Are you tired of borrowing friends and family their clarinets to practice? This is the article for you if you want to buy an Eb clarinet (also known as E-flat clarinet).
When I began my musical journey, I started using an old clarinet in my school’s music room. For most of the beginning stages, it served me well since I could put in some practice during my free periods. However, I came to warm up to the clarinet and wanted to practice more, especially at home. I resorted to borrowing an old wooden clarinet from an uncle of mine, who was delighted to lend it to me. After some time, it didn’t sit right with me that I had borrowed it for so long, so I decided to dive into the market and look for my own. Here are some of the best Eb clarinets I found on the market. I will compare them on different factors to give you an in-depth look into them so that you can make a well-informed decision when buying them.
The best Eb clarinet- Comparison Table
Features | Yinfente Ebonite Eb clarinet | Infinite Rosewood Eb clarinet | Yamaha YCL-681 ii clarinet | Buffet R13 clarinet | Buffet E11 clarinet |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Body | Made from "ebonite," which is hard rubber. | Made from rosewood which is a hardwood tree. | Made from grenadilla wood. | Made from hand-selected grenadilla wood. | Made from grenadilla wood. |
Keys | Nickel plated | Silver plated | Silver plated. | Silver plated | Nickel-plated. |
Tone | E- flat | E- flat | E-flat | E-flat | E-flat |
Reed | Single reed Made from reed grass | Single reed Made of reed glass | Single reed Made from reed grass | Single reed Made from reed grass | Single reed Made from reed grass. |
Manufacturer | Infinite | Infinite | Yamaha | Buffet | Buffet |
Price | Check price here | Check price here | Check price here | Check price here | Check price here |
The best Eb clarinet Products Review
The Yinfente Ebonite Eb clarinet
This is a very beginner-friendly clarinet from the material it is made from to the size, making it comfortable for first-timers. The ebonite Eb clarinet is among the cheapest in its class, making it suitable for many beginners who don’t have much money to invest in a clarinet. It has many features that make it perfectly suited for beginners, which are discussed below.
Keys features
Unlike many would think, the ebonite clarinet is not made from wood. The word “ebonite” describes a type of hard rubber that almost perfectly mimics the properties of wood. Using rubber instead of hardwood makes the clarinet cheap because rubber is relatively cheaper than hardwood. Making the clarinet from rubber instead of wood makes it resilient to several factors. First, the rubber is not susceptible to cracking like wood when left in places with high temperatures. Also, rubber is less likely to break when the clarinet is dropped. However, rubber does not produce sound quality as fine as the one produced by wooden clarinets.
Like any other Eb clarinet, the Yinfente ebonite clarinet comes with the standard 17-key mechanism. The keys are of fairly good quality and are nickel plated to void corrosion which may lead to rust resulting in sticky key operation that is not desirable. Like every other clarinet, the keys must be maintained frequently to ensure optimal functioning throughout the clarinet’s life.
The Infinite ebonite clarinet is manufactured to be an E-flat clarinet. This makes it to be the smallest in the clarinet family. It produces a sweet sound in the soprano range.
The Infinite ebonite clarinet comes with the standard size reed that measures approximately 11 mm wide. Finding the right reed for you has a great influence on the quality of sound the clarinet produces.
The ebonite Eb clarinet is produced by the Yinfente Company. This is not a well-known company, especially on the western side of the world. However, it produces clarinets of good quality that would match up perfectly with clarinets produced by other renowned companies around the world.
At the time when this article was being written, the ebonite clarinet retailed for $ 169.00 US dollar on Amazon.
What we liked
- It is affordable.
- It is small in size.
- It is easy to play.
- It is less likely to get damaged.
What we didn’t like
- It is not easily customizable.
What it is best for
The Infinite ebonite is an amazing clarinet which good build quality that comes at a very affordable price.
The Infinite Rosewood Eb clarinet
This is an excellent choice for a beginner who wants a clarinet that is of great build quality. Unlike the ebonite clarinet, the rosewood Eb clarinet is made of real wood, which gives it a superior look and feel.
