My Clarinet Selection Process for You

While others claim to offer a similar clarinet hand selection service, I have more than twenty-five years of experience hand selecting instruments for thousands of musicians. I would love to bring that expertise to you. Hand selecting great instruments takes time, practice, and patience so that you receive the best service and, more importantly, the most wonderful clarinet. The thousands of clarinetists that I have helped include: symphony musicians, international soloists, university teachers, military band members, freelance artists, aspiring high school musicians and adult music lovers.

Taking into consideration your mouthpiece and reed combination, we will discuss the kind of instrument that will best complement your playing style. Together we will identify the color characteristics you would like, discuss the resistance that is right for you, as well as any other concerns you would like to address. Once we have determined your specific needs, I will choose instruments for you, either from my inventory, or I will go to Buffet to meet your needs. After I send you the clarinets (or you travel to my shop), we can stay in contact via email or phone- whichever you prefer.

There are few people who offer this level of hand selecting service and none who are Robert Marcellus trained clarinetists. I can offer you the best service with the most experience. Repeatedly, my clients have told me that this was their best clarinet purchasing experience. I hope that you will find the same level of satisfaction when you choose Lisa's Clarinet Shop to fit you for your next (or first) professional clarinet. You will find my ability to find the right clarinet for you unmatched. What I look for when hand selecting clarinets:

• Color of Sound
  

  Every instrument I select varies slightly in color of sound. Some clarinets will have more highs in their sound, which produces lots of color and "ping" in the center of the core. Other clarinets are chosen for their overall color evenness or creamy quality and, as a result, have more lows in the sound and could be described as darker or richer in color.

• Focus of Sound
  

  All of the clarinets I choose are selected for depth of sound and clear focus in the center of the sound. Please do not confuse a darker sounding instrument with one that has more depth. Color of sound is different than overall deepness of sound. When I choose instruments, I only select ones that have a superior evenness of sound and pitch.

• Pitch
  

  Superior tuning, from note to note, as well as checking the 12ths, is a key quality when I select a clarinet for my clients. While no clarinet is ever perfect, this selection process and the set up work done to ensure that each clarinet sounds its best, allows your new clarinet to tune the best. Unless otherwise specified, I select instruments to tune at 440.

• Resistance
  

  Amount of resistance is an important factor when selecting a clarinet. When I go to Buffet, I search for and select a variety of resistance levels because clients have a variety of different playing needs and set ups that sometimes require more to blow against. I carry a full range of clarinets from very free blowing and fluid to more resistant, yet still agile.

• Wood Quality
  

  Fresh wood and very recently made clarinets provide the best sound and offer the highest quality instrument. I go to Buffet often because clarinets need to be played to perform their best. Instruments that sit on a store shelf, for any length of time, simply deteriorate in quality and are more likely to crack. I take great pride in ensuring that my customers get the very best.

• Instrument Set-Up
  

  My repair technician and I work closely in the set up of each new clarinet. Surprisingly, even coming from the factory, every instrument will have unique mechanical needs. The work we perform on each instrument varies because no two instruments are quite the same.
  
  The philosophy of Lisa's Clarinet Shop is to work until the clarinet has reached our playing and tuning expectations. Only then will we release the instrument for trial.
  
  The ability to find the right clarinet for so many musicians is a result of my own clarinetistry, as well as 20 years of experience mechanically and acoustically adjusting clarinets. Due to this experience, you can be assured that you will be purchasing the right instrument for your musical style.