8 Best Clarinet Brands in Your Budget (2020)

A clarinet is a mouthpiece instrument, which belongs to the woodwind family. It is a cylindrical shaped straight tube that has a bore along with a flared bell.

The sound produced by a trumpet and a clarinet were considered to be somewhat similar, but a clarinet is able to produce an improved tone and it is the instrument of the woodwind family that offers the largest range of pitch, along with a wide range of notes too.

The making of these clarinets include the use of materials like plastic, wood, metal, hard rubber, ivory and resin. The most common material used is African hardwood, Honduran rosewood, or cocobolo.

Today, clarinets are available in a large variety, which differ in sizes and pitches. It depends on the player as to which type suits them the best. We have combined some of the best available clarinets and reviewed the 8 Best Clarinet Brands in Your Budget, so that you can buy the best clarinet, without having to pay a hefty amount. Check out the Buyer’s Guide at the end of this article which would help you decide better! So, let’s start our journey into the world of the beautiful clarinets!

Jean Paul USA CL-300 Student Clarinet

Jean Paul USA is one of the most common and the most trusted brands for clarinets. This student clarinet has an ebonite body material which makes it a durable product, which has a rigid construction as well.

It comes in a carrying case, which is small and compact and perfectly fits in the instrument, so that you can easily transport it anywhere without worrying about any kind of damages. This carrying case accommodates all other accessories that may be required by a student. This instrument features nickel plated keys along with the Boehm 17 key system which makes it an easy-to-use instrument and provides a beautiful sound. It also provides the user with a wide range of tones, which makes it a very versatile clarinet.

This instrument also includes a number of accessories with itself, like a mouthpiece, cap, ligature, Professional Rico reeds, and also features a neck strap which provides the user with comfort while playing, and a cork grease which is used for maintenance purposes.

Features

1. Trusted rand name.
2. Ebonite body material.
3. Durable.
4. Rigid construction.
5. Includes a carrying case that is robust contoured and fits all the accessories.
6. Easily portable.
7. Nickel plated keys.
8. Boehm 17 key system.
9. Easy to play.
10. Gives a focused and clear tone.
11. Best for beginners and intermediates.
12. Wide range of tones.
13. Versatile.
14. Includes accessories like mouthpiece, cap, ligature, Professional Rico reeds.
15. Neck strap included for comfortable playing.
16. Cork grease for maintenance.
17. Affordable.

Overall Ratings- 4.4/5 stars.

Yamaha YCL-255 Standard Bb Clarinet

Yamaha is another trusted brand for musical instruments and this clarinet is proof. It has an ABC resin body and features nickel plated silver keys.

It features a thumb rest that is adjustable, along with a strap ring, which provides the user with comfort while playing. It produces a warm and resonant tone which makes it no less than a wooden clarinet. In fact, the matte finish featured by this instrument gives it the look of a wooden clarinet itself. It has firm screws and silver soldered rings which extends its durability.

It produces a focused tone and is also easy to repair. It is also not too sensitive to temperature and atmospheric changes. It comes with a Yamaha 4C mouthpiece, and a case which may be hard or semi-hard.

Features

1. Trusted brand.
2. ABC resin body.
3. Nickel plated silver keys.
4. Adjustable thumb rest.
5. Strap ring provides comfort of playing.
6. Warm and resonant tone.
7. Tone resembles the one produced by a wooden clarinet.
8. Matte finish.
9. Firm screws.
10. Silver soldered rings.
11. Durable.
12. Focused tone.
13. Easy to repair.
14. Not very sensitive to temperature changes.
15. Includes Yamaha 4C mouthpiece.
16. Comes with a hard or semi-hard case.

Overall Ratings- 4.3/5 stars.

Buffet Crampon E11 Bb Clarinet

This clarinet by Buffet Crampon is an expensive one, but is totally worth it. This is another brand that has been known for producing amazing musical instruments since many years.

It has a high quality hand finish and is a very elegant looking instrument. It is not suitable for beginners, and mainly aims at experts while intermediate players can also use it. For its construction, it uses traditional methods and combines it with technology, to produce the best quality product. It has a Dalbergia Melanoxylon body along with stained African blackwood.

