 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: kurth83
Date: 2025-10-29 10:20
Someone here recently mentioned Tom Ridenour's ATG reed finishing system.
I bought it and started using it today, it gives much better results than my meager skills did. And it's dead simple to use. It takes a real genius to create a simple system that works so well.
Aging classical trumpet player learning clarinet as a second.
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Author: SecondTry
Date: 2025-11-03 19:36
PutnamFellow161 wrote:
> I guess this is the only thing he makes that is good. His
> clarinets, not so much.
Disclaimer: I have no financial stake in any music product.
In my opinion, and that of a fair number of other players, almost everything Tom Ridenour produces is of high quality, especially for its price.
I really think you should tone down your negative opinion PutnamFellow61 until at least it is not only more nicely phrased but better researched than a guess.
How would you like it if someone said, "maybe the reason for you disapproval of his wares is that you have no talent for the clarinet or music?"
Normally I'd never reintroduce such hate speech, exemption granted when self inflicted.
http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=481743&t=481730
The ATG system has paid for itself, in my discarding so few reeds, many times over. (I think I was the one that the may have advised the OP here.)
Tom produces dimensionally stable instruments with evenness of play and pitch across their range. Without him I could not have afforded my "A" clarinet.
Post Edited (2025-11-03 21:09)
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Author: SecondTry
Date: 2025-11-04 06:04
PutnamFellow161 wrote:
> It’s not a guess. I played one of his instruments throughout
> high school, thinking it was a great instrument and that the
> problem was me. I got fooled so hard. Tom and his som dismissed
> me as untalented when I was complaining about their instruments
> on YouTube even though I sound much better than Tom on my R13.
> Then they ridiculed me when I made that claim. Not good people.
>
>
> Post Edited (2025-11-04 01:44)
How is it you sound much better than Tom on your R13?
Tom, if nothing else, has a beautiful tone. Are you saying that you each played YOUR R13 and you sounded better, or that you sound better on your R13 than he does on one of his instruments?
~~~~~~~~~~~~
You claim that Tom (and his son?) ridiculed you and yet:
"My former clarinet teacher gave up on me for being horrible."
Just for the record you weren't also taking lessons with Tom Ridenour were you? That's not a joke or asked disparagingly.
Still more you wrote, albeit in 2020:
"that you were behind your peers, took two years off, and when you came back your "tone quality [was] still the same on [your] new R13."
One could only conclude from the above given a status of being behind your peers didn't change, that that same tone on your R13 was in fact not what, at least you considered a good version of yourself.
http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=481743&t=481730
You draw conclusions from one instrument and guess the entire product suite's bad because *you* had a bad experience?
While it's possible you had a bad instrument how is it most people don't feel so poorly about Ridenour's wares as you do? I mean in fairness not everyone loves RCP instruments, but I've never seen people comment that they were anywhere at the substandard you describe.
I'm sorry, either I'm missing crucial details or something is not adding up that causes me to believe that you are unfairly targeting RCP.
Show us where my conclusions are flawed (which of course is possible.)
Forget that Tom's instruments are IMHO wickedly more consistent than some Buffets I've tried. Should I disparage Buffet because I had to try numerous instruments before I found one that I liked? Is it possible that those instruments I found inferior may have been in part because they were and in part because they just weren't right for me? Is it possible others would have loved some of the instruments I passed up?
Educate us.
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Author: lmliberson
Date: 2025-11-04 15:04
"Tom, if nothing else, has a beautiful tone"
To you, that is.
What is assessed as a "beautiful tone" is purely subjective, i.e., "One man's meat is another man's poison."
I prefer to use one of W.D. Revelli's semi-notorious maxims: "You must be able to discriminate between your sound and a good one." 🙄
We all develop (generally over time with experience) our own criteria as to what constitutes our preferred kind of sound. Nobody is necessarily wrong. Some will agree with you, some will agree with the OP. Leave it at that.
Everybody has their own opinions. Honestly, who really cares?
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Author: SecondTry
Date: 2025-11-04 19:31
lmliberson wrote:
> "Tom, if nothing else, has a beautiful tone"
>
> To you, that is.
