I purchased the least expensive C clarinet, and much like your review of the Eb, mine had an easily corrected issue of too much tension on the A key. Since it fits a Bb mouthpiece, it was no problem transferring my setup to this horn, and I now have an enjoyable instrument that was well worth the bargain price. On a polishing cloth in the hard case was printed the brand, Yinfente. Although I own a nice wood Eb, I recently ordered an Eb which I’m waiting for. The claim is that these cheap clarinets are made from Ebonite, hard rubber, and the keywork metal is pliable.
the keywork on cheap woodwind instruments is very pliable. I got a generic branded oboe from Ebay for really cheap, and immediately out of the box, the low B/B-flat keywork was sticking such that pressing low B always closed the low B-flat hole as well, unless you first pressed the left E-flat key really hard. Upon further inspection, it was bent. The parts that were supposed to move independently were getting caught on each other. So I simply took it off with the screwdriver that came with the instrument and unbent it by hand. Literally no pliers or anything required; I just straightened it out with my bare hands. Suffice it to say that if you have a vague idea of how to repair woodwind keywork, you can have a decent amount of luck with those cheap generic instruments
This came up on my recommended the day after I bought one of these things. I have very low expectations, but I plan to use it to pick out a nice mouthpiece and see if I am at all competent on Eb. Hopefully it will help me with those things. Also, another weird thing is that the links to the clarinets in the description are already unavailable. I noticed that yesterday there was only 2 listings for these things when I know there is normally ~6 different rebrands of this clarinet. Today I am not seeing any listing for this plastic model of Eb. I wonder if they are sold out from the holidays or maybe the factory that was pumping them out got shut down and now the last of the stock is gone for good.
I had very low expectations also, but was pleasantly surprised. Playing the Eb is a very different operation than playing the clarinet it many ways, so my thought is that it’s better to start earlier on whatever is available than to wait to learn it until you can afford the serious investment of a pro model (or even an older intermediate). I’ve kept my eye on these things for a while and when they are available seems very hit or miss…I’m surprised the first links disappeared so fast because I picked ones that had multiple horns available. But as of writing this there are several live eBay listings again.
I just ordered one on Amazon, but now it is unavailable. I think they probaby make a run of them and then they all sell out. Mine is supposed to arrive by March. I paid $120 with tax and shipping so I am not expecting much, but I don't plan on doing much with it so we'll see.
What you said about poor quality metal in cheap clarinets reminds me of a no-name Turkish G Albert system clarinet I once tried out. The keys were pot metal, and one of them broke while I was playing!
I'm pretty impressed with how good it sounds for such a cheap instrument. I lucked out by buying an old wooden Eb (some stencil horn, likely from the 1930s) without having a clue what I was getting. It cost me $167.50 and it turned out to be a really good instrument. Still want a Buffet R13 but it was nice to get a cheap one that works!
I purchased one to play one the musical, "Mary Poppins". I used the mouthpiece that came with it and it worked fine. I will admit that played long tones and tuning exercises every day since it was my first time ever playing one (I'm a saxophonist). I later upgraded the mouthpiece and it works very well. I approach it the same way that I approach the soprano saxophone.
I just finished a run of Mary Poppins and played the Eb parts on Bb. Now I'm trying to get an Eb and found this video lol Thoughts now that you're 8 months later?
I think I have this exact Eb Clarinet. It was a great resource when I had a clarinet student who’s hands were to small for the standard Bb clarinet. But I got the idea to try that after another one of my students said there were first graders playing Eb clarinet in his school jazz band for the exact same reason of having hands that were too small
Frankly, it sounds much better in tune than the first Eb I ever played, which was a Leblanc. That was the instrument that taught me how to compensate for tuning problems. My director kept saying "you're out of tune!", and once I taught myself how to adjust tuning with embouchure for problem notes (B at the bottom of the clarion register was really flat, some throat tones really sharp...), after two weeks my director looked at me surprised and said quietly "you're in tune...!" So, based on what I'm hearing on your video, this one is much better off.
I have a cheap plastic eefer that I got for a song off of an auction site a handful of years ago - it plays nicely enough. Yours is about the price of a regulation. Turn it into a lamp when it's finished and get a new one.
I was very fortunate that my first instrument was new and a good brand... that being said not everyone is so fortunate. Affordable plays a big role in what you're able to get. For a beginner i would still recommend at least a used Yamaha but if it's not in you're budget then a good (cheap) one like this will do. At least for a bit.
They always come with a reed already on LMAO the keys were bent when I got mine and so I had to bend them to seal them. I had a little fun with it for a few weeks then got rid of it.
I bought one of these in 2019. I tried real hard to get it to work, but I've almost given up on it due to way too many issues. In addition to all of the issues listed in the video, mine is way too flat, save for the chalumeau F / clarion C, which is actually in tune! For me the LH pinky stack has pretty bad ergonomics. And the altissimo was never stable, I was always fishing around for different fingerings. Keywork is OK and no leaks. I could dress it up with a short barrel, low F extension, etc., but I think a Bundy would've been a much safer bet...
