Best Clarinet 'Set-Up' - Under £2,000 (Non-Classical!) | Buffet vs Yamaha vs Backun

In this video Simon & Sam discuss and demonstrate some #clarinet 'set-up' options. So, we're looking at 3 different #clarinets and how they perform playing 'non-classical' repertoire. We've picked out x3 of the best clarinets on the market under £2,000 and coupled them with a particular mouthpiece, ligature and reed combo.
01:11 - Clarinet Option #1 - Buffet E13
03:24 - Clarinet Option #2 - Yamaha YCL-CXII
06:27 - Clarinet Option #3 - Backun Protege
11:06 - Mouthpiece Choice
12:16 - Reed Choice
12:30 - Ligature Choice
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[@darrenparkes9805]

Really enjoyed and learned heaps from this video especially the gentleman playing and his technical explanation on the product s and their effects on the instrument😊

[@stephenrichards857]

The Backun sounds terrific. I would love to have that for my classical playing. Fantastic value for money.

[@j.r.1210]

I have a Backun Protege clarinet (purchased from Dawkes!) in the exact configuration shown by Simon here: cocobolo wood, silver keys with gold posts, and the extra Eb key. I also started on clarinet, but eventually became primarily a saxophonist, though I still play clarinet on occasion. I focus on classical/concert band music, not jazz or commercial music. The rest of my setup is a Backun Vocalise G mouthpiece with a Rovner Versa-X ligature. These items mesh well with the Protege and are effective in this kind of music.

[@dawkesmusic]

Glad you've got a set-up that works well for you and I'm glad we could help!

[@j.r.1210]

@dawkesmusic Thank you. By the way, I also have an older Buffet (a C12 or Conservatoire -- no longer made) in grenadilla, and the Protege definitely feels lighter in the hands. I'm not sure whether this is because of the cocobolo wood or other aspects of the construction, but it's a pleasant bonus. I wonder whether Simon noticed that.

[@laurentmeiller5171]

i played Buffet-Crampon E12, E13, RC and the Yamaha CX II, the Yamaha is a copy of the Buffet but the tone is brighter it was my instrument as solist in a wind orchestra but when i decided to go in a symphonic orchestra in germany (Saarbrücken) it was too bright to play with string instruments so, for Jazz Yamaha is more adapted (solos)

[@billducker7404]

Thank you. Simon makes all the clarinets sound good. Bill. UK

[@zvonimirtosic6171]

Clarinet market is filled with hundreds of clarinets and mouthpieces models that are wheezing and gasping for air. But good, open, "loud" mouthpieces that suit doublers (saxophonists) are few and far in between. Can Dawkes suggest half a dozen really good mouthpieces for doublers that aren't mere straws?

[@dawkesmusic]

Ha! We kind of agree ;) But, it's probably due to the fact that 90% of players are more classical leaning on Clarinet, thus the market and mouthpieces cater for that. We will put something together though looking at other options soon and get Simon to demonstrate accordingly. Thanks for watching :)

[@robynrox]

Very interesting! I thought the E13 was hands-down the best in the altissimo register - there seemed to be a slight issue with the other two clarinets speaking in that range. I have a decades-old E11 which I think is the least expensive of Buffet's wooden clarinets and I do find that it has some significant shortcomings - some notes sound breathy and I think the intonation is slightly suspect on some notes too. I've heard the Backun resin clarinets are very good for the money, and for an amateur like me who could not justify a purchase in the £2k price range, I'd love to hear more about that. I'm never going to get rid of my Buffet (my parents bought it for me 35 years ago so it has sentimental value) but I'd be interested in seeing a review of one of those, and, well, Christmas is coming! :)

[@dawkesmusic]

Hi @robynrox - Thanks for watching! We've got a review coming soon of some other student Clarinets including the Backun resin/ABS model the Alpha. We did also do a review on those a few years ago which you can see here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hKiygZh5bdtjo8kfeature=shared

[@danielmclinn5963]

Really? So cracky and stressed. Sound goes dim. Bakrun by far kept the notes the richest in my opinion. To each their own I guess.

[@super20dan]

who makes that red mpc?

[@dawkesmusic]

BG! It's available via www.dawkes.co.uk/bg-b3-bb-clarinet-mouthpiece-red-clarinet-mouthpiece/26718

[@ekjellgren]

And under £5,000?

[@jamesa375]

i think people who will buy this price range are experienced players already know what they want they dont watch these videos.Its like videos about pianos that cost 100 grand i mean what s the point?anybody buying a piano like that is not gonna bother watch a video.I think you should concentrate on beginner clarinets ,these are the people who will look for videos,and dont keep showing buffet and yamaha ,but find other brands that are good value.

[@dawkesmusic]

thanks for watching and for your comment, although we would slightly disagree. We get a lot of requests for upgrade type videos and many visitors to the store mention how useful they've been, they're also amongst the most viewed on our channel in terms of metrics. At the sub £2k price point that's where a lot of people making their first upgrade from plastic to wood are and so they commonly don't have the long years of experience and know huge amounts about brands, how they sound/feel etc. We'd agree with the £100k piano comment - but thankfully no Clarinets cost £100k ;) We will continue to create more and more student level content though and we agree that's super important. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.

[@danielmclinn5963]

E 13 overrated. Yamaha strong tonality... Bakrun gold and so smooth.