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Re: Newbie help required please!

Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2007-01-14 17:05

Your daughter's tutor should certainly play the B&H 1010 and let her know whether he thinks this particular instrument is a good one. If it is, there's no reason to go to anything else. It will need an English-style mouthpiece, though. A French-style mouthpiece like the one on her Buffet will be out of tune. A top quality mouthpiece will make a big difference. I’ve played excellent ones by Edward Pillinger and Peter Eaton.

The Acton vent that Synonymous Botch mentions is a vent on the side of the lower joint, facing the palm of the right hand and attached to the right-hand rings. It improves the intonation on the large-bore 1010. Many players prefer the older instruments, but they’re often badly worn. A newer 1010 will also be excellent.

If your daughter’s tutor recommends that she stay with Buffet, the decision depends on what you can afford. If you have the money, the best upgrade is to skip the intermediate models and go to the Buffet R-13, which is a professional clarinet that the overwhelming majority of professional players use. However, a new one costs nearly $2,600. Used R-13s appear constantly on eBay, but they're a crap-shoot. The R-13 has a lot of variation, and you shouldn’t get one (even new) sight unseen. The tutor may well know of a good one, and I would take his advice. If he doesn’t, a good source is a high quality restorer such as Walter Grabner. He often has used R-13s for under $2,000.

If that's still more than you can afford, I think you should stick with the B12 and get a top quality mouthpiece and barrel. The rule of thumb is that the closer something is to your mouth, the more effect it has. The reed is most important, followed by the mouthpiece and the barrel, and a top quality mouthpiece and barrel makes a big difference. I’ve put my professional mouthpiece and barrel on an inexpensive plastic clarinet and had a hard time telling it from my R-13. Walter Grabner makes excellent ones at $185 each.

Good luck to your daughter. She’s on the greatest adventure there is.

Ken Shaw

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