Wooden clarinet??

I am in 7th grade and currently have a plastic clarinet. I want to upgrade to a wooden clarinet soon. Where is a good place to get a (used) wooden clarinet that is decent. I have heard that a pawn shop is bettter than the Internet. Also what is a normal price for one.
Wooden clarinet??
A cheap price on the internet is around $200. A pawn shop might have some cheap prices, but you have to be really careful and make sure the clarinet is still playable and working well enough. A good way to upgrade to a wooden clarinet, would be to rent one out at a music shop and see how well you like it. Good luck!
Wooden clarinet??
I don%26#039;t know about clarinet prices, but you should only get new instruments online. It is very bad to buy used instruments and string instruments (lower-end guitars are fine) online, because you don%26#039;t know what you%26#039;re getting for your money...





Tina is correct in pointing out that for used instruments, you should be extra careful in trying them out to make sure they work. In particular, make sure there are no stuck keys and the mouthpiece is fine, no stuck reeds etc. To this end, you really should visit a shop, be it a pawnshop or a music shop.
Reply:Hi Kate. Looking for a nice wood model clarinet? Actually, a pawn shop is no better than the internet if you do not know what you are looking for but at a pawn shop, at least you can hold the instrument in your hand and examine it first hand. There are lots of things you already are familiar with. You know what the pads are suppose to look like and the condition they must be in to make the instrument seat well.... no leaks. One thing you must do is take your mouthpiece and a broken in reed with you when you go looking for a clarinet. Put the horn together and play the notes chromatically from the lowest to the highest to make sure there are no leaks. It will be hard, if not possible to detect a crack in the wood of the body or barrel of the instrument, but if there is one, that is absolutely an expensive but doable repair. Finally, buy a brand name instrument. First on the list and one that directors recommend is the Buffet E-11 or C13 or R13. The E-11 will be the most reasonably priced. Three others that are reliable and well made are the Normandy 4, Yamaha 32, and Selmer 300 models. Check the pawn shops and expect to pay from between $150.00 to $599.00 - depending on the pawn shop and the condition of the horn. Also, have your parents check on the internet Craig%26#039;s List site. It is a classified site and there is usually one in every large city so you can buy locally if you find sonething interesting. Hope that helps and keep up your clarinet study. Very important and you will have loads of fun in high school.
Reply:A pawn shop is better than the internet in that you can actually see, touch, and maybe even play what you%26#039;re getting. A nice wooden clarinet is the E11 by Buffet. Buffet is a really high quality brand (I have a B12 from them, third chair friend has the E11, and first chair buddy has a R13). However, the E11 can be $1,000 if it%26#039;s brand new. You can always get it used for around $700 - $500.That%26#039;s supposed to be a student model, so you have to be reasonable. Instruments don%26#039;t come cheap. Good ones, that is.





Be careful and be aware of your future plans. Do you plan to be in marching band? If so, you CANNOT have a wooden clarinet, at least on the field. Field shows are held outside, as are parades, and you do NOT want your wooden clarinet exposed to the elements. Do not sell your plastic clarinet if you plan on being in marching band in high school (I%26#039;ve got to tell you, marching band is really fun, so don%26#039;t discount it).





If you do plan on playing in higher bands throughout high school and possibly even through college, though, you will need the resonance and fullness of a wooden clarinet. For us, there is no way someone can get into wind ensemble (the highest concert band) with a plastic clarinet. So if you are pretty good and you really do think that you want to be in band for much of your life, go for a wooden one.





I can tell you this: don%26#039;t be afraid to check out your local music stores. The instruments there may cost more than you plan on spending, but tell the guy assisting you the problem. He may give you a super discount. Make sure you%26#039;re able to play a bit on your clarinet before you purchase it. You do not want to buy a faulty clarinet from a store with a crooked refund policy. Because you are making a somewhat lofty investment in your instrument, make sure you can play it before you buy it. You may need to buy a mouthpiece at the store, but they%26#039;re not that expensive (some are around $20).





Good luck, and I hope you find what you%26#039;re looking for! :)
Reply:I have bought plenty of great instruments on eBay and bought that at a substantial savings. My favorite is a pre-WWII clarinet in rosewood that I paid less than $200 for and another $200 in the shop. I have a vintage CG Conn from eBay that played sweet right out of the mail - for under $100, just needed some oil.





That%26#039;s the key consideration - whether buying online, at a pawn shop, at a garage sale, etc... expect to spend another $200 on the instrument getting it serviced and padded after you get it.





The real key when shopping for the instrument is not whether it%26#039;s in playing condition but whether it%26#039;s complete and undamaged. A cracked clarinet is worthless but a clarinet that needs new pads isn%26#039;t such a big repair.





If you%26#039;re buying online and can%26#039;t see it first, make sure you have a return agreement if you find the instrument is not what the seller says (ie: it has cracks or isn%26#039;t complete) since many sellers online don%26#039;t know what they have.





That they don%26#039;t know what they have gives you an extreme advantage over them. You can get a Selmer Paris series 10 (a very very good clarinet) for a reasonable price because some sellers associate them with Selmer USA. You can get a really nice Noblet Paris for cheapness - because most sellers never heard of it. Same with the Leblanc Paris. It%26#039;s hard to find an R13 for a good price because some people are looking for those everyday.





Don%26#039;t shy too much from buying online - just expect that you%26#039;ll have to put some more money into it when you get it and consider that in your pricing.





%26quot;normal%26quot; price for a really good clarinet is $1000 plus. New price on some of the best is over $3000.