Question:
Student Alto Clarinets
Hello to everybody,I play usually the alto sax, soprano and clarinet...currently is the alto sax that I play frequently
Lately I am very interested for the alto clarinet I have never played it and so I would like to buy one.
Not knowing at all mechanics and various regulations I am not inclinable to buy an used instrument...
this way I am interested for a new one, but without spending too much, looking for a student model.
Around the same price I have found the Leblanc (USA) L7165, the Selmer (USA) 1425 and the Yamaha intermediate YCL-230
Someone could tell me which is the best among these in term of sound, mechanics and in general the best quality for the price?
THANKS FOR EVERY SUGGESTION!!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS:)

Answer:
First, it must be said, if you are a gigging musician, you might consider buying a bass clarinet first. I've never had a call for alto clarinet, but almost every pit band I've worked with has required the bass clarinet. Also many band instructors require two alto clarinets because one will never be heard over most bands.
If I were looking for an alto clarinet (again ;o) I'd lurk on eBay to get a feel for used prices, search this folder for 'alto', and do the same on our sister forum called . You should be able to buy a used professional instrument for significantly less than a new student instrument. And you could use this instrument the rest of your life, while you would probably end up selling the student instrument at a significant loss or giving it away.

I ended up purchasing a nice Leblanc Paris alto clarinet because of the strong intonation characteristics and great price. Every used instrument I buy I budget at least a $100 for tweaking and repairs. Many times, it costs much less but sometimes it is much more expensive.

By doing this kind of research, you will know the going price for a used vs. new instrument, have some feeling for the unique (if any) characteristics of the different manuafacturers, and may actually stumble across an exceptional deal. Like learning to play the instrument, you should not be in too much of a hurry. And if the deal is too good to be true, it probably isn't that good of a deal.

Enjoy the search.

Answer:
Thanks Gandalfe :)
Really, the clarinet is not for a group, band or other...
it is only for me, to try, to feel and hear something different...
I mainly play jazz and even if I am curious to insert it in a small group, the reason it is only personal, so, if I decide to buy one of them, I would hardly think about selling it

Thanks for the suggestions for ebay (I have bought some good vintage saxes on it and I have also looked for this instrument) and the forum.
Naturally the opinions on the various brands are conflicting and I don't succeed in deciding yet :?

Indeed you are right respect to a purchase of superior quality, as it regards the course of the prices there is an enormous discrepancy
The student models have the low price but if they have need to be repaired or almost totally revised it is not convenient to spend
Instead the most qualitative models always reach a price that, added to that of the overhaul (according to my experience always well over the $100), it is not few

However, according to your knowledge and experience, do you think that, for example a Selmer Bundy (not in wood) used but without any type of damage or repair, all inspected and ready to play it is convenient for $250?
Thanks a lot for a reply....:)

Answer:
That's an excellent price, maybe even too good. Make sure the offer and/or person offering the instrument are legit. Good luck to you.

Answer:
Hi there,
I've got a virtually new Yamaha 230 that I've had for just a couple of months but am kind of reconsidering at this point. If you think you might be interested, drop me a PM and I can tell you about it.
Cheers,
Leanne

Answer:
Several things to keep in mind:
A) If you are planning on using it for something other than personal fulfillment, an alto clarinet is a mistake. Few parts (outside of concert bands), insipid tonal quality (certainly when compared to a bass clarinet), and a quirky, compromise design of an instrument in most cases (particularly the student horns)
B) You've made a purchase to last yourself a lifetime, as there isn't much market for alto clarinets, either professional or student. I'd say that you will take a loss on one no matter the make, model or level, pure and simple.
C) If you are getting a "good" offer on a student level instrument, I'd lay odds that you are being shown a stolen school horn. School systems are the main market for these things, and it's not unheard of to have school instruments "get lost", only to turn up later as a bargain sale item.
I'd echo the opinion of our host and tell you to spend your money on a decent (even if student) bass clarinet. Much more useful musically, either in legit or jazz circles.
(All of the above advice has been offered by a person who made his first money at music playing an alto clarinet (pro Selmer model, for a Selmer factory demo way back in the day) but who has seldom touched an alto clarinet since.)

