 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: johnnydodds
Date: 2019-12-17 05:29
Looking for an affordable A key clarinet and have some questions:
1) Anyone tried these $150 China jobs? Do they play in tune and last a while? I play a LOT, often outdoors and need something that won't fall apart too fast.
2) Is there any way to tell an A clarinet from a Bb in a picture on ebay or another resale site? I am sure a lot of A clarinets come and go without the seller knowing that's what they are. But so far I can't tell from a pic the difference between A and Bb clarinets. Any specific detail that is a dead giveaway for an A key clarinet?
3) Are there any student model A clarinets out there besides the China ones I mentioned? I am a full-time jazz musician and don't make enough money to afford a nice Buffet, but don't really trust the China and India made A clarinets. Wondering if there is any reputable company that makes them or a long dead company that used to make them besides Buffet to look for?
Thanks for your help,
A Broke Ass Trad Jazz Clarinet Player Dude
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Author: kdk
Date: 2019-12-17 05:41
A student of mine recently bought an old Noblet A clarinet, a model 45. For the price it's a nice instrument. I've seen newer 45As at one of the major online vendor's site for under $2,000. Ridenour's Lyrique 575 is also under $2,000.
Karl
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Author: johnnydodds
Date: 2019-12-17 06:03
Thanks. 2K is still a lot more than I can afford right now. I've seen modern Buffets go for around that used. Being unfamiliar with A clarinets I was hoping that some reputable company out there makes a student model, even non-wood would be OK as I actually like the sound of a plastic clarinet with a wood barrel. But I'm guessing my suspicions are correct in that they are generally only made for the pro classical market.
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Author: seabreeze
Date: 2019-12-17 07:17
You might want to save up and buy a decent A clarinet. One really good old one is the Yamaha YCL-85. This was used about 40 years ago even by orchestral pros. It is entirely possible that one might turn up on one of the big auction sites for under $2000 or even under $1000. But certainly not for a few hundred like the cheap plastic ones. You might even advertise here and on other big clarinet web sites that you are looking specifically for a good used Yamaha YCL-85. You never know what someone has in their attic till you ask. You can play any style of music on a Yamaha YCL-85. The Noblet A instruments mentioned by kdk can also be good.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2019-12-17 07:25
An A clarinet much like other "utility horns" are NOT student horns. This is why student versions aren't usually an option.
DO NOT buy a $150 Chinese clarinet. I had a student that was so proud of a Mendini clarinet (his parents even upped the game to a wooden one) he was gifted for Christmas. He dumped it a year later because it was always broken. Also, even when brand new it did NOT play close to in tune with the other students at the high school. I found him a 54mm barrel (believe it or not) that got him up to pitch but I knew him only through group work and don't know how well the internal pitch was working (I have my doubts).
Rent or borrow from a local gigging teacher or student.
..............Paul Aviles
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Author: donald
Date: 2019-12-17 12:43
I had a Grassi A clarinet (student horns from the 1960s/70s, wooden with nickel keys). Here in NZ you used to be able to find heaps of the Grassi B flat clarinets but this was the only A clarinet I ever saw.
A man came around to buy a car I had put in the Newspaper for $800 (about $600 more than it was worth). He said "hey I'll give you $200 and throw in something that you may be able to sell, it's what they call an "A clarinet""
This guy had no idea that I was a musician, but for some reason had old wooden Grassi A clarinet that I was later able to sell for... $800!!!!! (about $500 US$)
Another A clarinet that came my way was an Uebel from the 1970s- Boehm system (with double pad for f/c). Some of these are of awful quality, but this one was very well built and played nicely in tune with a really distinctive tone quality. I bought that for $900 and sold it for $900 a year later (sold to a Jazzer who wanted an A clarinet to play in guitar friendly keys).
In each case I was just lucky to find these, they just randomly came my way at a time when I could afford to buy them, and a new owner appeared a year or so later.
Every so often someone comes along asking "hey do you have a spare A clarinet you can rent/lend/sell me... and of course these days I never have one lying around....
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Author: Djudy
Date: 2019-12-17 23:48
I have a lovely old Marigaux by SML (Paris) that I got as part of a symphony set for 400e for the lot recently. It's still going to need a repad & adjustment (no cracks, nothing broken or corrded) but seems to have nice sound and if the Bb of the set is any indication, it will be a fine instrument for an unbeatable price even with tune-up costs.
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2019-12-18 23:37
Maybe keep an eye out for a used Yamaha CS or SEV series. Maybe half the price of a Buffet and Selmer. Look also at the 10 series Selmer's. These are good horns.
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
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Author: johnnydodds
Date: 2019-12-20 09:25
Thanks all for your answers. Still wondering if there is a way to tell an A from a Bb just in a photo? I tried side by side comparisons with Bb horns but still find it very difficult to determine.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2019-12-20 12:09
It's really a COMPARISON issue so it would be helpful to see the Bb version of whatever you are looking at to see (maybe). "A" clarinets are considerably longer and you can make out the length looking at the top joint. The distance from the bottom of the barrel to the top trill key and "A" key should look noticeably longer (but not a difference that "jumps out").
Similarly there is more length from the bottom of the four R hand pinky keys to the bottom pad cup.........but you need to look with a discerning eye.
.............Paul Aviles
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Author: johnnydodds
Date: 2019-12-20 20:07
Huh. Looks like Allora makes a cheap one. If they're being sold on WWBW I can definitely send it back if it's a POS.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Allora-AAAC-304-A-Clarinet/303325218679?hash=item469f978777:g:4tEAAOSwuCBdqD16
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Author: Djudy
Date: 2019-12-20 21:48
Opps ! Sorry, I don't get the notices in my mailbox so I didn't see the question. And I'm sorry also because I didn't mean to imply that I'm selling the Marigaux A, just that good deals can be had if you're willing to search out and fix up a vintage instrument. I'm not yet in need of an A but since it's a matched set and the Bb is pretty nice it's a shame to separate them and I hope I can use it someday.
For some reason here are several A for sale here (France) but not on that auction site, a local used goods site, and I see prices that are reasonable , although not as reasonable as mine was. If you can take your time I'm sure you'll find one.
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