Key features
The Infinite Rosewood clarinet body is made of rosewood which is a type of natural hardwood tree. This enables the clarinet to produce remarkably clear sound compared to other clarinets in its price range. The clarinet also comes with two barrels which allows the musician to play a variety of tones and also helps the beginners put in more practice. However, making the clarinet out of wood puts it at a disadvantage because the wood is more susceptible to fatigue when exposed to extreme temperature fluctuations. Wood also breaks easily; hence it is important for the musician to handle the clarinet with care.
The Infinite rosewood clarinet comes with a standard 17 keys, just like any other clarinet. The keys run along the length of the middle section and are of impeccable quality, being silver plated, making them have a superior finish.
This clarinet is classified under the E-flat type of clarinets. This makes it to be the smallest of the clarinet family. Its small size allows beginners to learn how to play the instrument better since it fits properly in the hands of most musicians, especially the small ones.
Just like all the other woodwind instruments, the Yinfente rosewood clarinet uses a reed so as to produce sound. It uses a normal-sized reed which is normally about 11 mm in width. Its side profile is thick on one end and reduces toward the tip.
The Infinite rosewood clarinet is produced by the Yinfente Company. The company is not well known around the world, but it produces excellent quality clarinets for the price range that it offers. Being a less popular company makes its products to be more affordable, but this doesn’t mean that they are of poor quality.
When I was writing this article, the Yinfente rosewood clarinet retailed at $339.00.
What we liked
- It has excellent build quality.
- It is easy to play.
- It comes with an array of accessories.
- It is affordable.
What we didn’t like
- It is not well known.
What it is best for
The Infinite rosewood clarinet is an affordable wooden clarinet that offers excellent sound clarity, and it is best suited for beginners who want an instrument that is more advanced than the basic beginner clarinet.
Yamaha YCL-681 II
This is a professional-level clarinet produced by Yamaha and incorporates amazing features in its design.
Key features
The body of the Yamaha YCL-681 is made from grenadilla wood which is a type of hardwood tree. This makes it have excellent sound clarity, which is better suited for professionals. This, however, makes it heavy and susceptible to changes in environmental conditions, especially temperature.
Just like all other E-flat clarinets, it comes with the standard 17-key mechanism. The keys are silver plated, making them have a superior finish which is preferred by professionals since it is easy to clean and does not stain easily. The tonal holes are also bevelled, making them seal better when the musician’s finger covers them.
The Yamaha YCL -681 is an Eb or E-flat clarinet; this makes it produce the highest tone in the clarinet family. The tonal variation is produced when the musician covers a specific set of holes at a time.
Just like all woodwind instruments, the Yamaha YCL-681 uses a reed in order to produce its sound. It is made from standard reed grass and measures 11mm. The reed dimensions vary slightly from musician to musician.
The Yamaha YCL-681 is produced by Yamaha, which is a well-known brand, and it produces high-quality instruments that are preferred by most professionals.
What we liked
- Its superior sound quality.
- It is easy to play.
- It is affordable.
What we didn’t like
- It is not suitable for beginners.
What it is best for
The Yamaha YCL- 681 is a high-quality clarinet that comes at an affordable price and is best suited for professionals who will know how to take good care of it.
Buffet R13
This is a German-made professional-level clarinet that has excellent build quality. Featuring a hardwood body and an excellent finish.
Key features
The body of the Buffet R13 clarinet is made of hand-selected Grenadilla wood, which makes it have the highest quality finish among most clarinets on the market. Being made of high-quality hardwood makes the clarinet very durable. However, the clarinet needs extra care to keep it functioning at its best. The body of the clarinet is divided into sections that can be interchanged for higher quality sections such as bell and barrel.
The key mechanism on the Buffet R13 features the standard 17-key set and silver plated keys. This not only gives it a superior finish but also makes the keys durable, as silver is less susceptible to rust. The rings on the six main tonal holes are bevelled on the inside to offer excellent sealing when the musician’s finger closes them.
The Buffet R13 is an E-flat clarinet making it among the smallest member in the clarinet family, earning it the name piccolo clarinet. The E-flat clarinet is the highest-toned clarinet in the family. This is mainly due to its small size since the sound has to travel in a narrower tube and a shorter distance. Tonal variation is provided by the six tonal holes.