Very much so. I prefer LeBlanc, but that's because their instruments are what I'm most used to. I have tried other brands but prefer the feel of a LeBlanc. They're what I started on.
I am the owner of a similarly Chinese-made eBay Eb, but instead of the cheapest one, mine was the "intermediate" level rosewood instrument. I like it, but the tuning is awful compared to other Eb's and the high notes practically are impossible to play. I did a review of it, but would like to hear your thoughts.
My mom bought me one of these when I asked for an Eb clarinet and now my band director wants me to play it in class to support the oboes….is it worth it??? I’m making my own reeds out of Bb clarinet reeds or I use soprano sax reeds when I get fed up with making my own.
E flat tuned clarinets are not very common and are usually a specialized instrument B-flat clarinet, so the more common ones For this reason, you can expect inconsistent workmanship for the lower in production clarinets I am a casual Xavier, so I got to be flat clarinet. I wouldn’t bother getting an E flat clarinet, although it would be a nice novelty and certainly lighter to carry. I suppose it’s just too much trouble.
I swear that whole speech about "Instrument SHaped Objects" and getting them repaired... It's gotta be a script. I've watched several other videos on these inexpensive instruments (mostly guitars, but also trumpets, and another clarinet) and they say this whole speech nearly word for freakin word. There's gotta be a blog page or something, that when UA-camrs look up info, that result is always in the google search and they just copy it down....
I really appreciate the compliment, but absolutely none of this was scripted. I’ve also never watched another cheap instrument review video. Maybe if multiple people are saying the same thing it’s because it’s true.
squidward is proud
I purchased the least expensive C clarinet, and much like your review of the Eb, mine had an easily corrected issue of too much tension on the A key. Since it fits a Bb mouthpiece, it was no problem transferring my setup to this horn, and I now have an enjoyable instrument that was well worth the bargain price. On a polishing cloth in the hard case was printed the brand, Yinfente. Although I own a nice wood Eb, I recently ordered an Eb which I’m waiting for. The claim is that these cheap clarinets are made from Ebonite, hard rubber, and the keywork metal is pliable.
the keywork on cheap woodwind instruments is very pliable. I got a generic branded oboe from Ebay for really cheap, and immediately out of the box, the low B/B-flat keywork was sticking such that pressing low B always closed the low B-flat hole as well, unless you first pressed the left E-flat key really hard. Upon further inspection, it was bent. The parts that were supposed to move independently were getting caught on each other. So I simply took it off with the screwdriver that came with the instrument and unbent it by hand. Literally no pliers or anything required; I just straightened it out with my bare hands. Suffice it to say that if you have a vague idea of how to repair woodwind keywork, you can have a decent amount of luck with those cheap generic instruments
Would have been helpful to hear you play it with your normal mouthpiece setup. Thanks for the info.
Part 2 coming soon
This came up on my recommended the day after I bought one of these things. I have very low expectations, but I plan to use it to pick out a nice mouthpiece and see if I am at all competent on Eb. Hopefully it will help me with those things. Also, another weird thing is that the links to the clarinets in the description are already unavailable. I noticed that yesterday there was only 2 listings for these things when I know there is normally ~6 different rebrands of this clarinet. Today I am not seeing any listing for this plastic model of Eb. I wonder if they are sold out from the holidays or maybe the factory that was pumping them out got shut down and now the last of the stock is gone for good.
I had very low expectations also, but was pleasantly surprised. Playing the Eb is a very different operation than playing the clarinet it many ways, so my thought is that it’s better to start earlier on whatever is available than to wait to learn it until you can afford the serious investment of a pro model (or even an older intermediate). I’ve kept my eye on these things for a while and when they are available seems very hit or miss…I’m surprised the first links disappeared so fast because I picked ones that had multiple horns available. But as of writing this there are several live eBay listings again.
I just ordered one on Amazon, but now it is unavailable. I think they probaby make a run of them and then they all sell out. Mine is supposed to arrive by March. I paid $120 with tax and shipping so I am not expecting much, but I don't plan on doing much with it so we'll see.
What you said about poor quality metal in cheap clarinets reminds me of a no-name Turkish G Albert system clarinet I once tried out. The keys were pot metal, and one of them broke while I was playing!
I'm pretty impressed with how good it sounds for such a cheap instrument.
I lucked out by buying an old wooden Eb (some stencil horn, likely from the 1930s) without having a clue what I was getting. It cost me $167.50 and it turned out to be a really good instrument. Still want a Buffet R13 but it was nice to get a cheap one that works!
Skill makes a huge difference. Upgrading your equipment is hugely overrated.
