For the past several months I had been hearing about this name, specifically with regard to a bass clarinet going to low C for a price around $1500, which is, as all know, an extraordinarily low price. I did receive a note from an acquaintance concerning this instrument, and that he was going to buy one. I’ve never heard since except that he had found a use for it in some ensemble. As time as gone by, I have been hearing about more clarinets of this name.What attracted me initially was the statement in their ad that it has silver plated keys, which is impossible. I wrote them concerning the combination of rubber and silver producing sulphuric acid and they have now made their ad “under construction”.
Finally, I ordered one and received it this week.
This clarinet is made of hard rubber, comes with two barrels of different lengths.(The longer barrel produces a throat Bb, and is a bit low.) mouthpiece, a ligature, a tube of cork grease and a reed.
It looks similar to my Ridenour Lyrique Bb clarinets.
Reading about it, there is a striking resemblance to the kind of thing which is written describing the seamlessness of the Ridenour clarinet, it imperviousness to climate change and of course, the fact that the material doesn’t grow from trees, it oozes from them.
The package I receives looked good, perhaps even very good. In some ways, there is a similarity with the Lyrique.
The only thing in common is the material, ebonite, (hard rubber) and the similarity in shape and look. It plays easily and evenly.
It plays; Only the chalumeau is well in tune. The clarion is uneven and the altissima, starting with high C begins to sound rather sharp, and it gets sharper as we go higher. This was all tested with three excellent mouthpieces.
I have and play the original, the Ridenour Lyrique, and also his A clarinet.
Switching to the Ridenour clarinet made me feel as if I had been in some kind of similar situation, save for the tuning, Ridenour being unaproachable on that score.
The horn looks good, the keys work and she blows well , however compared to Tom Ridenours Lyrique clarinet and in fact, the 447, and the Arioso, the Orpheo 450, there is not a lot of comparison. Finally, the clarinet is listed at about the same as the Lyrique; the comparison ends there , but not a bad instrument at all, and they offer a good year or two garanty. (Hint, I prefer it to a Greenline)
By an economical package, I mean that, while listing for much more, I wasI was able to purchase this sweet playing instrument for very much less and with no shipping charges, making it a best buy.
Stay well, and keep practicing,
sherman
