Pro Instruments?

So, what level woodwind did you start on?

  • Student

    Votes: 5 41.7%

  • Intermediate

    Votes: 2 16.7%

  • Pro

    Votes: 5 41.7%
  • Total voters
    12
pete

pete

Brassica Oleracea
Staff member
Administrator
I was "inspired" by a couple threads.

I'm interested in knowing if the first woodwind instrument you learned on was a student model, intermediate model, or a professional model. (I know you could do "advanced intermediate" or "custom pro." Let's just keep it simple.)
 
The first instrument I learned anything on was an intermediate model, wooden Selmer Signet Bb clarinet. I'll peg that as around 1981.
 
Martin Freres wood Bb Clarinet. Don't know, but suspect it was either student or intermediate. It was my older brother's horn until he got a Buffet R13.
 
pete said:
The first instrument I learned anything on was an intermediate model, wooden Selmer Signet Bb clarinet. I'll peg that as around 1981.
Click to expand...
Exact same horn in my case for when I started, actually!
(except my mother got one from earlier than 1981, given she got it in 6th grade in the late 1970s, and then gave it to me for 6th grade.)
EDIT: wait no this was a Signet Special, not a Signet, oops. (Sorry! I think that might be considered an intermediate, then?)
 
Conn alto. Student horn with star burst pattern. Me thinks it was a Mexi-Conn, but I could be wrong. It was new at the time. My parents rented it for me for a year before I switched to a rented Bundy tenor.
 
Conn Starburst tenor school rental. I suppose it was a student instrument, it had nickel plated keys.

Rental was $10/month. My mom told me I'd never stick to it. Hah! Proved her wrong :D

Notes ♫
 
Mom got me a used Buescher Aristocrat alto sax which is a lovely pro horn. At the school band fair I told her I wanted a trumpet but she looked at the mouthpiece test I took with all the other potential bandies and said that with my jaw line it was not recommended. I was devastated until I saw (angelic music please) this sax. I played it all the way to college. I was easily the nicest thing my parents ever bought me. And they really couldn't afford it. I often think of that, especially now that Dad is gone (May 2021) and mom is in memory care.
 
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For me it was a Bundy Alto Saxophone, which I played for few years from 6-8 grade. I think at some point it was switched out for another (or maybe a Bundy II) for a bit while the first one was serviced, but then again I may never have gotten the original one back.

That was middle school. We rented throughout until I entered college.
 
I started on a Boosey & Hawkes Clarinet in 4th Grade. I played the school's Bass Clarinet in Jr. High, it was probably a Boosey & Hawkes also, I don't remember, I do remember that it had a snazzy Imitation Alligator Skin Vinyl covered case though.
 
I also started on a Boosey & Hawkes clarinet when I was about 14 years old and played it for many years until I started making money playing in jazz and dance groups. Then I bought a Buffet R13 with the first and only bank loan I ever had and played it for about 40 years and then sold it due to denture problems.

At 76 years of age I found a Buffet R13 for sale at a reasonable price, had it checked out with a tech and now starting all over again.
 
Pro!
My grandfather died and left me some money. He was a carpenter, and I wanted to buy something wooden, and I had wanted to learn to play clarinet. I knew I could make a noise on a clarinet from trying a friend's, but it would have been a painful 'playtest' for the shop owner.

I walked away with a Leblanc Opus. In the twenty years since, now having about 30 clarinets and 15 saxes in my collection, that first instrument was the most expensive single item in my armory until I bought my new baritone sax a couple of years ago.

It was an extremely lucky purchase, as I still love playing it, and think of my grandad every time I put it together.

Chris
 
Plastic Yamaha YCL-26 Clarinet. But found that sax was more my thing. So started on a YAS- 62 Silver-Plated saxophone that is still my go to in most events.

The Fact is recommendations. - get a pro grade instrument from the first day that is set up properly with no leaks or quirks. Its easy to learn from day one! Parents need to understand this. No more drop outs.
 
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I started playing alto saxophone and a school horn and within 2 months got a 1952 SML model. Sweet! I’ve been lucky. That was in 1973.
 
Chris J said:
Pro!
My grandfather died and left me some money. He was a carpenter, and I wanted to buy something wooden, and I had wanted to learn to play clarinet. I knew I could make a noise on a clarinet from trying a friend's, but it would have been a painful 'playtest' for the shop owner.

I walked away with a Leblanc Opus. In the twenty years since, now having about 30 clarinets and 15 saxes in my collection, that first instrument was the most expensive single item in my armory until I bought my new baritone sax a couple of years ago.

It was an extremely lucky purchase, as I still love playing it, and think of my grandad every time I put it together.

Chris
Click to expand...
30 clarinets and 15 clarinets?
How long have you been playing?
 
Keesha said:
And why’s that? Do you keep more than you should or get horns in worse condition than you expected.
Click to expand...
Definitely the first. And other reasons. I have bought to repair and sell, but the reason I bought them in the first place is that they were interesting, as well as a potential profit. Examples might be a pair (Bb/A) of Full Boehm Selmer Centered Tones; pair of R13s going cheap as they were wrongly described; Leblanc LL with extra rings and keys (not FB); Evette Schaeffer Bb which turned out to have beautiful un dyed wood and better than any R13 I had tried.

Then there is the buy to keep with no intention of selling such as a pair of Selmer silver metal “Master Model’ clarinets; my Silver King with solid silver bell and the metal double walled Couesnon clarinet. I have three Couesnon Monopole wooden clarinets of different eras. Of course there is the variation on a theme of clarinet - with Eb soprano, C clarinet, alto clarinet, bass clarinet.

Another category is the historical with no current ensemble function! Some are restored, and some are awaiting my retirement! I have probably the most exquisitely made clarinet I own made by JTL. It is small, almost certainly high pitched, and I have yet to find what key it is. I also have a beautiful high pitch bass clarinet made by the original Rudall Carte company. There are Albert System clarinets, and other curiosities.

In short, I am a collector, and strongly resist my wife’s accusation of hoarder!

To quickly mention saxes, the main focus of my collection there is the maker Couesnon (see avatar). My first sax purchase was, I thought, a beginner/intermediate alto, Vito. It was actually a Vito VSP, and on closer inspection was made by Yanagisawa. As such, it was actually a pro level instrument, and on requesting information from Yanagisawa, they told me it was an A600, and only 50 were made. This is documented elsewhere on the forum.

Chris
 
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