Hello All,

I made the mistake of not playing the clarinet after a high school, and now I am looking to get back into it again.

So I am clarinet shopping. Before I stopped playing, I was around a Grade 5 ABRSM level. Would I find getting a student instrument (Im thinking about getting a Leblanc Bliss 320) too limiting, or will it suffice until I start gaining proficiency?

As much as I would love to get a Buffet R13 straight off the bat, my finances simply do not allow it.

Merry Christmas!

Hi!

Are you planning to take further grades? If so, I think that an intermediate clarinet would be good for you, and could take you to grade 8 if needs be! Here are some intermediate clarinets I would suggest:

Buffet E11
Buffet E13
Yamaha 450
Yamaha 650 (my teacher has one of these!)

Boosey & Hawkes Imperial 926 (This is actually a pro clarinet which I have! They can only be bought second hand and old, but they have the deepest, richest tone you could imagine! This is a British make that was bought out by Buffet about 20 years ago, but a B & H clarinet in good condition is just wonderful! Mine was £500, i'm not sure what that is in dollars!)
B&H Edgeware ( not as good)

I've also heard that Selmer make good clarinets. I have a friend who has a professional Selmer that plays like a dream! I don't know about the others.

Leblanc is also a good French make that I don't know much of! I've only heard that they're good!

There are many to avoid, too!
Jupiter

Always go with well known brands! Do not buy a good looking clarinet off the Internet if you haven't heard of them often. ALWAYS try your instrument before you buy it!

I hope you found this helpful! Good Luck!

I agree about the B&H clarinets - Regent & Edgware are thestudent models. The Emperor is a step up with the Imperial 926 & 1010 being the pro models. One thing though you do need a compatible mouthpiece especially with the pro models - tuning goes to pot using a modern, standard French style mouthpiece - even in UK these are hard to find & are expensive. Some experts will ream out a modern mouthpiece to suit.