Answer:
*** Thanks to everybody for suggestions and the seriousness of interventions! This Forum is great! *** :wave:
As I have said before, my interest is only for my fulfillment (yes SOTSDO) and personal curiosity... :treble: :bass:
Why the Alto and not the Bass?
Really I don't know... I can say only that now (or better, from 25 years to now) I am not interested for deeper voices...:lowbd:
Certain in the past I have played the tenor sax for obbligato parts,
but I have not remained attracts for it...
If in expectancy I will buy another sax, my choice it would be for a straight Sopranino rather... :line6:

From the point of view of the profit, the Bass Instruments in general (Tuba, Bari, Contrabass, etc) they are the best, but this choice is not for me...

As it regards the prices of the used, I speak of e-bay market and I cannot enter the legitimacy of the sales
However, thinking better about a value to give, considered that, on average, a Chu Berry Alto in silver plated can be bought (won) for around $500 to revise but in good general conditions without damages, a ciphers less than $300 seem (in my opinion) enough reasonable for a contemporary instrument, industrially produced, with a low intrinsic value for the materials employees, unconventional and musically judged as "loser"... or not?
*** Thanks to everybody for suggestions and the seriousness of interventions! This Forum is great! *** :wave:

Answer:
Sry to chim in with the same feedback but......
I don't own alot of horns, but I got my site and love to read about popular brands of the past. I also like to see which insturments are usefull vs. toys/not usefull.
Bb Clarinet just has too extensive of a range for Eb Alto Clarinet to ever see any work. A common Quartet would be 3 Bb Clarinets and 1 Bass Clarinet, leaving the sad little Alto Clarinet out. It just can't compete with the other 2. It's like owning a C Melody sax. Their fun to have but you will probably loose money when you sell it, not be able to play it anywhere, and find yourself wishing you saved your money for a Bass Clarinet. Which will sell easily, be fun to play, and have places to play it everywhere! You show up in any community group with a Bass and they will welcome you with open arms no matter how many they already have. I can never get enough bass clarinet.

Answer:
Originally Posted by Gandalfe if you are a gigging musician, you might consider buying a bass clarinet first. I've never had a call for alto clarinet, but almost every pit band I've worked with has required the bass clarinet.
Originally Posted by SOTSDO A) If you are planning on using it for something other than personal fulfillment, an alto clarinet is a mistake. Few parts (outside of concert bands), insipid tonal quality (certainly when compared to a bass clarinet)
B) You've made a purchase to last yourself a lifetime, as there isn't much market for alto clarinets, either professional or student. I'd say that you will take a loss on one no matter the make, model or level, pure and simple.
I'd echo the opinion of our host and tell you to spend your money on a decent (even if student) bass clarinet. Much more useful musically, either in legit or jazz circles.
To offer a different opinion -
About A (and what Gandalfe wrote) - Some of us are gigging musicians, but some of our gigs are exactly our "personal fulfillment" too. I can give myself as an example. My gigs are mostly either improvised music (my own or other) in which I decide what instrument I play, or in groups where the music was composed for the instruments that I play. I also have some gigs that originally require certain instruments, but I do those mostly because I just like to do many different things and not only my music. I also like changing between different instruments in the same concert which is more interesting for me.
About B - I know one person who bought many alto (and other) clarinets on eBay, completely repaired them, and sold them without any loss at all (including repair costs).
Other than that, I can only say that I and other musicians I know just have to go with our hearts (or nature, or soul, or whatever you want to call it) and don't let a business approach interfere with that. It is just a matter of priority and what you have to do. I just "feel" I want an alto clarinet to create my music. Maybe in the future this will change (though I doubt it) but money-wise I have no problem, I just save by not buying things I don't really want/need (for example, a car).

