-27 11:40
If it is in top condition and has some sort of meaningful warranty it could be. Play test it before committing. Make sure it comes with cleaning gear, grease and such.
Tony F.
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Author: TomS
Date: 2017-01-27 20:39
I vote for the Yamaha ... at least the model 650 (similar acoustics to the SEV) ... if you can find the dough, the CSVR is a hit.
IMHO, the Buffets are very robust, but if you could X-Y plot the tuning curve, resistance, response and timbre per note, it would look like a profile of the Rocky Mountains ... that is, uneven. A selected and well adjusted/modified Buffet in the hands of a great player can get the job done, though. Not a bad horn, just not the easiest to play well ...
Tom
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Author: TomS
Date: 2017-01-27 22:32
I'd like to add that for 1/2 the price of the Yamaha, you can purchase a Lyrique RCP-576BC from Tom Ridenour. You want warm and responsive with great tuning, this is the one.
Tom
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2017-01-27 23:47
Buy whatever horn you want, it's not going to change your sound that much. You can buy the $29,000 Backun horns if you want, but it's clearly not the answer to your question and your current embouchure problem.
Sometimes when auditioning for a paying job your instruments really don't matter. Sometimes the auditions are held behind a screen so the audition committee cannot see who is playing. This isn't done as often anymore. They care about your sound, your technique, sight reading, things like that. Of course rhythm is a factor at all auditions.
The very first thing these people hear is your sound. The instrument is not going reject you. It is you, the mouthpiece and the reeds. You have to understand this.
But if you want the most expensive horn shoot for the moon and buy the Backun's.
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
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Author: Ursa
Date: 2017-01-28 01:41
Hyun,
Looking at your other threads, I would offer you the following advice if you were my lessons student:
1. Sort out your embouchure issues first before changing instruments.
2. Anybody serious about the clarinet needs a good non-wooden instrument. The YCL-250 is right up there with the best of them. Take yours to an expert technician and get it set up properly for you.
3. After you've done the above, refine your technique to get the best possible results out of your current YCL-250
4. If you're still not getting the results you want, it's time to carefully consider a change in mouthpieces.
5. After all this, if you're still not getting decent results, a different clarinet isn't going to get you where you want to go.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2017-01-28 06:25
Hyun -
Plastic clarinets are very good these days. If you don't sound good on your Yamaha 250, going to a wood clarinet will make little difference.
What makes the most difference is what's at the top -- closest to your face -- which is the reed, the mouthpiece and the barrel in that order. When my nephew was a beginner, I adjusted a reed for him that was balanced and tapered just right. He instantly went from a nasty "beginner" sound to a very nice one.
I then put my handmade mouthpiece and matched barrel on his plastic Vito, and even I was surprised how much it played like my hand-tweaked Buffet.
For a fraction of the price of a top-grade wood clarinet (perhaps $600), you can get a mouthpiece/barrel combination from one of the artist makers who advertise here (Smith, Grabner, Fobes and others). With this on your Yamaha 250, you'll sound as good as you possibly can.
Your goal now is to sound good on what you're playing now. Learn (from a teacher) how to pick out good reeds and make adjustments on then.
Even more important, listen to the best players. Train your own ears, your soft palate, your tongue and your lips to make a sound like them. A good sound must first come from inside you.
What makes you play well is practice, not equipment.
Ken Shaw
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