Bb Clarinet with Case - 2 Year Warranty

I'm sure glad I ordered this LJ Hutchen clarinet. It's a keeper.My 5th grade daughter started taking clarinet in school. The school partnered with a local music company to supply students with band instruments. A rental Yamaha clarinet was $30/month, or $900 to purchase.Looking further on the internet I found the same Yamaha for $600 to purchase. But that's still a lot of money to spend when we don't know if our daughter would stick with the clarinet or not.So initially we chose to rent. But renting at $30/month for the duration of the school year will ultimately run us about $240 or more, per school year. Even though it's rent to own, the music store charges too much to buy.I needed another option. So I started researching alternative solutions, only to find a lot of cheaper alternatives were usually junk clarinets; not built to last, and don't play well.But then I found the LJ Hutchen clarinet. It's designed to fill a niche role. To be a cheaper alternative, but better quality clarinet for the middle school to high school musician.I was still skeptical, so I decided to first contact the company before buying. I spoke directly with the company vice president and asked a lot of questions.I learned the company is run by all musicians and band directors. They put their experience into the design of this clarinet, knowing what people are looking for in a student clarinet, in terms of cost and quality.I learned the clarinet was designed to last about 5 to 7 years before needing to be refitted (springs, valves), which is about the same as a Yamaha clarinet. The clarinet comes with a full two year warranty which the company stands behind completely. You can even use it anytime just to have the company clean the instrument. The mouth piece, because it is an important part of the tone and quality, is USA built.So, I decide to order one from Amazon.com.As luck would have it, the clarinet we received played poorly. But as it turns out, it was a simple assembly error with a valve spring that kept a valve open, leaking air.I contacted the company regarding the issue, and they bent over backwards to make things right. Even the president of the company called me to assure me they would do everything to make us happy. These were very pleasant people, and easy to reach, by phone or email.They replaced the clarinet immediately. But before doing so, they even had a technician check-out the replacement from top to bottom to ensure it was good to go. The replacement was in my daughter's hands in two days. It worked perfect.The LJ Hutchen clarinet plays very well. Easy for my beginning daughter to play. Since we still had the rental Yamaha, my daughter did several side-by-side comparisons. The tone of the LJ Hutchen clarinet was very pleasing. The sound was very similar to the Yamaha.I'm also a musician, but I play piano and guitar. Tune and tone are very important to me. An instrument has to play in tune, and have good tone.I can tell you the LJ Hutchen plays in tune, and with good tone, and my beginning 5th grade daughter also plays it quite easily. The rental Yamaha is going back to the store. We're keeping the LJ Hutchen.LJ Hutchen stood by their instrument and took care of us. The company was great and they have a good instrument. This clarinet should serve my daughter well through high school.For the money, this was a good buy and I would do it again.p.s. The LJ Hutchen clarinet case is a new style and that even comes with a shoulder strap. My daughter loves the case with a shoulder strap since her hands are often full. It makes carrying her clarinet to school a breeze.

You will be surprised. It is beyond expectation!I myself never really get into learning how to play instruments before and love to learn how to play saxophone, but then I learned that its better to start with clarinet first than transition into sax later. I did quite some research on the market for affordable clarinet: the Legacy, the Jean Paul, Mendini, etc... After awhile i decided to purchase this and so far it has convinced me that this truly is a great instrument to play with, one of the best out there for students. The moment i hold this clarinet in my hands, it feels amazing and solid, like it's ready to deliver those great notes. I'm not professional nor knowledgeable, and my friends who is experienced in flutes and clarinet comments that he also impress with the built of this. It comes with Rico #2 reed and the notes come out ok, but after upgraded the reed to V21 #3 it sounds amazing, rich tone and warm, able to get all notes in high register and really improve the performance of this instrument.LJ Hutchen really put a high standard on this instrument and I really appreciate it. Great clarinet overall plus great customer service from the president himself. Highly recommended for anyone who is looking for affordable good quality clarinet.

This plastic clarinet is well-made, attractive-looking, and has good tone and intonation. It is an excellent choice for a beginner, or for someone who needs a good plastic clarinet for marching band. (You should never take a wooden clarinet on the field!) I play tested this horn against my $3000 Yamaha Custom pro clarinet, and while it's resonance--especially in the chalumeau register--is no match for the Custom, at barely 1/10 the price, it's an amazingly good instrument, and a drop-dead bargain.The key-work is rigid and has no side play, and a close inspection suggests apparent good quality in manufacturing and assembly. The plating is smooth and shiny, and the plastic body has a pleasing matte finish (unlike the glossy finish on most clarinets at this price point) that makes it look more serious than it is. The ergos are spot on, with a feel almost exactly like that of the pro horn.Of course, I can't vouch for the durability or longevity of the instrument; and my experience with budget-priced PROC-made saxophones suggests that some adjustment--or even minor repair--in the near future is likely. However, with such a cheap buy-in, and with the foregone conclusion that your student will either: A) give up playing; or B) want a a nicer-sounding grenadilla model somewhere down the road, the Hutchen is an excellent choice for a novice. It might also fill the bill for a returning adult, or as a back-up horn for travel or rough playing conditions, or even a primary horn for a doubler who just needs to fill in on clarinet now and then.But please see my reviews of the Legacy CL750EW and the Mendini MCT 30 wood clarinets, which I compared at the same time, before you buy!

Only a three star review because I bought this clarinet for my granddaughter and had to have some very expressive repairs done in the first few months of use.Thumb rest screw would not stay in place.Broke off and had to be sent in for repair. The rest of the clarinet seems fine so far.Because of a weak screw it cost an 80 dollar repair.