Buy Your First Clarinet
When you or your child become excited about playing the clarinet, the instinct is to buy the best one, which also costs the most. It might seem like a good idea at the time, but if you tire of it, or do not really enjoy playing it then you have spent a lot money just to have it sit in the closet. Buy a sturdy first clarinet that's cost effective and has pretty good tone or you can rent one, when you are tired of it you return it.
Contents
Steps
- Make sure that you are interested in a student clarinet. This is an investment, so you'll want to spend your money wisely. The good news is that quality instruments appreciate in value: you can usually resell the instrument for at least the amount of the original purchase.
- Buy a reputable brand. Remember that as a beginner a plastic clarinet (and resin and resonite) as it is more durable than wood and is much cheaper. Remember when it comes to clarinets, plastic is good, not bad. Do not think that plastic in clarinets is the cheap plastic, it is meant for the clarinet, and are practically indistinguishable to most listeners. For new or used clarinets, try Buffet-Crampon, Yamaha, Selmer Paris, or Leblanc for top notch clarinets. Selmer USA, Vito, and Jupiter make decent quality clarinets also. The best Student clarinets include the Buffet B12, Leblanc LB320, Yamaha YCL-255. As for intermediate clarinets the Buffet E11, Yamaha YCL450N, Leblanc LB210N, and Selmer USA CL211. Do not get tricked into buying any of these brands as they are extremely cheap and will hold you back as a student: Mendini, Cecilio, Merano, Conductor, Legacy, and Lazarro and brands on eBay that are from China with no name; some of those instruments are ok but ask an expert. You can also check out Orsi and Ripamonti, and Lark, which are lesser-known foreign brands that are mainly active in the lower price range. As for older brands, a great one to look into is Bundy - many music stores have fairly cheap secondhand Bundy clarinets. These companies make reputably sound clarinets for a decent price.
- Look around at the different music stores that sell instruments in your area. Different stores have different prices and specials, so shop around.
- Search the internet. There are no major tuning or tonal problems with the mainstream student clarinets, and you can pick up a used Bundy 577 or Vito Reso-Tone, as well as the Buffet B10 and B12, and Yamaha YcL-255 (or YCL-250 as its discontinued) for a good price on the internet. As long as there is a good exchange policy for those rare cases that there are missing pads or such, internet should be no problem with student models. You might start by searching the instrument brands' websites, but sites like eBay and Craigslist may also be an option.
- Save your money and do not spend more than around $1000 for this level. If you quit, then you won't have wasted too much money.
- If you live near a reputable music store, play some instruments before buying. Most large music stores, that sell mostly instruments will welcome having you test them.
Tips
- If you buy from a music store, ask about their repair rates, if they have a rent-to-own program, if there are services they'll provide for free, etc. This is very important to know, and might help you choose which music store to give your business to.
- Ask your friends and relatives if they have a clarinet laying around, and Shop at a Garage Sale are a good place to look too.
- Don't ever throw away your student model even if you advance and buy a higher quality clarinet. You will need this one for those rough times (outside or practice) and possibly marching band. You don't want a wooden clarinet outside so you definitely want a plastic student model for those circumstances.
- Ebay can be your best friend or your worst enemy. Be sure to buy correctly on eBay and other auction sites.
- If you have a friend or band director that could come with you to play test some instruments and help you choose the one with the best tone quality, this would be very helpful.
- Especially if you are buying for a child, a good investment is a neck strap. They usually cost around $15.00 and attach to the clarinet's thumb rest, and are used to take the weight of the clarinet off the thumb and transfer it to the neck.
Warnings
- Be aware of what comes with your clarinet. Most beginner set-ups will come with a mouthpiece/ligature, a cleaning swab, cork grease, case, and (if you're lucky) a low strength reed. Make sure you get everything you need to play out of the case. It is often the sign of a good value instrument
- Do not buy cheap exports as they break apart extremely easily. The register key can break off, or the pads rot in a few months. Be very careful!
- Don't be fooled into thinking that just any clarinet will do. Stick with the reputable brands previously mentioned. A cheap instrument will end up costing you more in repairs and frustration than you ever wanted to spend.
- Try to avoid auctions. Most clarinets sold there are usually extremely old and not playable. It is possible to find a quality used clarinet but most will need work (and money) to make them playable, they are not a good choice for a beginner.
- Periodically check to make sure the instrument is in good working condition. Your best deal is to take it to a professional repair-person. Sad but true, virtually all instruments returned to the store by students who had become frustrated and no longer wished to play had some sort of major malfunction that will prevent the instrument from playing correctly. Because the student was unaware of the problem, he/she would assume that it was a lack of ability rather than a lack of a decent instrument.
- Don't buy clarinets (or any instruments) from places like Walmart, Sam's Club, Costco. These clarinets, often known by brands such as "First Act" or "Simba", are extremely poor. Their keywork are low quality and will bend or break very easily. Many repair people refuse to work on such instruments, because they tend to use non-standard parts which are not easily repaired or replaced. Avoid these like the plague.