>
Do you think it bad? The man has devoted a good part of his playing career seeking to approach Harold Wright's sound, which was much loved. But again, you're right, that's something people can disagree with.
But as also you also point out, who cares. Not me. Either way, the point here was that I thought the stab against RCP products was harsh.
Ridenour's tone only came up for me in response to it's being introduced by someone else first as the relevant factor it is not.
Post Edited (2025-11-04 19:37)
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Author: lmliberson
Date: 2025-11-04 21:17
Just to clarify:
1. As to who cares? I wasn't referring to his products at all but these subjective opinions that really only apply to the person opining.
In most cases (if not all) on this BB, none of us have any clue as to the ability and experience of any of us (you and me included) to assess any particular product, etc. What I like and what I play are my own choices based on 63 years of clarinet-playing experience, 46 of those as part of major symphony orchestras and chamber ensembles. But they are quite possibly meaningless to others if they choose to follow the path I've chosen. We're all individuals - some who know what they're doing and many who don't. If someone would want to blindly copy what I use and emulate my playing (god help them...), I highly doubt that imitating me and/or my choice of equipment (or anyone else's) would bring similar results, good or bad.
2. As to my opinion (uh-oh, I used that word! 😱) of Mr. Ridenour's sound? I don't make it a point to speak of other players except to my own friends and colleagues and only if directly asked. Sorry, but I don't know you and you're not my friend or a colleague. So, most often, I refrain from answering - such as is with your question. If you believe he sounds like Harold Wright (or approaches it), that's great.
My thoughts - or opinions - as to someone's else's sound, their playing, their music-making, etc. are only important to me in how I approach my own playing - what I like and what I choose to avoid. If you can't seek your own path as a musician you simply become stale and/or imitative.
And, as opposed to both you and the OP, I have not offered any thoughts on that particular subject. It simply becomes fodder for gossip.
It's not that I'm sitting on the proverbial fence - it's that, in the end, it's ultimately just not that important.
Well, to me.
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Author: SecondTry
Date: 2025-11-04 22:07
lmliberson wrote:
> Just to clarify:
>
> 1. As to who cares? I wasn't referring to his products at all
> but these subjective opinions that really only apply to the
> person opining.
That you realize to take the opinions of people on the bboard with a grain of salt, be it because it's just one person's opinion or based on their proficiency at play or judgement doesn't mean that such opinions can't negative effect people's livelihoods.
Now make no mistake, an honestly poor product brough to light, that's fair game.
>
> In most cases (if not all) on this BB, none of us have any clue
> as to the ability and experience of any of us (you and me
> included) to assess any particular product, etc.
True, but the individual presenting that opinion was quite clear on his own inadequacy, albeit said (again at his own admission) during a point of despondency and several years ago at that (much that his recent criticisms of RCP still exist: this thread not the first.)
And again, to the extent that was just his negatively biased opinion of himself, he reported some teacher of his also left wanting more or his play. But I admit to have 0 context there.
Ridenour makes quality product, not some cryogenically enhanced ligature metal that forms the butt of jokes. A pro should temper negative reviews, let a self proclaimed (once?) remedial player looking to blame equipment.
> What I like and what I play are my own choices based on 63 years of
> clarinet-playing experience, 46 of those as part of major
> symphony orchestras and chamber ensembles.
Sounds good. It also sounds like you're not only light years more proficient than the individual who put down RCP but you're also less likely to be so openly judgmental. Thanks, that's sort of my point.
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Author: lmliberson
Date: 2025-11-04 22:36
Well, I’m not commenting directly on anyone’s opinion, yours or the OP. However, I would like to think (perhaps incorrectly?) that when someone makes comments about a product or player or whatever that those who read such comments might ponder what is being written somewhat critically? If ya don’t think, what’s the point of reading.
