Clarinet for B-Day present...What to get?

[Solace249]

So i'm trying to get my girlfriend a clarinet for her birthday, I want it to be a surprise so I don't really want to hint at it by asking her too many questions but I feel I might need to. I'm looking for something above beginner around the 200 dollar range.

Is there anything I should avoid or anything I should be sure that's included with the Clarinet?

Checked Ebay and local Craigslist to find some Vito and Leblanc's for around what I was looking to pay, are those good choices? I'm assuming that wooden clarinets are going to have better sound than plastic or ebonite?

Any suggestions very welcome, thanks!

 

[MalcolmAmos]

So i'm trying to get my girlfriend a clarinet for her birthday, I want it to be a surprise so I don't really want to hint at it by asking her too many questions but I feel I might need to. I'm looking for something above beginner around the 200 dollar range.

Is there anything I should avoid or anything I should be sure that's included with the Clarinet?

Checked Ebay and local Craigslist to find some Vito and Leblanc's for around what I was looking to pay, are those good choices? I'm assuming that wooden clarinets are going to have better sound than plastic or ebonite?

Any suggestions very welcome, thanks!

Does she play clarinet? Or is this her first? If she already plays I would let the surprise be stopping in front of the store. I would not just show up with another clarinet.

Each should come with some extra reeds. 2 1/2 is a good choice. Some wax to lubricate the cork. A cleaning/drying kit. Of course a case. A how to play book is always good. Here is a Bb fingering chart http://www.woodwind.org/clarinet/Study/FingeringCharts/bbfinger.html

I have a Orpheo. Have had good luck with it. Sent it back to the factory (San Antonio) they were great. Fixed the problem and sent it back no hassle. http://askville.amazon.com/Cheap-place-buy-Orpheo-Custom-Clarinet/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=54314585 Yes that is the price - from Amazon. Here are some more listings: [This invalid link has been removed]

Good luck.

 

[Solace249]

I wish they still had the Orpheo for that price! It got bumped up apparently. So i'm looking at either that one you posted with the updated price or a Le Blanc Vito 7214 for right around the same price as the Orpheo.

She played all through high school so she knows what she's doing n things, so which would probably be the better decision? I'm kinda leaning towards the Orpheo for the two year guarantee and the new-ness of it but that's all i'm going off of, thanks!

And What's the difference between Ebonite and ABS resin or plastic or whatever? Is there a large difference in sound quality?

 

[monzamess]

Wood is considered to sound the best, but the overall tone quality of a clarinet is much more a function of the player, mouthpiece, reed, etc. For a beginner, wood offers no real advantage, and requires more care and maintenance than a plastic or hard rubber clarinet.

Ebonite is a type of hard rubber. Many clarinet mouthpieces are made of this material, as were whole clarinets (mostly for beginner models before ABS became popular). Most beginner clarinets are ABS plastic.

I have a Vito 7212 and it's a very durable and plays in tune with a nice tone. The 7214 you've found is similar. They have large bores, small tone holes, and other touches that are good for beginners.

Like any instruments, you can get cheap ones mainly from China. Some of these are real gems but enough are garbage that it's a leap of faith to buy one. I have several saxophones and clarinets in this category. They're all playable and the quality, while not good enough for the pros, is usually good enough to keep from discouraging new players but some have needed adjustments.

I don't know if the Orpheo is in this category. This page has a brief writeup about one by a respected clarinet guy: http://clarinetcorner.wordpress.com/2009/12/15/tis-the-season-to-be-wary/

woodwind.org (linked by MalcolmAmos above) is the "talkbass" of the clarinet world.