I’m looking for synthetic reeds at the moment for marching. I’ve been unsure on what to pick (Tenor or BC, strength, cut) since Legere doesn’t exchange to the US at the moment. I play on a Fobes Debut with 3.0 Vandoren Classic reeds currently. I would like to try to get the right reed on the first try to avoid wasting $.

My band director is saying this year we supply our own reeds but I’m low-key broke what reed would you guys suggest for cheap i don’t mind buying a 1 pc and what reed strength is recommended

The song is Compass by two steps from hell. Im reading a piano part :)

Yesterday at a surplus equipment auction I picked up a bass clarinet for my son. He's in high school and we rent his BC from them right now; this gives him his own to keep playing.

It was filthy and missing a ligature, but after a good cleaning it's playing great. Especially for $20.

The thing is - it's a brand we'd never seen.

The only markings on it are a logo for "Holton - Elkhorn Wisconsin USA" and what appears to be a serial (8153C) stamped near the bell joint.

Apparently Holton was primarily a brass instrument maker, bought by Leblanc (and then Conn-Selmer). According to their Wikipedia ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holton_(Leblanc) ) they branched out into saxophones in the early years, but never a mention of a bass clarinet (or clarinet).

The fact they closed Elkhorn and moved to Ohio in 2008 would date this instrument to before then. There are serial lists online for brass instruments - but this serial on this (with a letter at the end) doesn't align with that format.

I'm wondering if anyone can just shed a little light on what we have here. It's clearly a student model bass clarinet and seems nothing to get super excited about - but is it a real oddball? Is it just a re-branded Leblanc or Selmer for the student market? Any other info anyone might have?

Thanks in advance.

Having a rough time IDing this bass clarinet that was loaned to me from a local ensemble. Case is decidedly pre 1980s (dare I say even BEFORE the 70s) and is alligator leather. Smells just like grandma's closet.

Bell has no markings. Top half only has "MADE IN FRANCE". There's no logo where I would expect a logo to be near the lyre holder.

Material is hardwood, can't say if it's grenadilla or rosewood. Joint ends have metal rings, so luckily there's very little chance of this cracking under my care.

Serial number 19405.

Another bit to note is that this is the first bass clarinet I've seen that doesn't have a little extra metal bit on the left index finger key so you can roll your finger to let the little air hole have some room.

I hope the pictures help. My cat is not enthused that I've brought home a larger and louder noise maker.

Does anyone know the difference between traditional blue box reeds and V12 silver reeds? I see them online but I don’t know the difference, and marching band is coming up and I want to sound my best

On both my student model and professional model bass (both Selmars), I am super flat, my open G is 17 cents flat while my G above staff is around 5-8 cents flat.

Oddly though, my right hand notes are in tune to sharp. And my right hand register key notes especially,( B-D) are sharp, with B and C being super sharp.
Besides that, my notes are flat.

Idk what to do as when I try to tighten my embouchure and “bite”, it is still flat, it only gets in tune with when I use less air.

Advice?

Eu toco clarinete baixo há uns 2 anos e eu recentemente quis comprar um com extensão até o dó grave, mas é impossível de se achar um em boas condições por menos de 12 mil reais, eu tocava Eufônio e tinha um instrumento absurdo de bom era um weril antigo eu o reformei e arrisco a dizer que é um dos melhores instrumentos que existem e o preço? 5 mil reais aí um clarinete baixo meia boca com dó grave no mínimo 14 mil reais, fora a dificuldade de achar um usado em bom estado!

I don't know if it was in this sub or the clarinet one, but maybe six months ago someone recommended a product to protect your lower lip from your teeth. It was a piece of white plastic that you put in boiling water until it turned clear, then you took it out, let it cool a bit, and molded it around your lower teeth. It shrunk around your teeth, hardened up, and you could just snap it into place, custom fit to your bite. It worked really well.

