Are those colored Bb clarinets some people sell on eBay safe to buy?

Question

What I mean by that is, are they those plastic ones that just say Made in China, or are they real, good working clarinets? My friend is thinking of buying one, and I just hope she's not cheated, because my clarinet I bought from a music store cost about 450$, while those eBay ones are only 50 - 200$.

Answer 1

Ummm... the real answer is NO!  Honestly, the colored clarinets are not made by REPUTABLE clarinet makers, and MANY (not all) of the instruments you see on eBay are trash.

Trusted and known manufacturers of clarinets are Buffet, Selmer, (also sister companies like Vito and Bundy), LeBlanc, and even some Yamaha... if you're looking for a "G" Clarinet, Amati could even go on that list.  Anything else is just asking for trouble.

All of these companies have strict standards as to the density of their plastic (otherwise known as resin, ABS, Resonite, Rosonite- depending on which company), the way in which it is molded, and exactly how all the holes are measured, drilled, keyed, etc.  

There are MANY brands that try to sell to the uneducated consumer... like First Act and Cecilio... these are substandard instruments.  They have little to no craftsmanship, are made from cheap and often damaged materials, and are poor quality all around.  There are no standards regulating their plastic density, etc... I have seen instruments MISSING holes, or with holes on the wrong side, with air-bubbles in the plastic, keys that didn't line up because the shaft was warped... it's INCREDIBLE! They break right out of the box and no respected repair technician will work on these already defective instruments... the "correct" parts are hard to come by and the work cannot be guaranteed.  

These brands, colored or not, sell because parents don't want to spend too much money on getting their kids into music if the kid might quit in a month.  What they don't realize is that the instrument itself most likely didn't work right and made the kid frustrated thinking that THEY couldn't do it.  

The colored clarinets are simply novelty items... they are no better than toys.  If your friend buys it to hang on the wall and look pretty- great... that's what it was meant for.  If your friend is looking to find a new clarinet that will play well and last for a while, she needs to go to the local music store.  They often have rent to own programs for as little as $20 per month.  

If she insists on finding one on eBay, tell her to stick to the brand names I listed above- otherwise, she may as well just hand her money to the next homeless person she sees... it will make someone rich and leave her without an instrument.

Also, there are some well known and respected sites that musicians frequent and recommend:

http://www.wwbw.com

http://www.musiciansfriend.com

Both of these sites have financing options, great warranties and return policies, ACTUAL customer service numbers, etc... much better than eBay!

Anyways, I wish your friend luck, and hope she finds something she likes, even if it doesn't look like Christmas! :)

PS- Many bands won't even ALLOW these colored clarinets (or any colored instrument) because it is against uniform... especially as you get into high school marching band- remember, it is military based!

Answer 2

clarinets have been made out of plastic for 40 years so colored plastic shouldn't be that different.  i'd either buy on from a reputable dealer though or research which are good brands and buy one of those.

Answer 3

There are reputable dealers which sell the colored plastic clarinets. Because of the need to get an instrument which has the proper sound tone, your friend would be much better off going to a music store where she can try some instruments out before buying them.

The ones on Ebay have no buyer protection nor service contracts.

Answer 4

I think it's worth a try. Those instruments look pretty dang cool....don't tempt me to buy a flute, I already have a decent silver one!

I'd say do some research on Google to see people's opinions.