Ways to upgrade/customise a student clarinet! ft. Backun Alpha

[@SarahSkilton]

I am an adult learner and this video has just appeared in my recommended. What an lovely video with helpful advice. I have a Buffet B12 and quickly upgraded my mouthpiece to a Vandoren 5RV with Rovner Dark Ligature. I love the difference it made and I am now looking at the Backun Fatboy barrel as my next step.

[@lauracampbell4528]

Sarah Skilton so glad I can help at all 😊

[@SarahSkilton]

@@lauracampbell4528 So a year later. I bought myself a Buffet Prodige clarinet and have upgraded to a Backun Vocalise Mouthpiece, a Backun Tradional Grenadilla Barrel and today have just order myself a Backun Grenadilla Bell. Thank you for your lovely videos that have really helped me progress.

[@MechanicalSpencer]

Sound comparison times: 100% Student Model Clarinet: 2:58 Upgraded ligature: 4:02 Upgraded mouthpiece: 4:57 Upgraded Barrel: 7:21 Upgraded Bell: 8:01

[@ypaut]

luv

[@jameshoosier7928]

Great advice. I playing an old 70s student clarinet so this video gives me good ideas. Thanks.

[@rhythmharmony2923]

The clarinet itself already sounds very nice!

[@gsco82]

Interesting video. It took me 5 years of playing as an adult before I realized that I could improve my sound by upgrading parts of the clarinet. I had an intermediate wooden clarinet made by Evette Schaefer (Buffet), and I changed the mouthpiece and ligature. I really like Rovner ligatures and have recently gone back to using the Vandoren B45 mouthpiece which was my first upgrade. Rovner ligatures are more affordable than the fancy metal ligature which you use.

[@acerjuglans]

These are all very helpful ideas. My son plays clarinet in high school, and I know very little about clarinets (flute player here). He's thinking of upgrading his student model Jupiter clarinet. We will definitely explore some of these options before committing to another new instrument. Both sons are musicians, and that makes my heart so happy, but things will only get more expensive as they progress. Thank you for these ideas!

[@nicktheclarinet6718]

what clarinet did he end up getting?

[@scootermacarthy5990]

If you are going to test a clarinet for leakage you have to show and do all of the tests which are quick and easy. Although you got the suction test covered you missed the other one which is blowing fast air into the clarinet upper joint like you would playing to see if there is any air escaping or any keys blowing open. None should blow open and if they do the spring is weak and needs adjustment. Any leaks in upper joint will prevent the clarinet from playing high notes very well if at all (esp. softly). If there are leaks one can play low notes if there are no leaks in bottom joint (flute and sax are not capable of this). Then, for bottom joint cover the keys and lift the pinky up for E/B to see if the key pops really good moving up and down. If there is a good pop then you can assume there is probably a good seal. However, even this test is not perfect as a leak light will instantly discover the Fand E keys are not synchronized and must be adjusted- common problem! I would do this same thing on the F/Bb RH as well: close all the keys down and move your F,E,D fingers up and down together to hear if the seal is good and no air escaping. Afterwards, it is good to assemble the instrument and make sure the bridge keys are working together and not causing problems for the F/Bb key not closing all the way down. That would mean the keys are not synced and need adjusting. Hope this helps!

[@edepillim]

Very useful thank you. A big difference.

[@DekritGampamole]

Another information that I actually want to know after the upgrade is the convenience of the keys. This is something we can't feel as the audience, but clearly something that most people forget. For an untrained ear they would probably find there is not much difference in the sound after the upgrade or "why upgrade for a so subtle difference in sound".

[@Qladstone]

Honestly I liked it before the barrel change but after the mouthpiece change most.

[@ancushing1]

Why to upgrade the barrel? Does it sound better? Thanks

[@andreasclarinet6631]

i do not know if i am right but i feel like a heavy staccato on the instrument. is that feeling right or is just the microphone that gives me that impression? i felt that on mendelssohn scherzo with the upgraded version of the instrument. i felt like you were throwing bombs on the reed.. am i right?

