The Clarinet BBoard

The Clarinet BBoard The C4 standard

New Topic | Go to Top | Go to Topic | Search | Help/Rules | Smileys/Notes | Log In

Previous Message | Next Message

Re: Question on bass clarinet

Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2021-05-13 19:52

Hi Theclarinetnerd,

I did things a little differently but then, this is back several years before the new fleet of Asian basses appeared on the market. I was in the market for an upgrade instrument.

My quest started with one assumption: I did not often need the lower three notes of a Low C bass in the wind ensembles I was playing. Indeed, we were playing Level 5 and 6 band music but when performing classic band music from the 1940-80s (pretty much the Eastman Wind Ensemble and Mark Hindsley Songbooks) going to Low Eb sufficed. I did have a very fine old Selmer Model 32 Series 9 Bass as my primary but planned to use that as a backup instrument.

After picking out a new Selmer 65 Prelude at the factory several years ago it was time to think about the next phase of my plan, waiting until the marketplace offered a superior Asian Low C bass for a fair price. Last December, my wife gifted me with an all-black Low C Expressivo bass of Asian lineage from Meridian Winds. It plays great; ergonomics are superb and the intonation is exceptional.

The final move in the plan was to sell off the old Series 9 Selmer which I did a few months ago and that let me regift my wife with about 65% of what she spent on the all-Black Christmas bass from Meridian (Happy Wife, Happy Life).

All of my performing groups are slowly returning and I've been practicing for them and a couple of quartets as well. The instrument of choice for all groups is still the Selmer Model 65 unless there is a compelling reason to use the Low C bass. The Selmer just plays too well.

So, some might say I took a road less-traveled but in the end, I have two new and very fine bass clarinets for about the same price I would have spent way back when for a Selmer 67 to Low C.

Theclarinetnerd, don't rush into this. Consider several options.

Hank

Reply To Message | Avail. Forums | Flat View

Newer Topic | Older Topic

Topics