There’s plenty on these pages that I would consider pure drivel (is there impure drivel?). It’s whether or not this can be be discerned by the reader. Back in the day, I recall reading in the original Clarinet magazine (the small one published in the 1950’s) suggesting that if one hung a string inside the bore of the Bb it would convert it into an A. Okay….well, now we hear how AI can evaluate one’s playing. Good luck with that. It’s mind-boggling (to me, anyway) what some people buy into. Critical thinking - and, perhaps, a wise teacher?
And, btw, I can be very judgmental. Just not here. Well, until I have a weak moment…
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Author: kdk
Date: 2025-11-04 23:24
lmliberson wrote:
> There’s plenty on these pages that I would consider pure
> drivel (is there impure drivel?). It’s whether or not this
> can be be discerned by the reader. Back in the day, I recall
> reading in the original Clarinet magazine (the small one
> published in the 1950’s) suggesting that if one hung a string
> inside the bore of the Bb it would convert it into an A.
I've read that, too, but it was suggested by someone here, a lot more recently than the 1950s. Apparently, some legends have long lives. I actually went as far as to get a piece of string and test the idea. Apparently, I didn't use the right string.
And I still use an A clarinet when needed.
Karl
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Author: lmliberson
Date: 2025-11-05 00:09
Yeah, Karl - my first clarinet teacher (a long time ago, in a galaxy seemingly far away) had a slew of those old magazines in his office which he gave me to read. I copied practically every hint in those magazines down in my primitive cursive (which is even more primitive these days!) to refer to later.
I still have them today!
My favorite: "If you wish to ruin your embouchure in a hurry, smoke a pipe or cigar or eat something on which there is a lot of salad oil. Result: the reed will feel as soft as tissue paper.....Cigarettes do not seem to affect the embouchure."
Which is why I never took up smoking cigars in junior high school!
The rest is history.
P.S. My high school owned a couple of Buffet R-13 A clarinets which I got to play for the last three years of my high school career. I have no idea if they were any good but I sure felt official playing them.
Thank god for that as I also didn't have the correct type of string...
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Author: David H. Kinder
Date: 2025-11-05 01:56
lmliberson wrote:
> There’s plenty on these pages that I would consider pure
> drivel (is there impure drivel?). It’s whether or not this
> can be be discerned by the reader. Back in the day, I recall
> reading in the original Clarinet magazine (the small one
> published in the 1950’s) suggesting that if one hung a string
> inside the bore of the Bb it would convert it into an A.
> Okay….well, now we hear how AI can evaluate one’s playing.
> Good luck with that. It’s mind-boggling (to me, anyway) what
> some people buy into. Critical thinking - and, perhaps, a wise
> teacher?
>
> And, btw, I can be very judgmental. Just not here. Well, until
> I have a weak moment…
Obviously that's just insane, but if one did believe that... Backun has a barrel to try to sell you:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/IzU0CreE6To
Ridenour AureA Bb clarinet
Ridenour Homage mouthpiece
Vandoren Optimum Silver ligature (plate 1)
Vandoren Traditional #4 reeds
ATG System, Cordier Reed Trimmer, and A.L.E. Reed Balancer
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Author: SecondTry
Date: 2025-11-05 06:08
PutnamFellow161 wrote:
>
> My teacher had issue with my tone quality which was affected by
> the Ridenour clarinet. If I had an R13 instead, he would have
> called me his most talented student.
Owning both makes of instruments and having tried many from each, the only conclusion I can draw from this is that you weren't the only one deficient in skill here, so was your teacher.
I can get that one instrument may play better than the other, but the difference your describe doesn't comport with reality.
Either the teacher tried (which he should have) your instrument and couldn't reproduce your problems, suggesting it you not the instrument, or he did reproduce the problems and would be absurd in wanting to drop a student whose deficiencies weren't you, the student's fault, (making him a jerk) or he didn't try the instrument and assumed the problem was with you, which makes him a jerk.
Did he at least test that the instrument properly sealed?
(During Covid I could spray an instrument to prevent disease transmission.)
You had others try the RCP clarinet, yes? Where there structural defects that others could produce?
Something is not adding up here. Tom would not send an instrument out the door that he didn't personally set up and play test first. Was it damaged in shipment somehow?
