Unison Soprano and Clarinets Played Today

[Dave Dolson]

I had the opportunity to play a new silver-plated curved Unison soprano saxophone and three hard-rubber Bb soprano clarinets by Unison today. For the price, they were okay. The curved silver-plated sop was $1200.00; the clarinets were under $500.00 (don't recall the exact price).

I then took out my Yanagisawa SC902 with a straight neck and my Buffet RC Prestige clarinet and played them immediately following the Unisons. No comparison, but then again, the prices of the Unisons were considerably less. The seller (Rhueben Allen of L.A., a noted repair tech) is desigining the clarinets (has his name on them), but is still experimenting with various venting designs.

If I didn't own the Yana curved sops, I would consider this Unison curvy. It was head-'n'-shoulders above a curved WW&BW curved sop I used to own. DAVE

[rfenno]

Just a clarification the clarinets if I may:

The price on the clarinets is going to be a lot less than $500. That clarinet you played is made from hard rubber, which is a bit of a lost art in the clarinet world. There used to be hard rubber clarinets made before the plastics boom after WW2. To compare them with a Prestige is a bit like comparing a Honda to a Maseratti. If my math is correct, you can get TWENTY Rheuben Allen Clarinets from Unison for the price of one Prestige from Buffet.

We're not trying to compete with the Prestige, the Pete Fountain LeBlanc, high end Yamahas, or any other proline clarinet.

Where I live (central Texas) the high school band directors require an R13 ($$). We're excited about selling these as an all-weather marching band alternative. And we're also looking at sax players who occasionally double as a main market.

Thanks for the comments!

[MBushaw]

Hey Dave, did you see a silver SDA Bari while you were at Rhueben's? I've gotta give him a call.
Thanks for the heads up on the new horns!

[Dave Dolson]

MBushaw: No, I didn't see a bari there, but he had a lot of horns/pieces on the bench (all organized, mind you), and I wasn't looking for a bari.

rfenno: Yes, I am familiar with hard-rubber clarinets - I have a Conn Bb Albert System in hard rubber. And, Rhueben made it clear as to the material used with these Unisons. And yes, for a cheap student line clarinet it played okay - one of the three was clearly superior to my ears, but I'm not sure why. Rhueben told me it had to do with the bore and the register-key vent, but the details were Greek to me. Finally, yes, my RC Prestige is a wonderful instrument. I'm just sorry I'm not an accomplished clarinetist. My horn was once used by the French trad-jazz clarinetist Alain Marquet (then with Paris Washboard) when he was touring and his horn was stolen. It was then that I heard how the thing was supposed to sound!! DAVE

[RS]

Nice to see someone using hard rubber in clarinets again. A very good material for clarinets. Now I'd like to see some pro-level clarinets in hard rubber. Buffet has the Greenline (ground up grenadilla and some kind of epoxy) series and they are nice horns. I played one not long ago and would have been hard pressed to discern any tonal difference between it and a wooden clarinet. And I think it would be the same story with a well made and designed hard rubber horn.

[Lomar Manx]

Excuse my ignorance, but who is Rheuben Allen?

[DaveKessler]

I am seeing a lot of the Better playing and better made Chinese clarinets using Hard Rubber as well. I like how they play but they are pain to clean because HR likes to turn green when dipped in standard chems.

It would be interesting to hear how they compare up agains a comparable brand name clarinet... Like a Buffet B12 (best student clarinet in my opinion) which they can be had new for $359.00 through myself and most catalogers.

[MBushaw]

Rhueben is a repair tech in the Los Angeles area. Take a look at some old TOP albums and you might see his name (he took care of their horns). Great guy, great stories, takes the time to get it right _for you_!

[Dave Dolson]

Rhueben did an overhaul on my early '20's Buescher TT alto (and a Selmer BA alto I once owned). Great work - my TT is my favorite alto among four hi-quality altos I currently own, and others I've moved.

And he has probably forgotten more about saxophones and clarinets than most of us know. Good guy! DAVE

[Charlie A.]

Dear Dave;
Saw your post and would like to have Rheuban Allen's phone number if you have it. I lost contact with him when he went with Boosey Hawkes and would like to contact him.
Regards,
Charlie A.
charliea@watervalley.net

[Dave Dolson]

Charlie A.: Check your e-mail. DAVE