Clarinet advice needed if possible please

[sharon]

I know this is a sax forum but I bet some of you know a bit about clarinets and you're all I've got 🙂

My daughter aged 12 has signed up to play clarinet at school. I'm really pleased as I'd like the kids to play an instrument but have never pushed them. Thing is as she has no musical experience (except a bit of violin at age 7 >.< ) I think the clarinets will be given out to those with a bit of musical knowledge first.

Anyhow, I've said I'll provide her with her own clarinet if it means starting with the others. So, what do I need to look out for re: price and quality. Obviously I don't want to spend the earth in case she doesn't like it...although I might hang onto it myself ...


As always, any help or advice most gratefully received.

🙂 Sharon

Oh by the way Pete, I really like the new forum look

 

[philthd]

a beginner clarinet player will pretty much only play in the chalameau - the lowest register - and it is in the highter registers that you will notice the most significant difference in quality between well made and poor instruments.

my old clarinet was literally a piece of junk - though i didnt realise it at the time i bought it, its pieces of at least 3 different instruments of different makes and materials. and i passed my grade 3 on this thing before deciding to concentrate on the sax.

if youre prepared to think of it as a stepping stone you can do ok on a fairly cheap instrument and look to upgrade as you progress. there was a time when the world was full of cheap boosey's and buffets and selmer student models and such like. but now there are lots of indian and chinese instruments of varying qualities to muddy the waters.

you must make sure though that it has boehm system keys (and not albert or oehler or anything else) or even a teacher might not know the correct fingerings (unless theyre german) and a german style mouthpiece should also be avoided - but these are the sort of pitfalls youre more likely to hit on ebay or something than in a shop.

if you do buy through a shop find out how to get on the scheme that gets VAT taken off for schoolkids

and then theres always hiring as a good option

 

[fecklesseric]

This isn't an advert or anything - I know nothing about clarinets - but Hanson do clarinets as well as saxes. And if their clarinets are of the same quality, then they might be worth looking at.


If nothing else, they will be friendly and honest if you give them a ring and ask to talk.

The url for their site is "http://www.hansonclarinets.com".

 

[nick_cook]

[color😛urple]Hi Sharon, the bloke at www.saxhire.co.uk does clarinets on buy or hire/buy. He apparently has a good reputation.
[/color]

 

[Pete Thomas]

Oh by the way Pete, I really like the new forum look

Thanks, I'm still getting used to it.

Yes, it would be worth ringing Hansons, also Woodwind & Brass Ltd. Both helpful and good advice with quailty instruments.

 

[Rogerb]

Hanson clarinets are made in England and are, if this is possible 😉 , even better than their saxophones!

I have a pro clarinet-player friend who raves over his Hanson T5

 

[Pete Thomas]

Rogerb wrote:
Hanson clarinets are made in England and are, if this is possible 😉 , even better than their saxophones!

I have a pro clarinet-player friend who raves over his Hanson T5

I'm not sure the student clarinets would be made in England though.

 

[jonf]

Sharon


As with a sax the best thing you can possibly do is take along someone who has played for a while to a decent shop, and get them to play a few. If that's not possible, I'd go along with Nick's suggestion of saxhire.co.uk. The bloke who runs it doesn't sell/hire any junk, his prices are good, and the outlay if you hire is small if, for any reason it doesn't work out. I really wouldn't suggest forking out on a wooden clarinet for a beginner. They're seriously expensively, and need to be properly looked after.

Clarinets make a good stepping stone to a sax, as well

Jon

 

[Rogerb]

Pete Thomas wrote:

Rogerb wrote:
Hanson clarinets are made in England and are, if this is possible 😉 , even better than their saxophones!

I have a pro clarinet-player friend who raves over his Hanson T5

I'm not sure the student clarinets would be made in England though.

You are mistaken, Pete...Alastair assures me that the bodies of all their Hanson-branded clarinets are made in Yorkshire, although the keywork is Chinese.

 

[griff136]

Sharon,
most decent music shops will hire you a clarinet and then if you decide to buy it they take the hire price off the total for the clarinet.

steer clear of new "cheaper" brands and go for something you can afford I would recommend buffet b12, Yamaha 250 or the jupiter clarinets.

the shop I work in has ex rental and pre owned clarinets for sale.

