Leblanc Concerto II Bb Clarinet Review

The central problem with buying instruments these days is that stores don't have much inventory to try. The days were you could go to a local music store and try several instruments are pretty much gone. That's because the national mail order houses are selling at prices far under list. There is not enough profit margin on popular instruments to justify carrying a lot of inventory in local music stores. Heck, the major mail order house, the Woodwind and the Brasswind (WWBW.com) went bankrupt last fall and their assets were acquired by Guitar Center.

However, the Leblanc factory, where Leblanc and Selmer clarinets for US delivery are assembled is in nearby Kenosha. I was able to mine some personal contacts to get a tryout of clarinets, and I had pricing worked out with a Leblanc dealer, Kessler Music, in case I liked one of the models. Manufacturers do not sell direct, so I needed to be prepared to have the dealer give the manufacturer a purchase order and then bill it on my credit card.

I put my Selmer Series 10 up against four new Leblanc models. From price, low to high were : the Rapsodie ( my price was quoted at less than $1,000), the Sonata (low to mid teens), the Cadenza (high teens) and Concerto II (low 2000s). All are made of wood, as are most pro and intermediate model clarinets. Synthetic or plastic clarinets are better for marching and other outside play and they won't crack, as wood can.

Going in, Kessler music told me that they thought the Rapsodie was the best value.

As for the Concerto II, I thought the keywork was more comfortable, especially with the left hand pinky keys and I really liked the sound. I was intrigued with the Cadenza, because it was designed by Morrie Backun and featured one of the special Backun barrels. However, I liked the keywork and sound on the Concerto II better, even without the Backun barrel, which improved it even more. In my hands, the Concerto II also had the best intonation. It's played and endorsed by Eddie Daniels, a top jazz clarinetist, so I was not surprised by the vibrancy.

The factory didn't sell accessories, so I could not get a Backun barrel that day. I bought a barrel later from the Backun facility in Vancouver.

The instrument came with a BAM case, which I have also reviewed separately.

In use, the instrument has played well enough to merit a 5* rating. I am going to sell my Selmer. The sound and keywork has been nice. There were a couple of things I dislike. First, the left hand pinky keys bend easily. I need to be very careful with them. I also can adjust them every so slightly on occasion. Second, the pad on the bridge connector between joints key fell off. That was fixed by my contact at the factory. Neither one of these matters was a big deal.

I'm very pleased with my instrument and can recommend it highly.