 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: SecondTry
Date: 2026-07-11 20:47
Baring my introduction to clarinet as a elementary and middle school student,
I've played Buffet clarinets my whole life.
We certainly need not rehash the strengths and weaknesses in this thread of the brand, including not only the inconsistency across instruments, but need, by the more discerning player, to first be "set up" fresh out of the factory.
Not only has a cottage industry of repair techs emerged who do this, our craft has created the verb "Brannenized" to symbolize the work of Bill Brannen, who, among others "cut his teeth" doing this.
Say what you want about Buffet but there's one thing we can't disagree on: they are omnipresent in the clarinet world, and that means that repair techs and parts are available to fix them, especially in our age where mailing you instrument for repair is becoming far more common, while physically bringing it in for service less so.
But should someone make this a criterion for purchase? For example, would Yahama say, touted to produce not only incredible consistent and soprano clarinets, right out of the factory, but that themselves often require very little maintenance, be weighed against repair techs less familiar with them if/when they need service?
Needless to say we all can't use Yamaha'a Atelier service.
Maybe that's less than an ideal example. Taken more to an extreme might you turn down a Schwenk & Seggelke clarinet, touted to be one of the finest made, simply because the nearest shop that services them well is in Bamberg (or maybe that's not true?)
Post Edited (2026-07-11 22:23)
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2026-07-11 22:12
Whenever I have to service or fully overhaul a Buffet clarinet I've not previously worked on (from E13 to Tosca and above), I give a heavy sigh and say "Here we go - same old, same old" as I'm finding myself having to deal with the exact same problems that Buffet could have easily sorted out at the factory.
Selmer have also been doing stupid things with their clarinets by fitting those annoying point screws with the plastic collar, springing the throat G# with the spring in the wrong pillar and nylon pins in the LH levers. And that metal sleeved middle tenon that's crimped onto the tenon and can still shift about, only prevented from fully rotating by the LH2 ring key/C#/G# key pillar baseplate slotting into its flange on the tenon shoulder.
Yamaha out of all the big name makers are still currently building clarinets how they should be built, but could do with using more appropriate silencing materials in certain places than using natural cork.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
Independent Woodwind Repairer
Single and Double Reed Specialist
Oboes, Clarinets and Saxes
NOT A MEMBER OF N.A.M.I.R.
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: SecondTry
Date: 2026-07-12 01:59
I wonder how your thoughts about these manufacturers, as well as your relative ability to remedy issues with their wares might inform your recommendations to others Chris, not in your line of work, as it regards purchase decisions.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2026-07-12 02:20
I think you pose a two part question
ONE: Do you need to supe up your your clarinet before you take it in to your first post purchase rehearsal with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra?
TWO: Where do you go for great service?
As you know there are few folks of Chris' stature around where you can get true artistry performed regarding having a clarinet "perform" to it's highest potential (seal and appropriate spring tension that lasts for years......ten years guaranteed from the great Mr. Brannen regarding pads).
The answer is no, for the first question. You don't need best results
The answer to the second question is that you need to find a tried and true repair person near you (good luck with that), or send your clarinet to one IF you know who that person is, and where they repair clarinets (again, good luck with that).
In the states the only person I trust right now is Jonathan Copeland of Tennessee, but there may be a few others out there.
...............Paul Aviles
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2026-07-12 02:23
While I'd tell anyone buying a clarinet to try as many out as possible and narrow their choice down to the one that suits them best, I'd still recommend whatever their choice is (which is entirely personal), the brand new clarinet they bought is only built to pass the factory quality control guidelines and will benefit from a service to improve things still.
Companies that say they offer a full workshop set-up prior to sale means both anything and nothing - at most it will be inspected and minor regulation issues sorted out and at least it's still as it was when it left the factory.
I'll only service clarinets after the warranty period has expired as any warranty work should be covered by the dealer. Even then I've seen warranty work done by one of the major UK specialists to an RC clarinet where the top tenon cork had come adrift and they just ran a load of superglue to glue the flappy end of the cork down as well as got a load of superglue running down and left stuck on the joint surface.
I know what saxes I recommend above all others - they're both Japanese with both names beginning with a Y and both ending with an A. The one with the three syllable name being my first choice followed by the one with the five syllable name as my second choice.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
Independent Woodwind Repairer
Single and Double Reed Specialist
Oboes, Clarinets and Saxes
NOT A MEMBER OF N.A.M.I.R.
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: David H. Kinder
Date: 2026-07-12 11:41
You're not buying a 30+ year old car where OEM parts are hard to find.
It's a clarinet - often a Bb, French system clarinet.
Unless you need a new key, screws, or rods... you just need to adjust and replace consumables: pads and springs.
I guess this may be overly simplistic, but as long as your instrument is serviceable... I don't see a problem whether it's a pre-R13 or a Rossi clarinet.
