INSTRUMENTS
Purchasing a musical instrument is more like purchasing an extension of the player’s body than a kitchen appliance and as such must be done carefully. Please purchase or rent an instrument from a music store or based on recommendations from a player of that instrument. Instruments from other retailers (Costco, Fred Meyer, etc.) are always of poor quality and can discourage young players because they don’t work or cease to work after a few months. Good repair folks refuse to work on these instruments for legal and ethical reasons, so once they have a problem, they’re useless. Also, a clarinet from a pawn shop, garage sale, or attic might be a good deal–but only after it’s been taken care of by a good repairperson. Older instruments can be good (or really awful) depending on the condition and brand of the instrument. Please get advice from an unbiased player of that instrument before purchasing to avoid getting a lemon.
Also, there are a lot of really terrible instruments on the market, some that are counterfeit (they have a well-known brand stamped on an inferior instrument), and some that are in bad shape. Buying from a reputable dealer or an individual with a good return policy is very important, especially if you don't know much about musical instruments.
Recommended Clarinets
--Note: used clarinets are a great deal if you have a knowledgeable person check them first.
Beginner Clarinets: Buffet B10 or B12, Yamaha plastic, Jupiter (not more than 10 years old), Backun Alpha
Intermediate clarinets: Buffet E11 or E13, Royal Global (most models), Backun Alpha+, Yamaha 52, Leblanc, Schreiber
Pro clarinets: Buffet R13 (1950-2010), Royal Global Firebird, Backun Q (or better), Yamaha CSV, Selmer Paris Privilege (Series 9, etc.), Uebel
Recommended Bass Clarinets
Beginner-Intermediate: Used low E-flat Selmer Paris, Jupiter, Bundy
Professional: Buffet Prestige (or Tosca), Selmer Paris, Uebel.
Recommended Saxophones
Saxes are highly personal and need a lot of research and play testing to find the right horn. Some of the best brands are: Selmer Paris, Yamaha, Yanigasawa, Conn (before 1960), King (before 1970), P. Mauriat, Jupiter (beginner or intermediate).
MOUTHPIECES
A decent mouthpiece can make the difference between despair and love of an instrument and is MORE important than the choice of the instrument. MOUTHPIECES MUST BE TRIED OUT BEFORE BUYING THEM, unless the player is a beginner. Here is a list of good mouthpieces for each instrument listed from the least expensive to the most expensive.
Clarinet: Genusa GE* student, current favorite D’addario Reserve X5 or X0, Behn overture, Yamaha 4C, Genusa pro, Reserve (x0 or x5), Vandoren M13 and Profile 88, hand-finished mouthpieces (Greg Smith 1*, Lane, Behn, Backun), Clark Fobes, etc.
Bass Clarinet: Selmer C*, Pomarico crystal, McClune S2 (Jenny’s mouthpiece), Clark Fobes debut (cheap and good)
Alto Saxophone: Yamaha 4C or Custom, Meyer 5 or 7 (jazz), Jazz Select 6 (D'addario), Selmer C* (classical), SR, Jody Jazz, Mouthpiece Cafe, Caravan
Tenor Saxophone: Yamaha 4C, Jazz Select, Meyer 5 or 7, Otto Link 5 or 7, Vandoren Java t55 or 75, Selmer S80 e, Selmer s80 d or s90 190 (classical), Selmer scroll shank F (my mouthpiece), Bob Carpenter custom, Jody Jazz, Caravan, Mouthpiece Cafe
Baritone (Bari) Saxophone: Highly variable, but an Otto Link 6* metal is great for jazz and metal Yanigasawas also work well.
REEDS
Reeds come in different strengths (hardnesses) numbered 1 (softest)-5 hardest. These strengths are not the same across brands, but are more consistent in higher quality reeds. They typically come in half strengths, but some variations of this are on the market today. Because they produce the sound on the instrument, the quality of the reed matters a great deal. Please do not buy the cheapest reeds on the internet--they never sound good, are of extremely poor quality (they break or splinter easily), and frequently do not play at all.