The reed on the Buffet R13 clarinet is just similar to other reeds used on other E-flat clarinets. It measures approximately 11mm wide; however, variations are slight and depend on the musician’s playing style. The reed is made from reed grass which offers the best flexibility and rigidity when needed.
Buffet is a German-based company that produces the R13 clarinet and is popular among professionals due to their high build quality.
What we liked
- Its sound quality.
- It can be easily upgraded.
- It is made of high-quality materials.
- Good quality ones are available on eBay.
What we didn’t like
- It is expensive.
- It is not available on amazon.
What it is best for
It is best known for its excellent build quality and sound clarity. The Buffet R13 clarinet is highly customizable.
Buffet E11 clarinet
The Buffet E11 clarinet is an amazing intermediate-level clarinet that combines some features of a professional clarinet with a beginner clarinet to make it affordable.
Key features
The body of the Buffet E11 clarinet is made of grenadilla wood which is a type of hardwood. Unlike the R13, the E11 wood is not hand-selected, making it somewhat of less superior quality. However, the wood is of high quality and offers great sound quality and extreme clarity. The Buffet E11 is also divided into sections that are interchangeable to suit the musician’s preference. The barrel and the bell are the most frequently replaced to get better quality in a bid to improve the instrument’s sound quality.
The Buffet E11 clarinet incorporates the standard 17-key mechanism for an E-flat clarinet. The keys are nickel-plated; this makes them of less superior quality. Nickel-plated keys usually need more polishing to avoid stains and frequent maintenance to avoid rust. The tonal holes also have bevelled rings which make them seal better. The keys help the musician play better and increase the range of the instrument, such as the thumb keys, which enable the musician to play in a higher octave.
The Buffet E11 clarinet is keyed at E-flat, which is among the highest in music. The clarinet’s high-pitched sound comes from both the narrow bore size and the clarinet’s short length. However, tonal variation is provided for by the tonal holes, which allow the instrument to go higher or lower. When the musician wants to play higher, he or she uncovers more tonal holes, and if he or she wants to play lower, he or she covers more tonal holes.
Like all other woodwind instruments, the Buffet E11 clarinet uses a reed to produce sound. The reed is made of reed grass which grows along river banks. Reed grass can be rigid and flexible, making it the best material for making reeds. The dimensions of the reed might vary slightly depending on the musician. The average reed width is 11mm, and its length varies depending on the mouthpiece that the musician will use. The reed’s stiffness and flexibility allow it to vibrate when the musician blows into the mouthpiece; this vibration is what produces the sound in the clarinet.
It is manufactured by Buffet, which is a German-based brand that is well-known among professionals. However, the manufacturer also makes intermediate-level clarinets.
What we liked
- It is affordable.
- Good build quality.
- Good for beginners who want to advance.
- It is available on eBay.
What we didn’t like
- It is a bit expensive.
- It is not available on amazon.
What it is best for
The Buffet E11 clarinet is best suited for a beginner who wants to advance their skills as a musician since this clarinet offers better sound quality and clarity.
Buying guide
When looking to buy a clarinet, it is best to do extensive research on the particular clarinet that you want. To be safe, always buy from a reputable brand so as to get the best quality instrument. However, if you are shopping online, do so on amazon as it has features that protect your interest.
What to look out for
When looking to buy a clarinet, it is important to pay attention to some of the following factors:
Material
Different materials produce sound with different amounts of clarity, with wood producing the most-clear sound of all materials.
Price
It is important to stay within one’s financial means as clarinets can be really expensive if not well planned for.
Build quality
This can be hard to determine, especially if you are a beginner. It is best to have an expert advise you or buy from a brand with a good track record.
Verdict
Clarinets are amazing instruments, and it is worth taking the time to research in order to get the best one. The clarinets discussed in the article are some of the most beginner friendly in the market. When buying your own clarinet, it is best to pay attention to all the factors that have been discussed.
FAQs
Which is the best E-flat clarinet?
There is no one clarinet that would be termed as best because different clarinets are made for different purposes.
What factors should I consider buying a clarinet?
The most important features of the clarinet are the build quality and material used.