Now getting someone to work on non-common instruments... that may be tricky. I have a Carl Fisher Albert system C clarinet that belonged to my great grandfather. One day, I'll get someone to put some pads on it and see if it will play. It shouldn't be hard to measure a pad cup and install some pads. i'm sure there's more to it, but I'd need someone comfortable enough with the instrument and willing to do it. (All the screws are lubricated and there are no issues removing anything and I've done it a few times myself.)
But for a standard clarinet - as long as you bought it as a complete instrument with no missing parts - I don't see a problem. (There are a few clarinet ads on eBay that have missing parts and I wouldn't touch those personally.)
Ridenour AureA Bb clarinet
Ridenour Artist MT36 mouthpiece
Vandoren Optimum black ligature (plate 1)
Vandoren Traditional #3.5 reeds
Brad Behn HR adjustable barrel
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Author: donald
Date: 2026-07-12 16:25
Chris- re Saxophones, I'm with you on the 3 syllable ones... just a few weeks ago I had a parent ask me to try out all the high end saxes available here in Auckland. The most expensive one (French, 2 syllables) was double the price of the one I recommended (Japanese, 3 syllables) but they went with the $17,000 (NZ$) French one DESPITE me identifying 3 things that needed to be touched up by a repair tech.... and get this... they bought it- but didn't get those 3 things (all minor, but still) fixed??????? On a brand new sax that cost more than my Prius?????
Totally weird, some people.
Anyhow, the Japanese sax was clearly better but they wouldn't listen.
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Author: lydian
Date: 2026-07-12 16:45
David nailed it. Odds I'll ever need new parts are slim to none. I'll only need pads and corks, maybe springs. So it doesn't matter what kind of clarinet I have. All can be "fixed".
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2026-07-12 16:52
I did hear from someone living in New Zealand back in the mid '70s there was a woodwind specialist who had both brand new Selmer MkVIs and Yamaha saxes in stock. The MkVIs all sold like hot cakes and the Yamahas got overlooked.
Then after a while, the MkVIs all came back in dribs and drabs and the Yamahas got snapped up by the disgruntled ex-MkVI buyers as they were shedding pillars like anything. I've seen several late MkVIs where pillars and fittings have parted company due to poor solder joints.
Of ALL the Yamaha clarinets I've worked on from entry level plastic YCL-24/YCL-26II/YCL-250 through to Custom models, Ebs, altos and basses, I honestly can't think of encountering any issues, besides old or torn skin pads which are just your typical consumables, or key corks torn off through poor handling. While Yamaha do use some precut cork and synthetic cork shapes for their keywork right across the board, at least they're using better quality and harder wearing materials that are glued on with contact adhesive than peel'n'stick EVA foam that migrates off the keys, as well as installing pads with shellac instead of hot glue.
With older and obsolete models, worn, damaged or parts can always be fabricated, tenons can be resized to fit the sockets, chipped or wonky tonehole crowns can be tidied up, cracks can be repaired and the instruments given a new lease of life.
The most important aspect is not to treat a used clarinet bought for a low price as cheap and then skimp on having any work done. Don't use the purchase price to limit your spending - look at the quality of the clarinet and the current equivalent price of a similar level model.
All well built clarinets are worth spending however much it costs to having them fully rebuilt and that's a fraction of the price of a brand new equivalent model. Even an older plastic clarinet like a B&H Regent, Vito Resotone, Selmer Bundy, Schreiber/Buffet Evette/B&H Regent II/Buffet B12, Yamaha YCL-24/26II/250 is worth fully overhauling and that is still way under the cost of a brand new one which won't have been finished to a high standard when it was originally finished.
I haven't bought a brand new clarinet for ages as I've bought most of mine off eBay and rebuilt them - mainly Selmer BT, CT and Series 9/9* for my own use and a few used as loaner clarinets which then got snapped up. The only clarinets I've bought brand new since 2000 was a Buffet Prestige bass and a Prestige basset horn - these last two definitely needed a lot of work doing to them as they were far from perfect.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
Independent Woodwind Repairer
Single and Double Reed Specialist
Oboes, Clarinets and Saxes
NOT A MEMBER OF N.A.M.I.R.
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: SecondTry
Date: 2026-07-12 18:30
...and to further David Kinder and lydian's point, even if its parts that actually need repair or replacement, we are living in an age where more and more top repair techs are running e-commerce like businesses where clients aren't simply "walk ins," but people who ship, and have shipped back their instruments for repair.
So where that tech two states over who specializes in, say, Backun specific repairs is needed, it seems that mail order repairs are becoming more standard even for the more common brands anyway......
(That was just an example of a popular, but not most popular professional clarinet brand that in no way speaks, good or bad, to the frequency that Backun clarinets require repairs.)
Post Edited (2026-07-12 22:03)
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