little cluckers Posted July 11, 2010 Share Posted July 11, 2010 My 8 year old daughter has been learning the clarinet for a year now and the time has come for her 'borrowed' clarinet to go back (they're only on loan for the first year) and we must now 'produce' one of our own The school provided us with a list of local music shops that offer a discount if bought through the school but the cheapest is still £179 ....whilst I realise that a musical instrument is an expensive purchase as a lot of work goes into them etc...I am reluctant to spend this much....well if I'm being honest I really can't afford it (I have just lost my job and have 3 other kids too), also I'm worried that she will lose interest after another 6 months and I'm left with an expensive dust-collector I don't really want to buy one from ebay as I don't know enough about them to know that I'm getting a good one, but I have found some new instruments on other sites that are as little as £79, so I just need a little advice please Are the cheaper new instruments ok for a few years til I'm sure she really is committed (and I'm hopefully in a better financial position) Any advice gratefully received Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted July 11, 2010 Share Posted July 11, 2010 A cheap one will be ok - a decent reed will work wonders on a cheap intrument The only thing is that they dont have a high resale value You could try a wanted freecycle ad - I gave a clarinet away via Freecycle so its not an impossible 'want' - kids give up instruments all the time and they often lie around the house Also look for a decent second hand one in the small ads Some music shops hire out instruments, the cost over years will be higher but if you want to pay out smaller amounts for now thats an option to explore Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emily95 Posted July 11, 2010 Share Posted July 11, 2010 Hi Little Cluckers I found the Student Music Suplies brilliant when I was buying a piccolo, I too didnt want to spend loads of money because I was only going to use it as a sideline from my flute... http://www.studentmusicsupplies.com/site/productcatalog.asp?type=4&lg=1 The instruments are of good enough quality to be used by students, and are at a better price than other websites. I'm sure the middle one in the link above would be perfect. good luck, and I hope she carries on playing the clarinet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted July 11, 2010 Share Posted July 11, 2010 I play clarinet and so does DD. I have bought 3 perfectly good clarinets from eBay for under £60. Each would have been £175+ elsewhere. The key is to only look for the model that you need and don't be tempted to look for or bid for anything else. A Buffet B12 is a good student model and so is a Boosey & Hawkes Regent (older model but plays well). Make sure that you ask whether the pads are in good condition and also that the corks are in good shape and have no cracks or splits. Make sure that it is a Bb too. We have a houseful of instruments and only 2 have not been bought on Ebay. 1 because I didn't know any better and the other because it was a very expensive specialised instrument. The other place that often has clarinets second hand is Cash Converters - again only go for selected models. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze Posted July 11, 2010 Share Posted July 11, 2010 we bought my clarinet but it started as a hire instrument. Basically we could hire it for as long as we wanted and if we chose to we could then buy it at a discounted rate It meant my parents could be sure I was serious before payingout Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janty Posted July 11, 2010 Share Posted July 11, 2010 My son's Yamaha clarinet was an ex-hire instrument that was returned after the initial three month hire period. We got it for just over half the price it would have been brand new. I just called round the local music shops and they phoned me when one came in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little cluckers Posted July 11, 2010 Author Share Posted July 11, 2010 I love omleteers ....you're always so helpful Redwing ...To be honest I haven't tried freecycle since they kept ignoring my requests to join might be worth giving them another go though. But I didn't realise the reed was the important bit so that is very useful to know - thank you Emily95 ...That was the website I spotted earlier so it's good to have a recommendation - thank you Chucky Mama....thank you for the ebay advice, I did look before but people seem a bit vague in their descriptions...I shall start asking some questions (now I know what to ask) and also try the local cash convertors (hadn't thought of them) - thank you Bronze and Janty ...I didn't think to ask whether the shops hired them or sold ex-hire, I shall also ring round them and see what I can find - thank you Thank you all, you've given me lots to be working with, I shall let you know how I get on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted July 11, 2010 Share Posted July 11, 2010 Many areas have an assisted purchase scheme where you can get the VAT back - new instruments only though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 When I started playing the clarinet (back in about 1990 ) I had a Buffet B12. It's a good student model and if I remember correctly, it saw me through to about grade 6, so plenty of years to find out whether or not your daughter is serious before committing to a more expensive instrument. A good reed will make a huge difference (I have always liked Vandoren) and if your daughter starts to enjoy the instrument but you're not ready to commit to a more expensive clarinet, a good quality mouthpiece will make a difference too - but for starters an instrument like the Buffet B12 and a good reed