Does anyone know if these are safe to play or would it be the same thing as putting plastic toys from China into your mouth. I like the idea of playing a yellow clarinet but don't know how wise it would be to do it. I would appreciate your input. Thanks very much
I hope it's not too late to respond to this question.
I've never heard of any problem with Chinese clarinet mouthpieces, but I suppose it's possible. If that is a concern for you, you could replace the mouthpiece with another one of a standard brand. Mouthpieces are not considered to be part of the clarinet and are widely available. A mouthpiece is normally provided with a new clarinet, but it is not necessary to use that one and most expert players prefer to use their own choice of mouthpiece. I don't think you could find a yellow mouthpiece, but if you don't want standard black there are clear ones, both plastic and crystal (glass). Ask at your music store.
A more important consideration is the quality of the clarinet. There are many brands of cheap clarinets that are not worth even their cheap price.
Does it play in tune, or is it off-key? Is it sturdy quality that will hold up, or will it break or wear out quickly? Is it easy to play or do you have to work to produce the sound? Does it play with a good tone, or is it harsh and unpleasant-sounding?
Remember that quality costs money. A cheap musical instrument is a waste of money and a disappointment to the buyer/user. Especially, do not buy a cheap instrument for a child, thinking to replace it with a better one if he shows interest. Trying to learn to play an instrument is difficult enough without the added problem of fighting with a cheap, poor-quality instrument that does not work well.
I have not tried the coloured ones... but I have tried several of the other cheap chinese ones.
First...just buy a generic mouthpiece if worried about health.
Second..if it is a responsible child or adult who will use it AND if it works properly when new....you should be good....for a few months...and when things go wrong, springs shifting is most common, you will have a hard time finding a repair person to look at it. But...so far I have played four different chinese clarinets and they all play well enough in tune.
But remember...they are disposable.
I have also seen some well made ones...but not a complete labelled horn....look for how the posts are attached...look at a pro horn in the store and you will see what I mean. If you get a chises clarinet with that level of mechanical strength....it should be OK.
I prefer to get older clarinets and fix them up. The retail price of a real overhaul is maybe three times the price of thiose cheap clarinets....so unless you plan on doing it yourself your choice is basically
-cheap chinese and consider it disposable cost app 100 -good quality plastic student horn cost app 450 - 600 -refurb vintage rubber one ....same ..app 500 wooden student one app 1000
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