Clarinet Buying a Clarinet

[Steve John B]

the missus has come to the end of her beginners 12 month clarinet rental. she played grade 8 oboe at school (back in the 1980's!) so she picked it up quite quickly - I can't get a note out of the damn thing.


she hasn't been able to play for the last few months because she's pregnant (1 month to go) and couldn't put pressure on her tummy, but she does want to start playing again in the summer.


the shop she rented from offers £200 (I think) off one of their new instruments, but I assume this means they're quite expensive to start with.


what's the best balance between price and quality? I'm thinking second-hand but interested to know what people who actually know what they're talking about think!

personally I think she should get a proper instrument made out of metal but there you go… 😀

 

[Jamesmac]

the missus has come to the end of her beginners 12 month clarinet rental. she played grade 8 oboe at school (back in the 1980's!) so she picked it up quite quickly - I can't get a note out of the damn thing.


she hasn't been able to play for the last few months because she's pregnant (1 month to go) and couldn't put pressure on her tummy, but she does want to start playing again in the summer.


the shop she rented from offers £200 (I think) off one of their new instruments, but I assume this means they're quite expensive to start with.


what's the best balance between price and quality? I'm thinking second-hand but interested to know what people who actually know what they're talking about think!

personally I think she should get a proper instrument made out of metal but there you go… 😀

Nice to see a post that is not about the Gary Burton course.
I have had dealings with Alex at Clarinets Direct, a pro Clarinetist and very knowledgeable re. all things Clarinet. He usually has a lot to chose from, also he is as honest as the day is long. He is just outside London, and sometimes lists on Ebay, but better to contact him through his web site to get the best deal. If you google CLARINETS DIRECT.

 

[aldevis]

Nice to see a post that is not about the Gary Burton course.
I have had dealings with Alex at Clarinets Direct, a pro Clarinetist and very knowledgeable re. all things Clarinet. He usually has a lot to chose from, also he is as honest as the day is long. He is just outside London, and sometimes lists on Ebay, but better to contact him through his web site to get the best deal. If you google CLARINETS DIRECT.

I was excited too. Maybe you should enroll the newborn to the Gary Burton course.

+1 for Alex clarinetsdirect.biz
I bought few clarinets from him, and he is seriously helpful. You can probably find them cheaper on ebay, but the difference is very well spent.

edit: I checked prices of new instruments.
Unless you want to go for some ultracheap plastic clarinet (I tried an excellent Jericho for about £120, recently), I would recommend SH: some excellent stuff for less than £800. I might be selling a vintage Leblanc Classique for much less than that: if interested let's move to the yard sale.

 

[Jamesmac]

I was excited too. Maybe you should enroll the newborn to the Gary Burton course.

+1 for Alex clarinetsdirect.biz
I bought few clarinets from him, and he is seriously helpful. You can probably find them cheaper on ebay, but the difference is very well spent.

I have, and coming from an orchestral {Clarinet} background i am finding it informative, and instead of only embellishing the standards or playing transcriptions, im hoping it will give me the kick i need to ido a bit more. But enough talk, time for my daily routine.{ the neighbours should be awake LOL}
Jamesmac

 

[ProfJames]

If they are not awake yet........they soon will be! Especially with improvisation!! Is there a snooker hall above the Gary Burton Improv Class?

 

[Justin Chune]

You won't go wrong with a Yamaha clarinet new or second hand. A young tenor player I know bought a Yamaha 26 on Gumtree and got an absolute beaut for £70.

Jim.

 

[Pyrografix]

You're not a million miles from Hansons in West Yorks. Their clarinets are highly recommended by all accounts, so a day out there and you could come home with another sax too!

 

[AndyWhiteford]

Try gumtree and the local auctions & pawnshops / "cash-converter" stores.
I've picked up a couple of as-new Yamaha clarinets for around £70 or £80,
and a lovely vintage Buffet R13 out of a local auction for £100

 

[AndyWhiteford]

Is there a snooker hall above the Gary Burton Improv Class?

I went to Gary Burton's zumba-fitness class, I learned a LOT...

 

[Jamesmac]

I went to Gary Burton's zumba-fitness class, I learned a LOT...

Is that wearing your Leotard, it would be interesting to see a clip:shocked:

 

[Steve John B]

You're not a million miles from Hansons in West Yorks. Their clarinets are highly recommended by all accounts, so a day out there and you could come home with another sax too!

Had a bad experience with one of their saxophones and the subsequent customer service, will be avoiding them however good their clarinets are...

Thanks for the tips all, keep 'em coming!

 

[jonf]

I've also had dealings with Alex at clarinetsdirect.biz and been seriously impressed. I also tried the Jericho, and found it to be really excellent for the very low cost.

 

[robert1960]

I got a B&H Regent on Ebay about 18 months ago. It had hardly been used and had just been serviced and came with a spare mouthpiece, which I sold on. Although they are not current models, there are plenty of them around and my tutor tells me they are better than many of the current student clarinets. Robert

 

[Steve John B]

Thanks Robert. Her rental 'horn' (or whatever you call a clarinet - 'stick'?!) was a B&H Regent, both her and her teacher were happy enough with it. Worth keeping an eye out for a starter anyway - they seem cheaper than Yamahas certainly.

 

[jonf]

My first ever learner clarinet, about 35 years ago, was a B & H Regent. Perfectly good clari for learning on, but nowhere near as good as the £120 Jericho I tried recently. Things just move on, and the Jericho was simply better, for me at least. Amazing value for money.