[Rojarosguitar]

Hello, I asked this question in another thread but it might be burried in the thread so that it doesn't come across:

Has anybody here an actual experience comparing Leblanc L7165 Alto Clarinet and the Selmer USA 1425 Alto Clarinet? Their key work looks pretty much the same, but I read about the Leblanc it has a larger bore than Selmer. Is that true and how does that actually influence the sound?

Thanks and stay safe in these crazy times

 

[jdbassplayer]

They are fairly different. The Selmer (Bundy) has open holes and a smaller bore closer to that of the basset horn. The Leblanc (Vito) has a large bore and plateau keys and sometimes comes with a floor peg, but not always. On paper the Leblanc seems better, but I greatly prefer the Selmer for the response. Every Vito I've tried seems too stuffy for me. Instead of buying new, look for a used Selmer Bundy alto instead, as it is the same as the 1425. Of course a used pro model would be better than either.

 

[dirty]

Those one-piece body Selmer horns haven't changed since at least the '80s, despite the name change from Selmer to Bundy. I have more experience with their equivalent bass clarinets, which I played for years, but what I remember of the alto clarinets my high school and college had was that they were decent. If I needed an alto clarinet and didn't want to spend more than $1000 USD, that's probably the route I'd go.

In fact, an old Bundy is probably the way I'd go if I needed any clarinet for cheap.

 

[Rojarosguitar]

OK, thanks for the response so far. As I have the 1425 I was wondering whether it would be an improvement to switch to a Leblanc Vito, but maybe I should rather look out for a professional model, indeed.
best wishes, stay safe!

 

[lomaserena]

I can't speak to their use in Europe, but in the USA, student-model alto clarinets are bought almost exclusively for school use, which in most cases is rough use. It sounds like you've found a 1425 in reasonably good condition. Switching to Vito, in my opinion, would be a switch to something different rather than better. Rather than taking a chance on buying a Vito that may or may not have been cared for, I'd stick with the 1425 and keep an eye out for a professional horn. If you do a search here, you'll find discussions of preferable brands and vintages of pro altos. I recall the Selmer Series 9 getting positive reviews, but there are certainly many others.

OK, thanks for the response so far. As I have the 1425 I was wondering whether it would be an improvement to switch to a Leblanc Vito, but maybe I should rather look out for a professional model, indeed.
best wishes, stay safe!