[@maxwellxp9505]

What is that excerpt?Sounds pretty

[@noelcortes]

Backun Alpha's clarinet have a 65 mm. barrel

[@ZH8050]

is it not uncomfortable to play without the left E flat key?

[@davideichler5105]

Couple of things about the Backun Alpha. Standard rubber thumb pads don't fit this thumbrest. Also, I find the pinky keys on the Alpha, especially the right hand ones, to be too high and make it harder to cover the holes reliably. And, I think that, overall, the spring tensions could be lighter, especially for less experienced players. I have Buffet clarinets that were set up by Brannen Woodwinds and the Clarinet Center, and most of the keys are set lower, especially the pinky keys, that on the Alpha, and the spring tensions are lower as well, though, in my experience, most professional model clarinets come from the factory better set up for the average player than the Alpha. I know the Alpha is technically a student instrument, but its keys and overall sound are near professional quality, and I think this instrument deserves more attention to the set-up than the average student instrument, though of course there is an extra expense in that.

[@carlnikolov]

Do you like the backun student model alpha (composite) or beta (wooden body) better?

[@namelessone3339]

I thought the biggest difference happened when you changed the barrel; unfortunately, at that point you shortened the excerpt you played so we didn't get to hear you go for the high B flat.

[@AnthropogenicInversion]

nice vid

[@dancemomssparkles6132]

hey laura awesome vid! what was the excerpt you played called? thankyou ❤️

[@lauracampbell4528]

Dance Moms Sparkles thanks! Brahms clarinet Sonata no.2 mvmt 1 😊

[@jimis3167]

When you got the rico h ligature you chose among other same rico h ligatures?

[@zariahcampbell7585]

at 2:58 what song is that

[@rossdaniels3519]

The student clarinet itself didn't sound bad at all... But with the upgrades it sounded like higher definition sound

[@emrekoksal6953]

Do you think it makes sense to buy a $ 70 ligature for a $ 200 clarinet? I am thinking of buying Versa.

[@xtraluv4u]

I would.

[@PacoElMapache]

what would be the difference be between an intermediate wood and professional wood clarinet?

[@Fauxlaf]

Price

[@PacoElMapache]

@@Fauxlaf if thats the only difference then nobody "really" needs a professional clarinet?

[@Fauxlaf]

@@PacoElMapache What is professional? I think no one "needs" a clarinet that´s more than 2000. If it´s well made and has fast keys the music will not get better. But if someone want´s it... Why not.

[@PacoElMapache]

@@Fauxlaffair enough Xp but that brings us back to the original question, but i think you worded it better. "what is professional?

[@Fauxlaf]

@@PacoElMapache professional is always the musician. Not the instrument. There are a few studies. The result is that expensive instruments(flutes, clarinets, violins over roundabout 2000) doesn´t sound better. In one test the stradivaris were rated the worst. Flutes: the one with just a silver head was rated best. It was the cheapest. There were full golden flutes 20000plus. Blind rated it doesn´t matter.

[@_Aly_.]

I’ve wanting to purchase the backun alpha student clarinet I’m a student in highschool btw :D Do you recommend this clarinet? I do marching band and concert, etc.

[@Violins_]

It's not a good idea to use a wood clarinet for Marching band so if you do get a wood clarinet keep a plastic clarinet for marching band wood crackea when temp and humidity

[@_Aly_.]

@@Violins_ thank you so much for answering!

[@samuelhingley7066]

The backun alpha isn't wood, so its fine

[@paulineb66]

Not much difference in sound at all. I am still playing on a student clarinet but with a better mouthpiece and ligature. I also play flute, and when I finally got a professional flute there was a difference in how the instrument felt but not in how it sounded. The problem I have with the professional clarinets is that most of them are wood, and since I perform mostly outside I’d be afraid to use them.

[@Gator1699]

Breath through your nose and see the change Not mouth. Cheers

[@lauracampbell4528]

The only time clarinetists breathe through their nose is to circular breathe. Otherwise it should only be through the mouth

[@steennordberg-nielsen3012]

D'Addario is correctly pronounced: Daddario.

[@advocatus.diaboli-pristini]

What a cute girl!