Also bear in mind that if you buy one new off the net then its more than likely still in its wrapping fron the factory and will not be set up to it optimum playing condition.

at www.justflutes.com all the insturments are thoroughly checked and set up, you also get a free 1st year checkover at the end of the first year.

I'm no salesman but I am a repairer and see so many nasty cheap clarinets that are not well built and dont cost much money to purchase but cost more to keep putting right as the materials used are soft and the keys bend etc.


and yamahas and jupiter are even cheaper.

good luck and let us know how you get on.

 

[Bobby G]

Why are there always so many clarinets, and quite e few flutes, displayed in places like Cash Converters? Where do they all come from?

Cheers, Bob

 

[sharon]

[No message]

 

[philthd]

at the risk of alienating people whove never frequented the streets of swansea from the conversation...

where in town have they put that then?

 

[Rogerb]

sharon wrote:

Alice is seeing her music teacher today to find out what she can do, be it have a school instrument or buy one and then we'll see about getting one. What I might do is buy a sort of mid range one (woodwind and brass sort of standard) and if she takes to it fork out for a more expensive one.

We have now got a Cranes music shop in town (which was a bit of a revelation 😱 ) I might also pop in there and let her handle a few. I suppose with the better known student makes you are getting a free blowing instrument. Thing is whereas an adult might persevere, kids like it easy to start with and I don't want to put her off.

I shall let you know how we get on.

Sharon

If you get a cheaper Hanson , Sharon, I'm sure you'll get an excellent deal if you subsequently wish to upgrade....don't be put off by a teacher who says "She *has* to have a Yamaha(or whatever)" ... Hansons will compete with the best 🙂

 

[philthd]

Bobby G wrote:
Why are there always so many clarinets, and quite e few flutes, displayed in places like Cash Converters? Where do they all come from?

Cheers, Bob

school strong rooms that have been snuck into?
old instruments its just not economical to make play right?

converters seem to have staff who understand the value of electrical equipment and bikes and old cds but dont seem too discerning when it comes to old orchestral instruments

 

[sharon]

at the risk of alienating people whove never frequented the streets of swansea from the conversation...

where in town have they put that then?

Well Phil, it was a surprise to me because as you know you can only buy guitars in Swansea. It's at the back of St. Mary's Church, you know the St. David's building with nothing in it, well except Iceland, This shop is next to Iceland, I think it used to be Hypervalue - it's huge

A guitarist friend of mine just happened to mention that he had bought a guitar there. I haven't been in, just peeked in the window when it was closed. I spied right at the back, over in the corner behind all the guitars, drums, organs et al - Saxophones Still haven't had time to go back though.

You wouldn't recognise bits of Swansea these days.

Sharon

 

[sharon]

If you get a cheaper Hanson , Sharon, I'm sure you'll get an excellent deal if you subsequently wish to upgrade....don't be put off by a teacher who says "She *has* to have a Yamaha(or whatever)" ... Hansons will compete with the best 🙂

Thanks Roger - I'm sure you're right, I may well go down that route.

She's seen her music teacher today who says She will be able to play if she's got her own instrument, but she has to see the Clarinet teacher on Monday to find out the details. One of the main reasons I wanted some advice was in case the Clarinet teacher does the old "she must have that one" and I wanted to be a bit knowledgable in case I have to disagree. Never nice to be told what to do is it 😛

Sharon

 

[philthd]

sharon wrote:

at the risk of alienating people whove never frequented the streets of swansea from the conversation...

where in town have they put that then?

Well Phil, it was a surprise to me because as you know you can only buy guitars in Swansea. It's at the back of St. Mary's Church, you know the St. David's building with nothing in it, well except Iceland, This shop is next to Iceland, I think it used to be Hypervalue - it's huge

A guitarist friend of mine just happened to mention that he had bought a guitar there. I haven't been in, just peeked in the window when it was closed. I spied right at the back, over in the corner behind all the guitars, drums, organs et al - Saxophones Still haven't had time to go back though.

You wouldn't recognise bits of Swansea these days.

Sharon

i used to love the desolate emptiness of the st davids centre, and spend many many pounds on crap in that hypervalue (mmmm imported out-of-date food)

 

[sharon]

i used to love the desolate emptiness of the st davids centre, and spend many many pounds on crap in that hypervalue (mmmm imported out-of-date food)

:laugh: You've described it perfectly, I can almost see the tumbleweed and hear the wind whistling through the brick pillars.

Sharon