Post Edited (2025-11-05 06:09)
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Author: SecondTry
Date: 2025-11-05 23:32
PutnamFellow161 wrote:
> Lmfao your English was so bad that I wasn’t able to
> comprehend what you were trying to say. “base clarinet”
>
> I know it was the Ridenour clarinet and not me anyway so it
> doesn’t matter whether or not my teacher tried it or not.
>
Wow, all my arguments, including the 99.99% spelt correctly fly out the door for you because I spelt bass clarinet, base clarinet, the spell checking missing that for lack of contextual misspelling?
You had trouble following that, let alone in context, really? Trouble sounding it out?
That's "the hill" your placing your fight on?????
Here's one of the bboard's rules. Go look it up if you don't believe me.
"No pointing out spelling errors - even in jest. If you have something to contribute to the thread, you of course should spell everything in your answer correctly - no need to propagate the mistake!"
If you couldn't follow me it's far more evidence of you lacking capacity here, not me.
> The bad players I was talking about all had bad tone quality.
> I’m done here, Ridenour.
So let's follow this line of reasoning here. All the players you were talking about, that being the student's of the teacher who broke things off with you, had baseline bad tone, but when you played an RCP instrument your lousy tone so stood out even compared to these students that this was the defining reason that teacher broke things off for you.
PutnamFellow61: it is clear to anyone reading this that your tone stinks, and I don't mean the one you produce on the clarinet.
I cannot stress enough that I am not, nor do I have any connection to Ridenour clarinet products. You need look no further than my history here to see that.
If anything, and I personally doubt it, fingers could be far easier be pointed at you being his competition given this isn't your first foray into RCP bashing here.
Post Edited (2025-11-06 00:17)
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Author: TomS
Date: 2025-11-09 19:28
Used ATG system for several years until I started using the Vandoren VK1 synthetics on M15/13 and B40-lyre/13 (miles apart, but depends on venue and my mood) ...
Also have several of Tom's clarinets.
But a really good cane reed is preferable. I'm too busy to spend much time finding reeds ... stopped playing in ensembles and now working on fundamentals at age 73!
Hat's off to Tom for his relentless work for the clarinet community!
Tom
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Author: David H. Kinder
Date: 2025-11-11 01:25
OmniClarinet314, PutnamFellow, ClarinetGod... all the same person probably with a multiple personality disorder.
Can't back up anything he says and just loves to poke fun at Ridenour.
It's unfortunate that this forum's outdated technology doesn't do well at blocking your IP because I know that Dave Charette has done this multiple times.
You claim you were depressed and blamed yourself when you shouldn't have? I think someone gave you some happy pills and then you decided to deflect on anyone and everyone.
Now, when you say that everyone who plays a Ridenour would sound better on any other clarinet... here's Bob Straka playing on a Ridenour (although with Brad Behn mouthpiece and adjustable barrel).
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Ej1IxPdYIt8
Oh, and I'm sending this thread to Dave Charette again.
Ridenour AureA Bb clarinet
Ridenour Homage mouthpiece
Vandoren Optimum Silver ligature (plate 1)
Vandoren Traditional #4 reeds
ATG System, Cordier Reed Trimmer, and A.L.E. Reed Balancer
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Author: Slowoldman
Date: 2025-11-11 02:36
Whether this is a disagreement that has gone off the rails, or trolling that's drawn a crowd, I agree that it may be time to close this thread. It seems to have gone completely away from the original topic.
Amateur musician, retired physician
Delaware Valley Wind Symphony, clarinet 1
Bucks County Symphony Orchestra, clarinet 2 (sub)
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Author: DougR
Date: 2025-11-11 02:48
I have less than no interest in getting into a flame war about Tom Ridenour's products. I'll simply say I was turned on to his ATG system by a top player in the NYC market (including NY Philharmonic and Metropolitan Opera) who uses and recommends his ATG system. I tried it, and it works. I do resort to a reed knife now and then, because it's marginally more convenient, and because Vandoren reeds have improved so much over the last few years that they barely need any fiddling at all. But the ATG apparatus has saved me from throwing out innumerable reeds. Period.
