Jean Paul USA CL-300 Student Clarinet B Flat

Worth every penny and then some. I never played a reed instrument before buying this, and I was dubious whether I'd get an instrument, or a clarinet shaped object. When I pulled it out of the case, I didn't even know how to put it together. I'd never touched a reed before let alone assembled a ligature. I couldn't even get a note to come out at first. That's how new I was to this.It's been 2 months now with near daily practice. I have no teacher. I can play several songs, circular breath, play across the break in intermediate songs like The Pink Panther theme, and I can hold a note for 55 seconds without circular breathing. I am not some kind of wood wind prodigy. I credit having a GREAT instrument with my progress.Out of the case I was shocked at how heavy this clarinet is. It's heavier than my flute, which is all metal. The key material is also solid and did not require any adjustment in several weeks of playing now. The tenons are tight, but soon get to a comfortable resistance with frequent cork greasings at cleaning time.I ditched the stock mouth piece after a month and a half and got a Vandoren 5JB 88 with a Vandoren 1.5 reed. Just do it. You won't look back. I now have an instrument that is going to last me a long time before I need to upgrade, and to me that is what makes a good starter instrument. One that you don't need to immediately toss because it's holding you back or breaks.I also replaced the ligature with a single screw leather one which makes reed cleaning easier. The pads are still in good shape, no leaky keys, and it plays from bottom of the cleff up to the 3rd octave without any off or slow notes.I have a few minor nit picks though. As it came out of the box, it was 1/2 a semitone flat with either barrel in use. Changing the mouth piece solved that problem. You can compensate with your embouchure but as a new player I found it hard to do that AND concentrate on my scales at the same time. Mine did not come with a replacement reed either so be sure to buy a box of reeds. The stock mouth piece played best for me with a 3.0 reed strength. 2.0 was too easy to over blow and squeak in the lower register.I also recommend you get a stand that stores in the bell. I rarely disassemble my instrument now, and instead keep it next to my favorite chair, ready to grab and practice at any time.I've bought a few inexpensive instruments before on Amazon like a trumpet and a flute, which were around the same price as this clarinet, but far inferior in terms of quality, weight, and build. I feel like I got a really good deal on this clarinet at $180. With the new mouth piece I'm about $270 in, and feel like I have a $800 instrument.

This clarinet is made pretty well. It has a good sound and is perfect for marching band. It’s a great clarinet for the price. We did have some issues with the mouthpiece. It was cut kind of rough and not rounded very well on the end, of that makes sense. I contacted the manufacture and they were on it immediately. We got a replacement mouth piece ASAP. They had us schedule a zoom meeting with one of the e employees so that he could hear the clarinet being played and make sure nothing else was wrong with the instrument. They even called a couple weeks later to make sure everything was still good with the clarinet. Great company! Great customer service! I highly recommend this clarinet.

Truth be told, I know very little about Clarinets myself. I got this for my 9yo to replace the rental that was costing us 3x the price (for just a year!) of this item. When it arrived it was well packaged and very clearly brand new. I didn't see any warping or obvious defects in the build which according to my research seems to be the biggest concern with low cost Clarinets. But again, I'm no expert, so I had it tested by a friend who is a professional multi-instrumentalist AND her band teacher. Both confirmed it was a good quality product and were surprised at how little I paid. The material is not plastic, it's a hardened rubber like material which is much more durable and (per their review) produces a better sound. No, it's not a high end piece and it will likely need a different mouthpiece as she gets more advanced but it is perfect for a begginer-to-mid level performer. Most importantly, she was ecstatic to be able to say she owned her insturment and that was good enough for me. I have no idea yet how far she will want to pursue playing but I'm glad we were able to find a piece for a fraction of the rental cost. Plus, should she decide to upgrade in the future or switch instruments we can sell this one as both people that actually know about these things explained it should have no issues holding up over time.

Purchased this for my middle-schooler who is just starting out. It's also worth noting that I own a Jean Paul tenor saxophone, which Jean Paul got absolutely right at the price-point for that instrument.This instrument continues that ideal, being well built with pads properly installed and aligned. The instrument passed the light test (all valves closed, look for light up the barrel) out of the box. All corks were properly aligned and installed and required no fitting work, just simple lubrication with the included balm and the instrument fit together without any concerns.The fit and finish matches the build quality, which appears on par with "beginner" instruments costing twice as much if not more. All linkages were properly tuned at the factory, and the action is consistent across the keys.The instrument's tone matches that of other "beginner" instruments, to the untrained ear, this would not be immediately discernable from most "intermediate" instruments costing four or five times more. Used with 2.5 reeds the clarinet resonates well, and as a player you can tell that some time and engineering was put to good use in its construction.Finally the case is supportive and I feel will protect this instrument well through the rough-and-tumble adventures of middle school and beyond, the case has few/no frills, and one outside pocket for cleaning kit storage and incidentals such as reeds.I would recommend this product to those who wish to learn to play the clarinet but aren't a fan of the prices that some current "beginner" instruments are commanding on the market these days.