I purchased one to play one the musical, "Mary Poppins". I used the mouthpiece that came with it and it worked fine. I will admit that played long tones and tuning exercises every day since it was my first time ever playing one (I'm a saxophonist).
I later upgraded the mouthpiece and it works very well. I approach it the same way that I approach the soprano saxophone.
I just finished a run of Mary Poppins and played the Eb parts on Bb. Now I'm trying to get an Eb and found this video lol
Thoughts now that you're 8 months later?
Thats basically a marching Eb clarinet after a few changeups
I think I have this exact Eb Clarinet. It was a great resource when I had a clarinet student who’s hands were to small for the standard Bb clarinet. But I got the idea to try that after another one of my students said there were first graders playing Eb clarinet in his school jazz band for the exact same reason of having hands that were too small
Frankly, it sounds much better in tune than the first Eb I ever played, which was a Leblanc. That was the instrument that taught me how to compensate for tuning problems. My director kept saying "you're out of tune!", and once I taught myself how to adjust tuning with embouchure for problem notes (B at the bottom of the clarion register was really flat, some throat tones really sharp...), after two weeks my director looked at me surprised and said quietly "you're in tune...!" So, based on what I'm hearing on your video, this one is much better off.
I have a cheap plastic eefer that I got for a song off of an auction site a handful of years ago - it plays nicely enough. Yours is about the price of a regulation. Turn it into a lamp when it's finished and get a new one.
I was very fortunate that my first instrument was new and a good brand... that being said not everyone is so fortunate. Affordable plays a big role in what you're able to get. For a beginner i would still recommend at least a used Yamaha but if it's not in you're budget then a good (cheap) one like this will do. At least for a bit.
Do you know if this instrument would fit a Yamaha 6C mouthpiece? Thanks!
On mine, the posts were all messed up and rotated quite freely meaning any adjustment or repair I did essentially further destroyed the instrument.
They always come with a reed already on LMAO the keys were bent when I got mine and so I had to bend them to seal them.
I had a little fun with it for a few weeks then got rid of it.
I bought one of these in 2019. I tried real hard to get it to work, but I've almost given up on it due to way too many issues. In addition to all of the issues listed in the video, mine is way too flat, save for the chalumeau F / clarion C, which is actually in tune! For me the LH pinky stack has pretty bad ergonomics. And the altissimo was never stable, I was always fishing around for different fingerings. Keywork is OK and no leaks. I could dress it up with a short barrel, low F extension, etc., but I think a Bundy would've been a much safer bet...
Brand snobbery is alive and well still...with clarinet players!
Very much so. I prefer LeBlanc, but that's because their instruments are what I'm most used to. I have tried other brands but prefer the feel of a LeBlanc. They're what I started on.
No no your five year old needs to have a Buffet R-13, which will need to be replaced in five years because it will be blown out by then. /Sarcasm
I am the owner of a similarly Chinese-made eBay Eb, but instead of the cheapest one, mine was the "intermediate" level rosewood instrument. I like it, but the tuning is awful compared to other Eb's and the high notes practically are impossible to play. I did a review of it, but would like to hear your thoughts.
The chimneys on mine are also awful, as a note.
Very cool! I will check it out!
VERY. I did a video a few years back with a cheap Eb and it was well...fun.
My mom bought me one of these when I asked for an Eb clarinet and now my band director wants me to play it in class to support the oboes….is it worth it??? I’m making my own reeds out of Bb clarinet reeds or I use soprano sax reeds when I get fed up with making my own.
So for occasional personal use this thing is OK? I will likely never play an Eb in performance, but I’d like one just to play with.
Yes, definitely. I just shot a follow-up video which I'll post as soon as it's edited. Overall I'm impressed for how inexpensive it is.
For a-hundred-bucks?? ...And the Mfgr's reed?
the mouthpiece you got looks like a knock off vandoren B45
.. would leave it as is .. purposely using it for effects in some🎥film, animation, etc.
E flat tuned clarinets are not very common and are usually a specialized instrument B-flat clarinet, so the more common ones
For this reason, you can expect inconsistent workmanship for the lower in production clarinets
I am a casual Xavier, so I got to be flat clarinet. I wouldn’t bother getting an E flat clarinet, although it would be a nice novelty and certainly lighter to carry. I suppose it’s just too much trouble.
E flat clarinets are common. Used for band literature, orchestral literature, and some musicals.
Show up to Orchestra with that one you SAX players.
I swear that whole speech about "Instrument SHaped Objects" and getting them repaired... It's gotta be a script. I've watched several other videos on these inexpensive instruments (mostly guitars, but also trumpets, and another clarinet) and they say this whole speech nearly word for freakin word. There's gotta be a blog page or something, that when UA-camrs look up info, that result is always in the google search and they just copy it down....
I really appreciate the compliment, but absolutely none of this was scripted. I’ve also never watched another cheap instrument review video. Maybe if multiple people are saying the same thing it’s because it’s true.