‘What Kinda Funny-Lookin’ Saxophone is That?’ – The Robust Bass Clarinet Market in 2021 is no Joke

The bell makes a great duck-call! Almost no tuning needed! Clicking the keys just right sounds just like a galloping horse! What’s the purpose of the bell, aside from storing the ashes from the rest of the instrument?

There are plenty of jokes about bass clarinets, but it’s no laughing matter that, along with the B♭, A, and E♭varieties, these single-reed woodwind instruments are versatile, indispensable instruments within the worlds of classical and jazz music – and even have a frequent role many rock, klezmer, and Brazilian songs. In other words, my friends, they are popular (read: they generate profit).

MMR recently touched bass (pun unintended, but it stays) with three major players in this market segment to see how bass clarinet sales fared during the pandemic-related lockdowns of the past 15-plus months, what specific models are driving sales, and what the near-future likely holds. Read on…

For your brand, what’s currently your “hottest” bass clarinet model (or models)?

Matt Vance: Right now, the Buffet Crampon Tosca professional bass clarinet (BC1195-2-0) has the most interest from a consumer standpoint, although the Prestige (to low C, BC1193-2-0) remains the sales backbone of our professional bass clarinet family. The Tosca bass was introduced in 2015 and was notable for the “bright B♭” register key innovation and adaptation of the bore/sound from the Tosca B♭, A, and E♭ models. Many of our prominent bass clarinet artists have adopted the Tosca as their instrument choice; however, there is still a large segment of artists, professional players, and educators that prefer the Prestige. The 1180 student/performance bass clarinet (BC1180-2-0) is also extremely popular in the school music segment. It is one of the only basses in that range with an African blackwood body and silver-plated keywork.

Scott Campbell: We are very fortunate to have two legendary clarinet brands, Selmer and Leblanc. Our most popular Leblanc bass clarinet is the L7168 student model, while our most popular Selmer models are the legendary Selmer 67 Privilege low C professional bass clarinet and the 1430LP student bass clarinet.

Brian Petterson: Yamaha bass clarinets provide exceptional value to players at every level. Each model is designed to deliver what the player needs most. The professional models, with range options to low E♭ or low C, excel when used in high school and college ensembles. However, it is the durable and reliable YCL-221II student bass clarinet that has helped thousands of beginning clarinetists succeed from the start. This model is the foundation of the Yamaha bass clarinet line – and the foundation of clarinet sections all over the world.

Many segments of MI experienced quite robust sales during the pandemic-related lockdowns of 2020 and beyond. How did bass clarinets fare during that time?

SC: Though the B&O side of the industry did not see the robust sales found on the combo and electronic side of the industry, our bass clarinet sales did very well with our professional bass clarinets sales seeing the most growth over previous years. This would be connected to school-related purchases, as well as professional and amateur musicians taking the opportunity to upgrade their instruments.

BP: The bass clarinet market remained active throughout the last year and has been tracking above our expectations. Some educators have used economic stimulus funds during this time to purchase bass clarinets, limiting the need to share instruments and maintaining the best possible health and safety situation for students. It is still possible for educators to secure ESSER funds for this purpose – to improve their programs and address learning loss from the past year. These are billions of dollars in funding that can be used for instrument purchases and maintenance, but many music teachers still do not know they have access to them.

MV: Like many of our professional instrument segments, Buffet Crampon bass clarinets performed very well during the lockdowns and continue to show strong sales. Sales were especially encouraging in the school bid, military bid, and specialty shop categories.

Have you been noticing any significant trends when it comes to buying habits of end-users for these instruments? Are any particular features, finishes, et cetera resonating with players?

BP: Key features that bass clarinetists look for are durability, precise intonation, and quality of sound and ease of response in all registers. The Yamaha YCL-622II bass clarinet with range to low C is the main choice for professionals since many orchestral, wind band, and solo works now require the use of this extended range. However, many professional jazz players (as well as students) prefer a bass clarinet with range to low E♭ since it is smaller, easier for travel, and lighter.

MV: Most professional players gravitate to the low C models, like the Prestige and Tosca. However, we introduced a “convertible” model in 2017 – the Prestige bass with a removable extension (BC1183R-2-0). The unique design allows the player to configure the bass for either low C range (with the extension), or range to low D with the extension removed. The obvious benefit with the extension removed is a more free-blowing and less resistant instrument, which can be useful on certain orchestral literature, solo literature, or in playing jazz. The Green Line basses (Prestige low C and low E♭) also appeal to certain players and music programs due to their stability and resistance to temperature and humidity variations; some also like the tone quality the Green Line instruments provide.

SC: For the professional market, the end result is what matters most. An instrument that has incredible tone, consistency throughout the registers, and great ergonomics are the most important. Finishes and special features are auxiliary concern to the primary of tone and overall playability. With that said, in addition to the world-class tone and playability, the Selmer Privilege offers all the bells and whistles one would want in a bass clarinet. For the classical market, the low C is a must whereas the jazz market still has an overall affinity for the low E♭. Our pro line are available with silver-plated keys and black keys and, though the black key model is a showstopper, the traditional silver still wins out as the majority of sales. For the student market, in addition to tone and playability, being able to play the instrument right out of the box and durability are key. With our new double set-up process within our manufacturing on all woodwind instruments, this has been a game-changer resulting in a massive uptick in overall quality and playability right out of the box and Conn-Selmer is being rewarded for this extra effort from the marketplace

What are your expectations for bass clarinet sales in the coming months?

SC: Expectations are to see a steady increase over the coming months and leading through Q4 that will lead into exciting new products for the coming year!

BP: We expect the bass clarinet market to continue strengthening. There is great optimism about the broader return of school music activity this year, and this optimism has been supported by continued institutional purchasing activity. We’re excited to help get instruments in the hands of all the new and returning bass clarinetists, from durable student bass clarinets for middle schoolers to responsive and affordable wood models for college and university ensembles.

MV: Like everyone in the music industry, we are hopeful and cautiously optimistic heading into the fall and new academic year. As the pandemic restrictions continue to ease, we look forward to more and more music education programs and performing ensembles resuming normal, safe operations. Assuming everything continues to trend in a positive direction, it’s our hope these programs will be able to restart their performance and rehearsal schedules and, along with that, improve their instrument inventories. We also hope players of all levels will look to Buffet Crampon for their next bass clarinet.