Answer:
Originally Posted by SOTSDO I'd echo the opinion of our host and tell you to spend your money on a decent (even if student) bass clarinet. Much more useful musically, either in legit or jazz circles.
As the owner of both, I'd agree with this, as well as almost everything else SOTSDO posted. I picked mine up thinking I'd have a lot more use for it, but outside a clarinet ensemble I play in, there really isn't much, and I don't really like playing it well enough to work it up as an oddball jazz instrument. A better mouthpiece (I've tried a couple so far with no real success) will probably help. It's kind of intriguing in that the middle register speaks a little more easily than bass clarinet, but outside that it's just flat-out weird to play.
Since we're on the subject, though, SOTSDO (and anyone else who's done much of this), have you found any way to make the right hand position not a major impediment to playing this instrument? I'm finding that I get sore after just a few minutes, and that's not conducive to practicing much on this beast.
Cheers,
Leanne

Answer:
I've dabbled a bit in alto clarinet out of interest, too (with the intention of using it as a different jazz voice rather than in "regular" ensembles). I found it much harder to get something fluid out of it than expected and find the upper register and intonation harder than on my contra-alto (I don't own a bass) despite being an advanced clarinettist. It might just be the specific instrument, but there seems to be something just a bit bizarre about alto clarinet.
The one scenario I've found where an alto clarinet is vital is if you fancy having a crack at a Roland Kirk style multi-instrument set-up for clarinets. Playing top-hand only on an alto and a Bb clarinet simultaneously has possibilities, although I'm yet to explore them to the extent that I'll let anyone hear me! The throat notes on my alto do speak surprisingly well.
Anyway, you didn't ask "Please put me off buying an alto", so regarding your initial post, I'll just add that my alto clarinet is an old Kohlert that I got off ebay for very little and had overhauled for quite a lot. I then spent a fair bit on finding a suitable new case and mouthpiece for it. I now rarely play it and am unlikely to get my money back if I sell it, but I don't regret experimenting with it. If you can find a used instrument that doesn't need an overhaul (as you seem to be considering) that's possibly a good bet as some places will charge as much to overhaul an alto as a bass. My contra is a Selmer Bundy that I've had few problems with and haven't yet needed repairs for. I've had it for 5 years, though haven't gigged it much until this year, when I've used it as a bass instrument in a jazz/soul trio.
If you can find one that's pretty cheap, then why not have some fun experimenting with it? Just be aware of the potential for frustration!

Answer:
It's been YEARS since I last played an alto clarinet but I remember it being a fun instrument to play and explore. If you feel a calling, then by all means get one!
One thing I'd suggest is that an exceptionally high quality alto clarinet mouthpiece might actually do more for you than which alto clarinet make and model you choose. Of course, it's important that you get a decent instrument in good condition and to have it checked over by your repair tech. These things are a given. But, an exceptionally good alto clarinet mouthpiece can help you avoid struggles that you otherwise might have with an intermediate-level instrument.
In my case, I have an old Selmer plastic bass clarinet. It's in excellent condition and has a decent sound and good intonation. Never the less, it's an old plastic bass....nothing special about it at all. However, the Walter Grabner LB bass clarinet mouthpiece made a HUGE difference in the instrument's sound and response. It's sound is so beautiful -- dark, full, rich...not a hint of "chainsaw" -- that if one didn't know better you might think that it's a higher quality wood bass clarinet. I cannot overstate how much the Grabner mouthpiece has done for me on bass clarinet.
In a similar way, I cannot help but think a Grabner alto clarinet mouthpiece will make a remarkable difference for you if you get an alto.
Good Luck!
Roger

Answer:
I've had no troubles with the hands on the alto, but then again my hands are on the large size anyway, so it may be a factor.
The usual thing to do with right hand problems is to tinker with the position of the thumb rest. However, most people don't own their alto clarinets, so that makes such adjustments out of the question. Since most altos don't have pegs, you are stuck with using the arbitrary thumb positions determined for you by the folks at the factory to support the instrument while playing. And, as many of us have discovered with soprano clarinets over the years, they are not the right solutions for everyone.
My idea of the worst possible musical instrument configuration would be an alto clarinet with the thumb rest position determined and installed by the the guy who did them on old (1920's) Conn saxophones. That would be real torture...

