Hey
i was just thinking of buying a new clarinet. Right now i do not know what i have. all i know is it is a plastic yamaha clarinet. I am going to get a vandorion B40 mouthpeice. but i would like some suggestions on the clarinet. Email me with suggestions. teenager_mag@hotmail.com
thanks Michelle

I am of the opinion that the bore design; keywork and manufacturing quality has more effect on the final sound than the material from which the body is made.

We are seeing Buffet (and others) producing clarinets made of grenadilla wood powder mixed with resin (Greenline). Now they really cannot claim that these are `wooden` clarinets, but I suspect that they sound pretty good (I haven`t tried them!).

The most important part of sound-production is the player.
A good player can make a cheap but well-made clarinet sound wonderful, regardless of the material from which it`s made.

The problem, IMO, with plastic clarinets is that they are usually made by moulding rather than machining and this doesn`t produce the best finish inside the bore.

The best student clarinet for the money, IMO, is the Hanson HE-5V, made in UK, and machined from ebonite, the same material used for many/most mouthpieces. Look at their website hansonclarinets.com . I have visited their premises & was amazed by both the enthusiasm of the staff and the value of the `package` - 5 years warranty, and 100% trade-up allowance, and a buy-back option.

Wooden clarinets gives you a louder and better sound then the plastic but they dont do well outside if you are in a marching band i would get a plastic clarinet because a wooden one will chip.