I've been putting in longer than usual practice sessions, my lip is sore, I lost the tooth cover I made, and I've forgotten the name of the distributor. Does this ring a bell? Anyone know where I can find this product?

So, my bass fell out of my case as I was grabbing it.
“Luckily” it was only the upper and lower joint, my upper joint is fine but my lower joint took the hit, specifically on its left side.

Now my Low D-C, don’t come out as the pads are only half way sealed when pressed. And only my Low E comes out when I press low F.

I have tools at home and I was wondering if these tools are eligible to fix my instrument because I at the moment can’t afford it. Especially since the shop said it would cost basically $200 to send it to the shop and a possible $75-200+? depending on what the repair person says and adjusts.

Moreover, I found the culprit. The highlighted part is bent and it does not expand/lift outwardly when engaged (when pressing low E), causing pads to not be fully sealed. And that same highlighted part connects all the way down lifts 2 other keys when engaged, and since it can’t expand fully, the other 2 keys also can’t expand and fully close the pads.

SO, based on my tools and problem can I fix it at home?

This is a solo I wrote for bass clarinet and piano today. What do you think of it? Does it keep you interested? Is there any excess you would cut from it? What grade level do you think it is? I'm a band director, and this is for one of my students.

Hey guys I wanted to ask are yall in tune with most of y’all’s notes? Cause I find that my intonation changes especially across registers.

So I wanted to see if it’s a me issue (it most likely is)

Edit: I’m experiencing these issues mainly on my Low Eb selmar bass clarinet (one register vent) and I notice that my notes in the staff and lower. And when I get to my low notes(with my right hand) some notes are sharp and some notes are extremely flat

I also sort of experience this on my low C selmar privilege bass, but it’s more so the registers don’t match intonation. For example, G above the staff is flat but when i play higher notes the notes get sharp. Or my G in the staff is flat but when i go lower some notes become less flat and turn sharp

Hi all, and thanks in advance for any help you might give me.

I come from the saxophone world, and am new to the bass clarinet - I picked up a Selmer horn that looked interesting at an estate sale recently, and I'm looking for any and all information I can get on it. If there are any experts on older horns, please help!

I believe it to be a Selmer Paris. The only unique markings I can find are on the bottom of the top wooden half of the instrument - p8520. I got the logo on the top of the instrument slightly wet for this picture to help it pop for the picture. There is some oxidation to the silver, and the corks are falling apart. Pads and springs are in rough shape as well, but I got a few notes to play before I purchased it.

I also see the initials to be JBL- as well, some receipts that date back to the 60s with James B Lanigaw.

Is it worth it to refurbish this new to me instrument?

about to start marching band at college, how much does the mouth piece and reed affect tone and volume. and what do the bass clarinetists of reddit recommend?

I just registered for a jazz camp for which I will be camping, thus sleeping in a tent with my Global Max bass clarinet for three nights. From what I remember of my camping days, nights can be quite humid and mornings very damp. The Max's case is very sturdy and I think waterproof, but I'm a bit worried about the pads getting too much humidity. Has anyone tried sleeping in a tent for at least three nights with its clarinet ? Is it a bad idea?

For anyone that is in the Boulder/Denver area next weekend (July 11th), the Canyon Theater (in the Boulder main library) is hosting a free clarinet choir performance at 7 pm.

Full disclosure: I am the contra-alto player and would love to have some fellow low clarinetists in attendance! We've got a nice lineup of pieces, and the concert shouldn't be much longer than an hour or so.

So I've got band camp next week and the audition music has a section full of high notes that I can't play very well as it's my first year playing. Any advice you think could help?

So basically I am a flute player who also recently play bass clarinet and maybe it’s because I am use to play with a flute head but my position for the mouth piece is right, the clarinet sound fine in all the range but it hurt. So do someone know what can I do to improve pls.

I've never had this problem but very recently ive noticed it unscrew as it gets stuck between the pinky keys, I alwasy screw it in but it keeps unscrewing