Answer:
I'll second Roger on Grabner mouthpieces. My Grabner alto clarinet piece is based on a Babbitt blank, unlike most of Walter's other Zinner blank pieces (I own a whole collection of Walter's pieces for Eb, Bb/A, bass, and contra-alto as well), and it made a world of difference for me.
I like to play alto, although I've never found a plastic student one that was good enough. Mine was an old school horn, a wooden LeBlanc pro horn form the 60s. Yes, it needed work, and is still a bit finicky about holding some adjustments, but it, with a good mouthpiece, makes me WANT to play alto clarinet. I've even had some luck finding ancient stock reeds, which are so much better than today's.

Answer:
Initially the title of the treated it was "Alto Student Clarinet - Which is the best ?"
The discussion has going almost immediately about the validity of this instrument, a development for me unexpected but very very interesting... :)
Yes Pete, I have reconsidered my initial decision to buy a new student instrument spending more than $1.000 (this the average price that I have found for the three models on Prowinds.com) to opt for an used in good conditions, I think also on a Selmer Bundy

Even if, as Roger says, it would be a fun, I don't think to emulate Rahsaan Roland Kirk or Hermeto Pascoal :D

Thanks for the mouthpiece suggestion Roger, I had thought also to a Selmer (Paris) C * *


it is less expensive, you have tried one?

Answer:
KennyZ:
If you want a decent Alto Clarinet to tool around on, I've got a very playable Vito that I would sell cheap for $250 plus actual shipping costs.
It is a resonite student model made in the USA. The cheap price is due to a repair. When I got it, the middle joint was broken but the insert that holds the tenon was not. I repaired it with a very strong epoxy and the only noticeable trace is a very small seam near the center joint where the gray epoxy shows a little.
We played it in church several times and it plays great and in tune. My main purpose in buying it was to try and get this older guy that played clarinet as a boy to start playing in church with us. But I couldn't talk him into it
If you are interested, I can send you some pictures.

Answer:
Based on my experiences with the Grabner mouthpieces I'm using (see signature), if I was in your shoes I'd pay the extra money to get an alto mouthpiece that Walter designed from the ground up rather than a Selmer reface. In some situations paying a bit more is worth it in the long run. That's why I went with the LB bass clarinet mouthpiece rather than a cheaper Grabner model. Man, it plays like a DREAM!
Roger

Answer:
Indeed, if it is really a very valid mouthpiece, is good to pick up without trying other...
It is alaways an investment to have a very valid handicraft piece.
Even if ,on alto sax, I have changed opening from C* (or 0.70) to 0.85, I have however decided to hold 2 mouths by Ralph Morgan, a Jazz 5M and an Excalibur.....

Danarsenault can I ask you which opening you use on your Alto Clar?

I use an opening 0.85 on my Alto Sax, 0.65 on Soprano and 0.55/58 (John Pierce/Vandoren 5JB) on Bb Clarinet, moving a bit away from a more classical setting out (closed mouths and stronger reeds)
I would think about using an opening around 0.70... Grabner it has an option for this opening or, according to your experience, is it always advisable to use a "classical" setting for this particular instrument?

Answer:
But Walter doesn't have a Lawrie Bloom (LB) mouthpiece for the alto clarinet unless Roger is testing something new? Originally Posted by Roger Aldridge Based on my experiences with the Grabner mouthpieces I'm using (see signature), if I was in your shoes I'd pay the extra money to get an alto mouthpiece that Walter designed from the ground up rather than a Selmer reface. In some situations paying a bit more is worth it in the long run. That's why I went with the LB bass clarinet mouthpiece rather than a cheaper Grabner model. Man, it plays like a DREAM!

Roger

Answer:
No, I was simply using the LB bass clarinet mouthpiece as an example of going with a higher quality mouthpiece.
Anyway, it appears that Walter makes only one alto clarinet mouthpiece.