Clarinets Bass clarinet on a budget?

[Paul Warner]

I would like bass clarinet again but as a pensioner I am put off by the prices. I suppose I'd necessarily be looking at a student model; the Yamaha is probably the best but expensive even used (£1400 and upwards). However, John Packer are offering ex' hire models from their student range at around £800 plus. Does anyone have advice or experience of this particular instrument?

 

[baritonesax]

I'll bet the John Packer is pretty decent, and at least as good as anything else for that kind of money. The classic low-cost bass clarinet is the Bundy resonite. I used to have one of those and it was definitely better than a slap in the belly with a wet fish, and it cost about £800 as I recall. Worth shooting an email to Alex Allen at clarinetsdirect.biz to ask what he's got too.

 

[Paul Warner]

I'll bet the John Packer is pretty decent, and at least as good as anything else for that kind of money. The classic low-cost bass clarinet is the Bundy resonite. I used to have one of those and it was definitely better than a slap in the belly with a wet fish, and it cost about £800 as I recall. Worth shooting an email to Alex Allen at clarinetsdirect.biz to ask what he's got too.

Hi .
Good to hear from you. In fact I've just come across a Selmer Bundy in decent nick for £495. Can you tell me more about them? I understand that they can play out of tune in the lower A and A.flat throat tones. What do you think?

 

[jbtsax]

Another brand that you might look at used is the Vito bass clarinet. These have been the "workhorse" in the school band programs in the U.S. I prefer them over the Bundy for the ergonomics and sound.

 

[Jules]

Hi .
Good to hear from you. In fact I've just come across a Selmer Bundy in decent nick for £495. Can you tell me more about them? I understand that they can play out of tune in the lower A and A.flat throat tones. What do you think?

I had one of these for a while and didn't have tuning problems with it....

 

[Colin the Bear]

I have an even tighter budget. Can I borrow it for a bit when you get one?

 

[Paul Warner]

Another brand that you might look at used is the Vito bass clarinet. These have been the "workhorse" in the school band programs in the U.S. I prefer them over the Bundy for the ergonomics and sound.

Interesting…..I have just found a pristine Vito at £795. Can you tell me more about them?

 

[aldevis]

Vitos are basically Noblet/Leblanc with one piece resonite body (actually made of two non disassemblable parts)
I loved mine, before upgrading to a wooden Noblet.
@kernewegor got it.

I know a good professional playing a JP

 

[kernewegor]

The Vito has a great tone.

I have been away from it for a while, concentrating on tenor sax - moving and stuff - but need to get back to it soon.

 

[Paul Warner]

Thanks Aldevis. Interesting about the JP. They seem o.k. but I was warned that the keyword may be a bit on the soft side compared with their saxes, which are very good ( I play the Cadence baritone since retiring and am really pleased with it).

 

[aldevis]

Keywork on their Bb clarinet is actually pretty good. Give them a call.

 

[AndyWhiteford]

i don't 'get on' with baritone saxophones - will I get on with Bass clarinet?
[ i'm comfortable on alto /tenor/ sop/ saxes, & Bb sop clarinet...)

 

[aldevis]

i don't 'get on' with baritone saxophones - will I get on with Bass clarinet?
[ i'm comfortable on alto /tenor/ sop/ saxes, & Bb sop clarinet...)

Probably yes

 

[Paul Warner]

Sounds as though it's worth trying…..amazing sound! Why don't you get on with the baritone?

 

[AndyWhiteford]

<> Why don't you get on with the baritone?

something about the airstream big volume to fill, weight, unwieldiness, maybe a perceived pinched/stuffiness in the upper registers. That plus the bari really shows up my penchant for too-wide-for-me mouthpieces that also affects my tenor playing. I'm hoping the bass clarinet would have near identical fingering to sop Bb clari,
but respond like a nice-&-easy-blowing tenor.
<edit> sorry for the thread hijack ;-)

 

[Paul Warner]

The bass clarinet mouthpiece is dimensionally about as wide as a bari m/p. Perhaps you mean the lay? Although probably not, come to think about it.
All the notes and fingerings are identical on both the bass and soprano clarinet, of course.
As regards the bari', it sounds to me as though you need to get the mouthpiece right and simply work on it. I can fly around on the bari' pretty much as easily and 'unstuffilly' as on the tenor (I really like the upper register sound)….not as easy on the neck mind!
I guess it's a personal thing, and you should really get access to a bass clarinet, maybe hire one, and give it a good try first.

 

[AndyWhiteford]

by "too-wide-for-me " i mean the mouthpiece's 'lay' or tip-opening.
[My mouth is plenty wide enough for me to get my big foot in, as I prove regularly on the forums.]

 

[Paul Warner]

I suppose the lay of the average bass clarinet (or soprano clarinet for that matter)is a bit closer than for the sax. Have you tried the bari with a smaller lay?
Interestingly the new Selmer Concept mouthpiece for clarinet is designed with a somewhat larger lay to make the transition easier for doublers. I'm using one on the bass and it is certainly easier going from one to the other, and it opens up the top end.
It's a great sound, even though I find clarinets in general a bit of a struggle (couldn't reach my mouth with my foot these days even with a tiger snapping up my arse!).

 

[Paul Warner]

Thought it worth saying that I have now bought an old but good Selmer Bundy one-piece B/C. Griff worked his usual wonders with it and it now works well.
Although it had a Yamaha 5c m/p with it (not bad at all), I was told by a knowledgeable dealer that the Bundy is a particularly good buy because it is very easily and effectively up-graded simply by adding a Selmer pro' m/p to it. So I bought the new Selmer Concept, said to be a good m/p for those doubling over from sax, and it all works really well.
That is….the instrument works well….as a player I've still got a way to go!
Thanks to all the above for their help.

 

[saxflutist]

Congratulations Paul for your purchase. I am learning on a Selmer (USA) resonite one-piece bass clarinet that I bought in the States several years ago. I upgraded the stock mouthpiece to a Selmer (Paris) D. It sounds surprisingly good and in tune. I only wish it went down to low C (it's a low Eb)!