will be fine. Excellent advice from Chucky Mama re checking corks and pads on second hand instruments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C&T Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 I play flute rather than Clarinet - so apologies if this doesn't apply. But 2nd hand instrumnets (providing they are looked after) really hold their value. So if you can get a (half decent) second hand one, and then if your daughter decides not to carry on, you should be able to resell it at the same price give or take. Another thought also, and this may not apply to reed instruments so someone else may contradict me here, is that a cheap nasty instrument is likely to produce a cheap nasty sound. This is not condusive to wanting to play! I know some flutes produce such dismal tones, all you do is compare yourself to others and blame yourself rather than recognising that the instrument does have a part to play, and you give up. Don't get me wrong, not saying spend thousands! But if the choice is spending £100 on a second hand reasonable student instrument, or a new not so good instrument - I would go for the second hand option every time. It's what I do! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickendoodle Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 I would say go for a good new student model which should be quite reasonable to buy or hire- if you get a second hand one the chances are it will need an expensive overhall as you will be really lucky if you manage to get one without "leaky" pads. If her teacher was able to look it over for you it would help a lot though. Your daughter will find it really frustrating if the pads are starting to wear as she may not be able to work out why she can't get certain notes. My first OH is an instrument repairer and I have seen the amount of work that goes into overhauling a clarinet - they are stripped down completely - all the keys taken off, re-padded and put back together with lots and lots of very fine adjustments. It is very time consuming and hence very expensive! On the student models the sound will naturally not be as good as a more expensive one but this can be helped a lot by buying a really good mouthpiece - the student mouthpieces are pretty basic. Maybe a grandparent could get a mouthpiece? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little cluckers Posted July 22, 2010 Author Share Posted July 22, 2010 Just for an update, I am going to see a Boosey and Hawkes regent tonight. The gentleman says it has been in a wardrobe for 30odd years and he played it for a year or so as a child. I asked if the pads etc were good and he said as far as he could see..... He wants £55 for it which I'm guessing is good if it's in good condition? One question though...how can I (being a complete novice) tell if the pads etc are not in good condition? Is it obvious? I'll let you know how I get on.... ps Thanks again XX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JM Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 Playing it is the best test - I would suggest taking your daughter and seeing if she can play it OK (or someone else who can play). If any of the pads are damaged or aren't sealing properly, the notes won't sound right - either they won't play or they may squeak, or you will have to press hard to get the notes out. Also - take the mouthpiece from your existing instrument if you have it - or some disinfectant to clean the one that comes with the one you are going to see. Also take one of your own reeds. (As others have said - a decent mouthpiece and reed can make all the difference - but that would be for the future.) Have a look at the cork around the ends of the sections of the clarinet - they can disintegrate over time, but are reasonably easy to replace. And have a look through the barrel of the instrument too - hold it up to the light and check there are no cracks inside. Jill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 Be a little careful as if the corks have not had any grease on them for a long time they will be very dry and may be cracked or prone to cracking. Check that the pads are not split and are nice and plump, not overly flattened. They should cover each hole snuggly and not let any air out when played. If you can take a torch with you perhaps you could close the pads and see if any light shines through. Take some cork grease or vaseline and give it a greasing before putting it together. It may be quite 'hungry' for grease if it hasn't been done for a while and putting it together dry wont do it any good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little cluckers Posted July 22, 2010 Author Share Posted July 22, 2010 We bought it !!! It is in fabulous condition....even I could see that but we did all the things that you advised and it all looked great. (Helped us look like we knew what we were talking about too ) Beth took her 'borrowed' clarinet along and used her mouthpiece to try it out and she produced some great sounds. We were very gentle with the corks, used the grease too but they weren't as dry as I thought they'd be. The pads all look brand new (I examined each one) and it all passed the 'light' test. Bought for £50 so I'm very happy and so is Beth Thank you again for all your advice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 That's fantastic news. I am really pleased for you.You can see how easy it is to pick up really good quality instruments for next to nothing. So many children give up instruments there are loads looking for good homes. There will be no stopping your daughter now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 Oh that's great news, it sounds like you got yourself a bargain there. I hope your daughter now goes from strength to strength with her playing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
