<p>Hey everyone! I'm sorry to intrude over here, but I was wondering if there is anyone who would be kind enough to discuss buying a clarinet with me. The little person is 10 years old and currently has a resin Jean Baptiste which he's had for a couple of years. He's going to be in a music magnet starting in September and also in the marching band. We were thinking of stepping up to the next level of clarinet and letting him use the resin one for marching band. Does anyone have any advice as to what would be appropriate for a child this age, where to buy it, and what to expect to pay? I'd be very, very grateful for anyone's time.</p>
<p>Try a Selmer Bundy, or a Buffet B12. Top notch, entry level horns for a few hundred bucks.</p>
<p>I’d stick with the resin a year or two more and then go E-11 which will give you enough traction until Freshman/Sophomore year at high school when it’s time to break out the big bucks on the R-13. </p>
<p>To improve current sound, you could start playing with some upgraded barrels.</p>
<p>I am no expert but Zep’s advice is pretty much what our clarinet teacher would probably say.
We paid $800 for the E11 a few years ago, so around $1,000-1200 should be the current going rate. Just beware that if you are planning Marching Band in high school, you will need an “outdoor” clarinet for a long time (that is, one that could withstand the dirt. Actual dirt.)
I’ve mentioned on another thread that having our teacher help us pick out some E11’s for D to try was worth paying her the little extra money, when it was time to get serious.
Nice to see another clarinet family is out there! Zep is full of info, he’s a great help.</p>
<p>Whatever you wind up with, it is worth going somewhere where you can try several different examples of the same model. They do vary from one to the next and it is nice to have the pick of the litter. Definitely keep the resin instrument on hand for marching band.</p>
<p>Wow I can’t believe how much these prices have been inflating! It’s wild. I remember in 2004, 2005, on Woodwind Brasswind the B12s were around $200, E11s were $500-600, and R13s came around $2000. Most of those prices have now doubled, and then some!</p>
<p>Maybe in that case then, yes you should consider upgrading accessories instead of the horn itself. Barrels and bells have some effect on the sound, and barrels in particular have a large effect on intonation. Mouthpieces, however, are VERY important - probably the most important part of any clarinet; and it is vital to make sure to have a solid piece for him. Do some research and try out some. A nice, upscale ligature can also help tone quality.</p>
<p>Yikes! Hadn’t checked Buffet prices recently and we’re talking real sticker shock here!!!</p>
<p>Around May of 2006, Buffet instituted a “minimum retail price” policy, which jacked prices at WWBW up by around 20%. This was in response to “Mom and Pop” shops saying there were being driven out of business like big concerns such as WWBW, Sam Ash, etc. Besides that, the weak dollar (which is reversing now), also impacted the prices.</p>
<p>The Yamaha line of horns is very reasonable and should be considered too. They sound great and I was seriously considering forcing my D down that path, but she was too deep into Buffet by then. </p>
<p>Mouthpieces, ligatures and as I mentioned before, barrels are important ways to “finish” the sound and help make the lesser horns sound much better. And yes, everyone needs at least one outdoor horn. My D has kept her B-12 for outdoor performances until she can get the money together for a Greenline R-13.</p>
<p>You guys are amazing. Thanks so very much. The Little King does actually play in a marching band with other 8, 9 and 10 year olds and will continue on with that, so an “outdoor instrument” is a great thing to have. I spoke with someone at our local music store last night and he said that he’d recommend a used, higher quality instrument at this age. What do you all think of that? He has a Van Doren mouthpiece and ligature which he seems very attached to, but someone recommended the “Jody Jazz” mouthpiece with spoiler. Anyone know anything about that?</p>
<p>Used horns are a great way to go, but you should make sure you can have your S try it, preferrably with the teacher there so they can evaluate the sound, as well as the state of repair/disrepair. Also remember that wood horns add a level of care and concern in terms of humidity and temperature. They do crack! I don’t think a wood horn is necessary for a 10 year old and you have to consider if they’re ready to take the responsibility for caring properly for a wooden clarinet. </p>
<p>At this age, most students need to develop technique to be able to play the correct notes with the correct timing. The expression will come later, and a plastic horn is not expression limiting at this point unless you’ve got the next Ricardo Morales coming up. My D said that one of the most amazing young players she ever heard was at Interlochen with her and played a plastic horn because that’s all his family could afford…</p>
<p>Jody Jazz isn’t anything in our mouthpiece collection or vocabulary. We’ve got multiple Vandorens, a couple of Hawkins and we’re always on the search for the elusive Kaspar… </p>
<p>We’ve got standard Buffet barrels, Buffet Chadash barrels and Backun barrels…</p>
<p>Ligatures? There’s inventory in those instrument cases: metal ones, leather ones, some that look like they were designed by NASA, and some that you’d actually recognize as a woodwind ligature…</p>
<p>Reeds? Oy do we have reeds! Mostly Vandoren, in many, many different strengths and colored boxes, but there are Ricos around too. </p>
<p>As with anything else clarinet or instrument related, “try before you buy,” even if you’re talking used.</p>
<p>I’ll second everything above, Zoosermom. We bought first wood clarinet for S when he was entering middle school, but only after he had spent a day trying out every instrument available (we actually stopped by the wwbw store). His favorite turned out to be a used Buffet International at $500. He absolutely loved it. It served him well all the way to high school, when we upgraded to a Buffet Vintage (with the assistance of his teacher), but it is still his back-up clarinet. He uses a school rental plastic clarinet for all outdoor playing. Yup, Imperial Zepp, also have the barrels, ligatures, mouthpieces, and several thousands of reeds adorning our living room (and then I hear him complaining about not being able to find a good reed!) The joys of being a clarinetparent.</p>