Does anyone know about Clarinets?!


Question: I am not musical at all. My son has been chosen for the musical program at his school. I need to buy him a Clarinet. The local music store sells 'Linley' and 'Jupiter' brands for between $600 and $800 (Australian). I have found an internet site where I can purchase a 'Bb Clarinet - 17 Keys' Clarinet for less than $200. Can anyone give me some advice, the music shop told me not to buy dodgy brands on the internet. But honestly I really cant afford their prices, my son is going into Grade 5 so I don't want to spend a fortune in case he changes his mind. Any help would be greatly appreciated.


Answers: I am not musical at all. My son has been chosen for the musical program at his school. I need to buy him a Clarinet. The local music store sells 'Linley' and 'Jupiter' brands for between $600 and $800 (Australian). I have found an internet site where I can purchase a 'Bb Clarinet - 17 Keys' Clarinet for less than $200. Can anyone give me some advice, the music shop told me not to buy dodgy brands on the internet. But honestly I really cant afford their prices, my son is going into Grade 5 so I don't want to spend a fortune in case he changes his mind. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I am from Australia....Queensland. Up here, the schools supply the instrument. Are you sure you have to buy it ?
I would look into a YAMAHA ; they make decent instruments at reasonable prices.
I would also post this question in the classical music section. You will get more clarinet players there.

At Grade 5 spending that much on one should not be necessary at all. Of course the store would tell you that you need to drop a grand on a really fancy one but if you just look up these 'dodgy' brands on the internet and do a little research I think you'll find that it will be ok. If your son goes pro with this or maybe gets really serious about it in high school or college then an expensive one might be a good idea but at this stage it's best to just get a feel for it.

Contact the music director at your son's school. They may know of someone interested in selling a used clarinet. Also, check with the music stores about renting the instrument. This could be done until your child decides for sure that they want to continue with music.

If you feel your son will be interested in playing the clarinet for a long period of time, then I would agree with your loal store's assesment, and not buy the cheapest brand. The best kind of clarinet is made from wood, but most student clarinets today are made of plastic or a variant of. The cheaper of the brands will not hold up to the abuse a young child or teenager will put on it, that combined with the sound quality of the cheaper models is not a good combination. I would suggest looking for a used clarinet of higher quality, rather than buying new. You can usually find a decent used Clarinet online, in your local newspaper, or even a local music shop or pawn shop. Brands like Yamaha, LeBlanc, Buffet, or Selmer are your best bets for reliablility, quality and price if found used. The link below is to a shop that specializes in used Clarinets of quality, and I am sure you could find something there that would suit your needs. It also provides a lot of info for parents diving into this expenditure for the first time. A cheaper make of clarinet doesn't mean it will stay that way. A cheap clarinet can crack, have a key arm get bent, pads that come off easily and have to be replaced ect. Renting is another option if you are un sure if your son will stick with it. Hope this helps.

Try to find a music store that rents them. Ask his teacher what he or she requires. When I was in band back in 1965 my band teacher did not allow us to buy cheap instruments. The first year I rented a school sax then my dad bought me a used sax but even then it was $300.00 way back then but it was a good one that if bought new would have cost $800.00

Here in my city I have looked at their clarinets as I bought a real cheap one and they sell used ones that schools would approve for $250.00
BB

go to somewhere else! i was in grade 5 when i started and my clarent was about $60.00 why dont you rent fir awhile in case ha changes his mind?



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