![]() ![]() ![]() Backun's keywork is exceptional, even better than Yamaha's in many places because they come with so many more built-in adjustment mechanisms. If you're ready to go out on a limb, the Backun Protege at $2515 comes in grenadilla with silver-plate and also includes a left hand Eb lever! Backun clarinets have a different tonal aesthetic than Buffet or Yamaha, so you'll need to try it with your current mouthpiece to see if you like what they do. And this will be a NEW instrument, not used! Two of my recent students use this combo. This combination will play circles around practically everything out there, combining Yamaha's superb fit-and-finish and intonation with Backun's premium barrel. I always replace the stock barrel (which feels stuffy to me) with a Backun MoBa 66+ barrel in grenadilla wood, which even at full retail is only $231. From a Yamaha dealer you can usually find this instrument in the neighborhood of $1800. Now, my recommendation these days as a "best bang for the buck" is the Yamaha YCL-650 Bb clarinet. ![]() It's a much different story in the 21st century! You can get both a Bb and an A for a smidgen over $5000, which is about the same as a single premium model from Buffet. Look, I personally hated Yamaha clarinets twenty years ago, their professional models were bright and unsophisticated sounding, which is why they sucked. If students MUST have something that is Buffet-like, the CSVR is the most logical choice. It blends well in sections of Buffets, yet has a much better/smoother mechanism, silver-plated keys by default, and the same superb intonation that all Yamaha clarinets have. Well, I'm assuming that the student already has a decent mouthpiece, ligature, reed, combination.įirst up at $2500 or so is the Yamaha CSVR Bb, which is truly an R-13 killer. ![]() So, the question: "I've got a lot of students who don't plan to be clarinet majors, but need equipment that is competitive at the school band and youth orchestra level, so what are they supposed to buy?" It's frustrating for teachers, and next to impossible for inexperienced students to know the difference. Any big shops locally will be picked through. The clarinet market has gotten out of hand, and the "standard" that everyone used to get, the Buffet R-13, is now priced at $3300+ for a nickel-plated version, uses less-than-exceptional wood, and has somewhat wide variation in performance so you have to play quite a few to find the ones that play well. I've had a number of new clarinet purchase inquiries lately, so here are my current recommendations. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |