Choosing the best clarinet in the market will largely depend on what you’re looking for. As for Professional clarinettists, the cost is not the first point of consideration when choosing a clarinet, the material construction and the quality it offers is what count.
Related: Clarinet Case, Clarinet Reeds, Clarinet Mouthpieces
What are the Best Professional Clarinet to Buy?
The pricing for professional clarinet is always at the higher end. From our selection below, the Yamaha YCL-255 clarinet is a great choice for professional player with affordable price tag. If you are looking for more affordable options, feel free to check this great clarinet list.
2) Yamaha YCL-255 Standard Bb Clarinet
- Medium Level Pricing
- Popular
- Reputable Brand
- Lightweight
1) Yamaha YCL-650 Professional Bb Clarinet
- Professional
- Highly Rated
- Reputable Brand
- Grenadilla Wood
3) Buffet Crampon R13 Professional Bb Clarinet
- Hand Burnished Bore
- Granadilla Wood
- Comfortable playing
What Qualifies as A Professional Level Clarinet
The best professional clarinet will normally feature a wooden construction, although some are plastic. The wooden design can be any wood but the popular ones are made of granadilla or rosewood construction. The choice of wood for professional clarinets is because of the increased resonance and good quality tone they render during play.
Professional clarinets made with ABS plastic designs are equally good but they don’t have that warmer sound and rich tone produce by woody clarinets, although some are very close or even better. Besides, they require very little maintenance, unlike their wooden counterparts which have to be maintained often due to the fact that wooden clarinets contracts and expand in response to changes in temperature.
Professionals and Choice of Clarinets
Clarinets come in five different types, which are the A, the Bb, which belong to the soprano family of clarinets, and the contra Bass and contra-Alto.
8 Best Professional Clarinet Reviews and the Best Professional Clarinet Brands
Professional level players often use multiple clarinets, depending with whom and where they are playing. Below are some of the best professional clarinets in the market.
1) Yamaha YCL-650 Professional Bb Clarinet
In continuation of the YCL series, Yamaha has released this model as a professional level playing clarinet with awesome features and top quality performance. It is designed to generate a precise intonation and consistent tone. Once you know what it is made of, you will never doubt its quality.
The Yamaha YCL-650 Bb Clarinet has a solid Granadilla woody construction that renders the best of professional resonance you can think of. The instrument features silver plated keys that allow you or your son to hit the notes he previously couldn’t achieve.
It is a clarinet design for serious musicians only, not for beginners or intermediate players. It comes with tapered tone holes that were patiently crafted/undercut by hands for precise intonation and precision tone balance. The bell of this clarinet features a solid resonance chamber that aids the instrument in projecting superior sound.
Overall, the Yamaha YCL-650 Bb Clarinet is a beautiful instrument with an elegant finish. The cylindrical bore features, the included 4C Yamaha mouthpiece, case and such other accessories make this clarinet a free blowing and reliable instrument for the right price.
2) Yamaha YCL-255 Standard Bb Clarinet
Yamaha—brand king of musical instruments rolls out this professional level clarinet that renders unparallel warm and pulsating tone. The quality of sound and the high level of intonation derived from this clarinet make Yamaha the reliable and most sought-after manufacturer in the world.
If you didn’t know that the YCL-255 (not to be mistaken with the intermediate version) features a matte ABS body construction, you would be thinking it is made of wood due to the excellent sound and outstanding intonation it renders.
The YCL-255 comes with silver keys that comfortably eliminate the issue with rust and clogs. The 65mm barrel with adjustable thump rest with strap ring that allows the professional player to maintain reliable balance and the perfect hand-place position that enhances flawless playability.
The newly designed thump rest allows players with different hand sizes to have a taste of this wonderful instrument and improve their skills even better. While players are allowed to develop their techniques, the strap ring enables players to hold the instrument in place without exerting much effort.
The Yamaha YCL-255 also incorporates silver soldered ring and firmer screws that provide this new design excellent durability. The bell construction of the instrument features an ABS resin design, which makes it be lightweight while eliciting a quality response. Overall, the instrument delivers a warm sound and high resonant tone similar to the wooden clarinet.
3) Buffet Crampon R13 Green Line Professional Bb Clarinet with Nickel Plated keys
Buffet has proven their mettle in providing one of the best clarinets in the student/intermediate playing series, and a lot is expected from them in this professional level clarinet design.
Coming from Europe, this German-made Green Line clarinet is designed to follow the same processes used in the manufacturing of the Buffet R13 series. A lot of reviews have rated this instrument as one of the best performing clarinets designed for serious minded professionals and people looking to improve their playing technique.
Instead of the ABS plastic design that characterizes the R12 series, this Buffet Crampon R13 Green Line Professional Clarinet is a solid Granadilla woody construction that renders excellent resonance. But the manufacturing processing didn’t just end there.
The process also includes the addition of carbon fibers that enable theses wooden clarinets to withstand handsomely against any type of atmospheric conditions. This is one reason this German-made clarinet is so popular with musicians. The added carbon fiber also elongates the life of the instrument.
The Buffet Crampon R13 Clarinet comes with hand-burnished bores that accelerate and improve the quality of the intonation as well as the center tone. The combined 95% Granadilla power and 5% carbon fiber ensure a solid design that will not crack or clog under intense environmental changes. This clarinet also incorporates the basic woody finish similar clarinets are famous for.
4) Yamaha YCL-CSVR Series Professional Bb Clarinet
By now, no one can fault you for saying Yamaha is perfection and perfection is Yamaha. This excellent professional level playing clarinet from Yamaha offers remarkable quality playability.
As with most of its designs, the Yamaha YCR-CSR is a concept that emanates from years of dedicated service to professionalism and quality. It embodies a clarinet well crated with outstanding sound, an affordable price, and consistent quality output.
The Yamaha YCL-CSVR Series Professional Bb Clarinet features a rich sound and comfortable playability. Professional players require the best and you can find this only in the Yamaha YCL-CSVR, providing rich, intuitive and consistent design.
The clarinet comes with a durable leather pad that ensures a precise seal between tone holes and pads, giving room for rich and easy response throughout the entire range of the clarinet.
Featuring a high-quality Granadilla woody construction, the Yamaha YCL-CSVR has silver plated keys that will never rust, and its custom barrel design enables the player to have the adequate balanced response, rich and warm tonal color that will promote your playing.
While the redesigned keys offer comfortable hand placement, the cylindrical bore feature extending from the mouthpiece to the bell ensures your listeners are treated to the best of sound quality.
5) Buffet Crampon Tradition Professional Bb Clarinet with Silver Plated Keys
This new clarinet model from Buffet draws its inspiration from a 1950 design while also taking into consideration the need for modern musical designs and performances.
The Buffet traditional Bb Professional Clarinet features a new cylindrical bore that takes after the R13 series, as well as the RC, bore families while adding a new and distinct acoustic dimension to the Buffet Crampon clarinet catalogue.
Buffet Crampon Tradition Professional Bb Clarinet features an African Blackwood body construction for better sound resonance. The keys are silver plated, meaning they will never rust while offering better hand placement for the player’s comfort. The design features two barrels—B-Flat 65 and 66mm, and A: 64 and65mm—Left-hand E-Flat/A-Flat key.
The new bore concept feature by the Buffet Traditional Professional Clarinet was inspired by the one of the best and earliest professional clarinet—the famous Buffet BC20 Crampon. The new cylindrical bore design reiterates the purity of sound produced by the BC20, and further made to be great by a tonal hole placement that draws its inspiration from the Tosca design.
6) Vento VE9304E 9304E Professional Ebony Clarinet
Vento VE9304E is professional level clarinet which provides professional players with outstanding intonation and mechanical reliability, including comfortable playability. The Vento VE9304E is an all-new Vento 900s series that has every bit of quality and functionality a professional stage clarinet should have. The design of this professional clarinet is patterned after the famous brands made in France.
The Vento VE9304E features an ebony Granadilla woody construction that generates a rich tone quality that is perfect for orchestra or band. It comes with undercut tone holes which are very handy in providing the great response, and complimenting that are rounded body rings that provide additional strength which makes this clarinet easier to play.
The clarinet is equipped with an adjustable thump rest that allows the player to have ultimate balance and improve hand position, further ensuring comfortable playing experience.
The Vento’s intonation capacity is one that qualifies it as a free blowing instrument with round, dark and full tone. The silver-plated keys give the perfect sound of a professional instrument, and with the two 60mm and 63mm barrels, including the cap, mouthpiece, and ligature that comes with this package, makes it a truly professional instrument to have.
7) Roy Benson RBCB417 Professional Clarinet
The Roy Benson features excellent Granadilla wood construction as the primary material for the body. It comes with well-built silver plated keys which enable the player to have a comfortable play through a balanced hand placement. The craftsmanship behind this clarinet is amazing and the design produces the high resonating tone.
Roy Benson RBCB417 Professional Clarinet comes with adjustable thump rest that allows the player to have a good hand position during playing. The clarinet also features a rounded body rings design that gives the clarinet great playing capability and wonderful look. It also comprises undercut holes that give greater response while promoting the players technical skills.
However, connecting the pieces may be a bit difficult for some people, and a bit of force may be needed to connect them perfectly. But once they are in place, they become tight, although there is room for some alignment.
Overall, the Roy Benson RBCB417 Professional Clarinet is a great Clarinet and the design come with a durable case that has back straps for easy carriage and storage of the instrument.
8) SDWL ABS Down E Alto Professional Level Clarinet
This plastic clarinet produces the sound similar to that of a wooden clarinet. The producer has added some fine finish to this instrument, resulting in great value in terms of sound output and the level of intonation. The instrument showcases an appealing design with excellent functionality that makes it a great instrument to have.
Designed as a down E tone instrument, this clarinet features high quality, affordable and free blowing design. The keys and surface treatment area consist of silver plating design. It comes with a case that can easily be packed and stored away due to its lightweight nature. The keys allow good hand placement and a bit of flexibility during playing.
Regarding the level of intonation and sound output, the SDWL ABS Down E Alto Professional Level Clarinet provides easy tone production with smooth unhinged tone projection and responsive sound output. The silver-plated keys with the rest of the exquisite plastic design give this clarinet a good look.
While the sound is perfect, the silver-plated key design enhances more comfort and playability. The luggage type packaging easily protects the clarinet from damages by extreme weather conditions.
The clarinet offers players at the professional levels to improve and master their playing technique.
Choosing the Best Professional Clarinet from the Best Professional Clarinet Brands
Choosing the finest and most reliable professional clarinet depends on what level of key sound you wish to play, and what brand you prefer. Some players base their selection on the quality of the clarinet which they believe is more important than the price tag, while some other professional players want to have good and lasting value for the life of their instrument.
2) Yamaha YCL-255 Standard Bb Clarinet
- Medium Level Pricing
- Popular
- Reputable Brand
- Lightweight
1) Yamaha YCL-650 Professional Bb Clarinet
- Professional
- Highly Rated
- Reputable Brand
- Grenadilla Wood
3) Buffet Crampon R13 Professional Bb Clarinet
- Hand Burnished Bore
- Granadilla Wood
- Comfortable playing
So what are you looking for, plastic or wooden construction?
For players who are looking for something that has more quality irrespective of the price, wooden professional clarinets are the best option. But if you are a professional player looking for a more cheaper price with a little bit of less value in quality and sound projection, go for clarinets that feature ABS plastic body construction.
Regarding individual quality, professional clarinets differ in sound rendition and tone projection. While the 8 professional clarinets listed here are good and reliable in their respective capacity, some brands have established a successful trademark for themselves.
The likes of the Yamaha YCL-650 and YCL-255 Professional Bb clarinets a well as the reliable Buffet and Vento series are among the best individual brand clarinet manufacturers every professional player should look out for when shopping for a clarinet.