Buffet Crampon B12 Student Clarinet

The Buffet B12 is the best entry level student model clarinet out there. Key action is very responsive, sound quality is excellent, intonation approaches the mighty Buffet R13, and I recommend this model to my beginning students. The B12 will last advancing clarinetists for many years without hindering progress. To master the basic skills, a quality instrument is essential. The Buffet B12 is worth the investment for any serious student.

On the advice of our son's clarinet instructor, we bought this clarinet from you and WOW, what a difference it has made. The overall tone and range improved my son's sound almost instantly. This has allowed him to play with others with much more expensive clarinets, and not feel embarrassed. His progression in ability, as well as overall sound, has made many question the short length of his clarinet lessons (2 years now, but only 1 when we bought it). We are very pleased.

I actually started playing the clarinet a few years back. I started on a old, run down Bundy from The Selmer Company. I only used that because my sister had quit the clarinet and we had one left over. I needed a new clarinet, so a couple of years ago I purchased the B12. It's absolutely amazing. It looks like it is wood, and it has an INCREDIBLE ability to respond in all registers. This clarinet would be a good beginner clarinet but it's even great for an intermediate clarinetist. I absolutely adore this clarinet, and plan on buying another buffet soon. Possibly an R13. I'm never letting go of my B12.

When choosing your young students clarinet, you want to be sure that they will stick with their instruments for years to come. This instrument gives them that opportunity. I now play on the professional level and still refuse to sell this beautiful instrument. I play on an R13 that's just gorgeous, and when comparing it to my b12, there are minor differences (with a good mouthpiece and reed, of course) Sure you can mess around with other brands and models, but trust me, they will all pale in comparison to the b12. The keywork and sound emission are just unbeatable for a student clarinet. Spend the extra money and save your self the trouble of having to constantly upgrade to a different clarinet.

I am a performing musician and private teacher and I have to say that for my students this is the best clarinet to get. It is not the cheapest student clarinet out there but that it is because has amazing quality for a student instrument. Normally I would recommend a Yamaha for my students that play saxophone and flute, but for clarinet I think that the Buffet B12 is superior in quality, sound and overall intonation. The B12 is pretty much a plastic E11 with nickel plated keys rather than silver. I feel that the B12 will definitely last throughout high school. It has many professional features that are found on the R13. The B12 is a very high quality clarinet that will last any student for a very long time.