Author: NOLA Ken
Date: 2021-10-08 22:04
High school can be a weird time in band. Some students are still playing student level instruments while some others may have been playing long enough and have well-enough resourced parents to already be playing pro level instruments. I have a strong recollection of the time in high school that I expressed my desire to challenge the first chair clarinetist for her seat. Me with my plastic Bundy and her with her Buffet R-13 (the only wood instrument in the section as I recall). The band director just sort of laughed at me. Our high school was very large and the only one in town, so it drew from a very large and varied pool of families.
I think tyleman's comment about the prejudice against non-wood clarinets has a lot of truth to it, despite the fact that there are now some very good, even pro-level, hard rubber (ebonite) instruments on the market. You don't know what the band director's own prejudices are in that regard. You might query her or him on that if you have the opportunity. If he or she endorses non-wood clarinets with any enthusism it widens your options on the instrument prejudice issue.
Although I have acquired several pro level clarinets since returning to playing, as low-priced student level wood clarinets go I have been impressed by the Leblanc France VLC (not the Vito VLC, which is similar but of lesser quality) I acquired in my early enthusiasm. It is grenadilla wood and can be had used for a song, although some may need a repad. It would be a great first clarinet, and you wouldn't be out a lot of money if your son decides not to pursue it or wants a more expensive one in a year or two. Others may have some other good ideas for good wood student clarints.
However, if the high school band is also a marching band or plays a lot in the outdoors, I would highly endorse a good non-wood clarinet unless the band director objects or you want to buy two clarinets. Wood clarinets do not stand up well to the weather. In the non-wood category, a former Navy Band clarinetist who has played in local concert bands showed up in a community band I play in with a Backun Alpha, a student-level composite clarinet that he picked up on closeout for under $500. He pronounced it a pretty good clarinet. Backuns have a pretty good reputation, although I cannot say that I have ever played one. There is also the Ridenour 576bc. It's a hard rubber instrument designed and marketed by Tom Ridenour, a former Leblanc clarinet designer. It's just under $1000 direct from him, and you have the added advantages that you can communicate directly with him, he will accept returns if you find the instrument unsatisfactory, and will do repairs on it if needed. He also checks the instruments out and tweaks them before selling them. I have one of his Lyrique Libertas models (the pro model) for a backup to my wood clarinets and really like it. Just some ideas. I sure others can come up with other good ideas for getting your son started with an instrument that will inspire him.
|
|
The Clarinet BBoard
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