The springs are stainless steel and the keywork is silver plated. It does not include a gig bag. Also, the sound produced by it is deep and rich, which makes it not just an attractive looking instrument but an efficient one too. Another benefit provided by this product is that since it is one of the most recognized brands, its parts are easily available in case you would like to go for a replacement.

Features

1. Trusted brand name.
2. Expensive, but worth it.
3. High quality hand finish.
4. Elegant design.
5. Mainly for expert level and intermediate level players.
6. Traditional methods and technology is combined for construction.
7. Dalbergia Melanoxylon Body.
8. Stained African blackwood.
9. Stainless steel springs.
10. Silver plated keywork.
11. Gig bag is not included.
12. Deep and rich sound produced.
13. Easy replacement of parts.

Overall Ratings- 4.5/5 stars.

Nuvo N100CLGN Clarineo Kit 

This clarinet by Nuvo comes in an attractive green/white and is a lightweight instrument that is made from ABS plastic. It is mainly suitable for beginners and is one of the best first instrument for a learner. This product is strictly just for the use of kids.

The sound quality provided by it is obviously not as good and strong as the wooden ones, since this is a plastic made clarinet. Though, it is able to give a smooth tone that is enjoyed by children. It is a durable product and is easy to set-up, since it has just 3 parts that can be assembled or put away within no time. It features silicone rubber pads that make it a highly durable product with little or no maintenance.

It is washable and includes a cleaning cloth, spare reeds, O-ring grease, fingering chart. It is available in more varieties of colors and its size makes it the best to handle by your kids.

Features

1. Lightweight.
2. Attractive colors.
3. ABS plastic.
4. Only for kids.
5. Smooth tone.
6. Durable.
7. Easy to set up and put away.
8. 3 parts needed for assembly.
9. Silicone rubber pads.
10. No maintenance required.
11. Washable.
12. Includes cleaning cloth, spare reeds, O-ring grease, fingering chart.
13. Traditional cane reeds.
14. Key C.

Overall Ratings– 4.1/5 stars.

Mendini MCT-E+SD+PB Black B Flat Clarinet

This clarinet is best suited for beginners and can also be used by intermediate level players. It has a high quality body that features nickel plated keys that are extremely durable.

It has Key of Bb and features an adjustable thumb rest which makes it an instrument for everybody. It comes in a reasonable price which makes it best for beginners and intermediate level players. It also comes with a 1 year warranty from the manufacturer which is quite appreciated by the customers. The high quality standards are checked and maintained with utmost care by technicians at Cecilio’s, thus ensuring that you receive the best products.

It includes normal accessories that are included with all other clarinets, like cork grease, mouth piece, hard shell case, box of reeds, cleaning cloth and gloves. Apart from these regular accessories, it also includes a few interesting ones like a foldable clarinet stand, and a clarinet pocketbook. The clarinet stand is easy to assemble and has a foldable design, which makes it easy to store. The pocket book is specially included for beginners to ease their learning process a bit.

Features

1. Best for beginners and intermediates.
2. High quality body.
3. Nickel plated keys.
4. Highly durable.
5. Key of Bb.
6. Adjustable thumb rest.
7. Reasonable price.
8. 1 year warranty.
9. High quality standards.
10. Made and handled with care.
11. Includes cork grease, mouth piece, hard shell case, box of reeds, cleaning cloth and gloves.
12. Also includes clarinet stand and a clarinet pocketbook.
13. Clarinet stand has a foldable design and is easy to assemble.
14. Clarinet pocketbook is extremely useful for beginners.

Overall Ratings- 4.3/5 stars.

Selmer CL211 Intermediate Bb Clarinet

Selmer is another known brand that has been in this market for years. The high quality instruments produced by this brand is quite well known.

This is a wooden clarinet that has a body made of Grenadilla wood. Its keys follow the French Boehm System, since this company was established in France and it still uses traditional ways of manufacturing high quality products. It features a smaller bore, and has steel springs along with undercut tone holes. It also features the very convenient adjustable thumb rest.