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Author: SecondTry
Date: 2025-11-11 19:01
OmniClarinet314 wrote:
> I'm not impressed by Bob Straka's tone quality. I've heard high
> schoolers who sound better than him on R13s. Actual good
> clarinets. Ridenour should just stop making clarinets.
>
>
> Post Edited (2025-11-11 18:35)
* Many people on this board play or put into their taglines the use of Ridenour clarinets.
* I venture to say that far less so advertise use of an E11: no offense to Buffet as it being their entry level wood instrument less targeted to advanced and professional players.
I also venture to say that this is so because many people like Ridenour instruments. If that's not you, well no one person can be all things to all people.
I found a video of this Bob Straka you mention on Youtube. I have no idea whose instrument he was playing but I thought his tone lovely.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ej1IxPdYIt8
Before you criticize it I'd suggest two things from you no less than that you've expected of others: like Bob come out from behind your bboard handle and provide your name, and second, put a video on Youtube of your play. Pray tell, why do suppose its he who has the orchestra slot and not the high schoolers you mention?
Given all the off the rails trash talk of Ridenour Clarinet Products (RCP) in this thread it is only fair that it be balanced. Here goes:
Not simply given the dwindling supply of African Blackwood from which to make instruments, (which as Tom points out was its originally chosen material not for sound reasons but the almighty dollar,) but the potential for wood to change its shape on an instrument (i.e. clarinet) already inherent to its design being a compromise in getting as many notes to play as closely in tune as possible, Tom puts forth reliable and affordable hard rubber instruments that hold the pitch and color of their sound, even in resistance across registers, while the player modulates the pressure of their air column.
Maybe how RCP clarinets fight back makes it less than your cup of tea, but some players like this.
That said, I am so sick and tired of people on the internet who, under the cloak of anonymity, present the worst versions of themselves that they'd be too chicken to manifest face to face. I'm not perfect but I try to act online no differently than in person. Again, to beat a dead horse, I'm not financially impacted in this business space.
If you don't like a product feel free to say "in my opinion" .... and why. But these one liners that trash talk a vendor are unfair IMO to their making a decent living.
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Author: David H. Kinder
Date: 2025-11-11 21:13
Bob Straka has a masters in clarinet performance from Yale. His clarinets are stencils of Ridenours as they are final prototypes without logos. They're the Libertas II models.
https://www.rclarinetproducts.com/bob-straka-artist
Ridenour AureA Bb clarinet
Ridenour Homage mouthpiece
Vandoren Optimum Silver ligature (plate 1)
Vandoren Traditional #4 reeds
ATG System, Cordier Reed Trimmer, and A.L.E. Reed Balancer
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Author: David H. Kinder
Date: 2025-11-11 21:32
I'll just add that Tom dropped another video about a month ago with Crystal Biccum - a professional retired MILITARY clarinetist.
Admittedly, I bet some of the talking points were 'fed' to her... and budget considerations may have been the primary motivation for considering Ridenour's line, but she gives her opinion and a brief sample of her playing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koIfw8QjUCc
(I don't know enough HTML to make that a hyperlink. Sorry.)
Ridenour AureA Bb clarinet
Ridenour Homage mouthpiece
Vandoren Optimum Silver ligature (plate 1)
Vandoren Traditional #4 reeds
ATG System, Cordier Reed Trimmer, and A.L.E. Reed Balancer
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Author: David H. Kinder
Date: 2025-11-11 22:41
Oh it's the same person. I have absolutely no doubt about that.
Ridenour AureA Bb clarinet
Ridenour Homage mouthpiece
Vandoren Optimum Silver ligature (plate 1)
Vandoren Traditional #4 reeds
ATG System, Cordier Reed Trimmer, and A.L.E. Reed Balancer
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Author: kdk
Date: 2025-11-11 22:41
OK, enough. There's no longer useful information being generated as it has devolved into no more than personal sniping back and forth among a trio of people.
Karl
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