 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: ruben
Date: 2026-04-24 16:31
Does there exist an affordable, half-way decent e-flat clarinet? -Chinese maybe. As I would only seldom use this instrument, there is no point in spending too much money on one. Thank you.
rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com
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Author: David H. Kinder
Date: 2026-04-24 18:37
Ridenour makes one: $2,395
https://www.rclarinetproducts.com/libertas-ebsoprano
Ridenour AureA Bb clarinet
Ridenour Artist Homage and MT36 mouthpieces
Vandoren Optimum black ligature (plate 1)
Vandoren Traditional #3.5 & #5 reeds
Brad Behn HR adjustable barrel
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Author: lmliberson
Date: 2026-04-24 20:46
Well, Ruben, no matter how expensive or how inexpensive an E-flat clarinet may be, if the intonation is questionable the instrument is useless.
That really should be your primary criteria in seeking out an E-flat clarinet, aka "the weapon".
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Author: donald
Date: 2026-04-25 03:03
My old Leblanc LL (2nd hand from a retired pro) had very ergonomic keys and fine intonation. I switched to an R13 for better tone but always had little niggly problems here and there. A pro Symphony here in NZ owns a Noblet which I had to borrow for a gig once, and it was surprisingly good, I'd look for one of these if on a limited budget...
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2026-04-25 08:22
Older Leblancs are often relatively affordable and not bad.
I have an old Vito (I bought it new in 1990) and it's decent, but sharp with the stock barrel. You can open it a lot or get a different barrel. It's not the best, but it might be the lowest cost option that is half decent if you find one. A semi professional orchestra sometimes borrows it from me so it's good enough for that at least.
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Author: ruben
Date: 2026-04-25 09:42
Donald: Noblet is a good idea. Their C clarinet was very good. Noblet was a student-model Leblanc.
rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com
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Author: ruben
Date: 2026-04-25 13:43
m1964: This seems to only be a b flat clarinet.
rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com
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Author: ruben
Date: 2026-04-25 19:35
Micke: I think you've nailed it! The Thomann seems the best buy. The Selmer E-flat Muse costs ten times as much!
rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com
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Author: m1964
Date: 2026-04-25 22:48
ruben wrote:
> Micke: I think you've nailed it! The Thomann seems the best
> buy. The Selmer E-flat Muse costs ten times as much!
The law of diminishing returns?
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Author: prigault
Date: 2026-04-26 04:18
I am quite happy with my Buffet E-11 that I have had for three years. More than decent clarinet for a more than decent price (I had it shipped from Thomann, here in Canada, clarinet prices are high in general, and Eb clarinets are just insane). I did want a decent instrument for my uses (clarinet quartet and concert band) before I knew if I would play a Eb enough (or be good enough at it) to go for Tosca/Muse prices.
The construction (much better than the E-11 Bb) and keywork are very decent. I like the little nylon screw under the left/right keys bridge, which allows the precise setting of the key height for the intonation of the upper chalumeau and throat notes.
At the time of the purchase, I only tried the Yamaha YCL-681 (three times the price) for comparison. I found the Yamaha sound quality a little more pleasing in the lower register (which does not see much uses in Eb scores), but liked it less ergonomically (I have large hands).
I also tried a bunch of aftermarket accessories on the E-11 (Backun barrels allow the use of Bb reeds, for example) and did not find they improved anything (certainly not the looks).
After three years, my view has not changed: I am not ashamed in any way to play with it, but don't use it enough to justify an instrument at several times the price, aware that the biggest upgrade to it still lies between the reed and the chair.
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Author: elmo lewis
Date: 2026-04-26 19:46
If you want a decent plastic student eefer, I recommend the Century brand. It also says Deutschland on the case. It costs about $250 here in Mexico. It's a sturdy, well-made horn, far superior to the average Chinese clarinet. The intonation is no worse than other student eefers. My beginning students are also using the Century b-flat. At $200 it's just as good as the Yamaha beginners clarinet at one-third the price. None of the instruments has needed any maintenance or repair, not even a new pad or corks.
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Author: Kalashnikirby
Date: 2026-04-26 22:54
The Thomann eefer (which is sold under many different brand names) is the instrument of my choice and crazy good for it's price. I've got some very positive feedback on the tone and intonation, which is worth something on an eefer (just played Bernstein's Three Dances from On The Town). Also, up to g''' or g#''', with the right fingerings intonation is pretty good. I tested it extensively against an RC eb and it fared very well, with some notes working better on my eefer. But of course, anything above the d''' needs your attention and while it depends on the piece, more often than not you'll find yourself having to get along with the piccolo *and* other clarinets.
But there are fine instruments out there. Heck, I won't even need a better one with how my instrument performed. It is most important to then work on the correct setup. In another thread, I've already recommended the Backun Vocalise mouthpieces, as they're optimized for synthetic reeds, which I appreciate a lot on eb for their controlled response and flexibility.
Then there's alternative fingerings... I found some extreme differences between instruments (and the noblet or bundy eefers didn't perform favorably in that regard, imho). You can email me if you get the Thomann, for the most notes I've got it figured. They differ from what's suggested in the Hadcock book.
Best regards
Christian
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Author: gwie
Date: 2026-04-27 04:54
I have an RZ student model that I bought from Thomann Music that is a pretty decent player for the price. Intonation is not as good as the Buffet RC Prestige I used to play, or the Yamaha 881 that I picked out for a student some years ago, but it is a fraction of the price. I had to get the springs adjusted because the tensions were way too high out of the box, but other than that it has been quite reliable.
I'm also eager to try out the new "Balance" series Eb ($795) from Ryan Pereira:
https://www.pereira3d.com/product-page/pereira-custom-balance-series-eb-clarinets
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