It produces a warm sound, which is due to its wooden body. The accessories included with it are a mouthpiece and a ligature, a case to store the instrument and the cleaning essentials required.

Features

1. Reputed brand.
2. High quality.
3. Wooden body.
4. Uses Grenadilla wood.
5. Silver plated keys.
6. French Boehm System.
7. Small bore.
8. Steel springs.
9. Undercut tone holes.
10. Adjustable thumb rest.
11. Gives a warm and rich sound.
12. Includes mouthpiece and a ligature, a case to store the instrument and the cleaning essentials required.

Overall Ratings- 4.6/5 stars.

Glory B Flat Black Ebonite Clarinet 

This clarinet by Glory is best suited for students or learners. It has an ebonite/ABS body and also has a flawless finish, which makes it an attractive product.

The keys are nickel plated or lacquer, which are durable. It features Key of Bb along with an adjustable thumb rest making it a comfortable and easy-to-play instrument. It also features inline trill keys. It comes in a hard shell case and includes a second barrel, plus a mouth piece, 11 reeds, cap, pad cushions.

It comes with a light case which ensures that the user can easily carry the clarinet. It is available in black or silver keys, and is an overall reasonably priced product.

Features

1. Best for beginners.
2. Ebonite/ABS body.
3. Flawless finish.
4. Attractive.
5. Nickel plated/lacquer keys.
6. Durable.
7. Key of Bb.
8. Adjustable thumb rest.
9. Easy to play.
10. Inline trill keys.
11. Hard shell case.
12. Second barrel.
13. Includes mouth piece, 11 reeds, cap, pad cushions.
14. Light case for easy portability.
15. Black/silver keys.
16. Reasonable price.

Overall Ratings- 4.0/5 stars.

Jupiter JCL-700N Student Clarinet

This is an expensive clarinet by Jupiter, which is yet another known and trusted brand in this market. It is best suited for beginners and intermediate level players.

This clarinet is made from ABS resin and has a matte finish which gives it an attractive look. It features a special C/G key riser along with forged nickel plated keys. Adjustable thumb rest and adjustable neck strap make it an overall comfortable instrument to play. It is not highly affected by humidity changes like other clarinets.

The tone provided by this instrument is rich. It is an extremely durable product that is also considered to be mechanically reliable.

Features

1. Trusted brand.
2. Best for beginners and intermediate level players.
3. ABS resin.
4. Matte finish.
5. Attractive look.
6. Specially designed C/G key riser.
7. Forged nickel plated keys.
8. Adjustable thumb rest.
9. Adjustable neck strap.
10. Comfortable to play.
11. Less sensitive to humidity effects.
12. Gives a rich tone.
13. Highly durable.
14. Mechanically reliable.

Overall Ratings- 5.0/5 stars.

Frequently Asked Questions

Buyer’s Guide

Like any other product, there are a few things to check and to keep in mind before you buy a clarinet. And like most other products, the list starts with the material of construction of the instrument.

These are mainly available in wood or in plastic. Both of these materials come with their list of pros and cons. Plastic clarinets are mainly best for beginners, since they are cheaper and are durable. Wooden clarinets, on the other hand, produce a warmer tone and hence are preferred by professionals and by marching bands.

The size of the clarinet matters as well. Clarinets are usually heavy and big and hence they cannot be used by students who are very young.

The cost is again a part of this list, like always! There are a range of clarinets available in different prices. As you might have noticed in our reviews, some of the clarinets are extremely highly priced while others reasonably priced. This in no way means that the highly priced ones are always better than the moderate ones. Its all about the features that are carried by a clarinet which defines its efficiency and performance, and not its price.

Summary

Thus, we come to the end of this article! All the brands mentioned in this article are extremely trusted and known brands that have been in this market for years. These are the best brands that you will get for your clarinets.

So, go ahead and buy your favorite product and begin your journey with this amazing instrument!

Thanks for reading this article! Please leave your comments below.

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