Thomann CL-17C C-Clarinet Boehm

Like many people I bought this C clarinet so I could play folk music without having to transpose. I had heard that the tuning on a C clarinet is not great and that has certainly proved to be true with this instrument. Having neither played or heard another C clarinet I can't compare this instrument with other makes. For example the A below the middle break plays sharp and the Bb plays flat so you have to do a lot of embouchure work to keep it in tune. It also changes pitch rapidly as it warms up.

Having said all that, I am starting to really enjoy the instrument. It is very responsive - it speaks more easily than my Bb clarinet with the same mouthpiece and reed. The sound is pleasing albeit a little variable over the range - less bright and harsh than I expected.

For the price, the build quality and finish seem very good. The mouthpiece supplied with it is cheap and nasty and should be avoided. I have been using a Vandoren B45. I suspect most people will use their Bb clarinet mouthpiece, so the one supplied is a token.

I have been playing the instrument for about 3 weeks now and on the whole, would recommend it - based on a sample of one!

I had always wanted a C-clarinet but, having only ever required on on two occasions during my professional career - I am a woodwind multi-instrumentalist, couldn't warrent the expense. When I discovered this instrument, at such a great price, I just had to buy one!
After a month of playing I am not dissapointed. The instrument is well made, the ket-work is perfectly positioned and has a nice 'feel', the tone is sweet and not at all 'shrill' and, with the right mouthpiece, it plays in tune - suprisingly, now only supplied with 1 x barrel, anywhere between 338-442 hz.
Apart from the lack of ringing on the barrel, this instrument looks a match for my Buffet RC Prestige when placed next to it on the stand and responds in a similar way when played - blowing much more freely than my Selmer Eb.
Mouthpiece choice, for me, seems critical. The one which was supplied worked perfectly and played intune. My usual Selmer C85 120 sounded great but tuning suffered, especially on the throat notes. My Yamaha 6c was less free blowing, sounding very 'classical', but played perfectly intune so something like a Vandoren 5RV should work really well.
Another wonderful bargin from Thomann - thank you!

The instrument arrived promptly with many useful accessories (cork grease, reeds, sling, ligature, polishing cloth) in a smart, compact and lightweight carry case. The corks are not oversized so the instrument goes together easily. The keywork is light and responsive. No adjustment was required to play straight out of the box. The tone of the instrument is beautiful and the leadwood has an attractive appearance.

However, even using the shorter of the two barrels supplied and a good 2 1/2 strength reed, it played consistently flat at a normal room temperature (18 degrees celsius). In correspondence with Thomann about the problem they confirmed by experiment that the instrument needs to be at 21 degrees celsius to play in tune at A440Hz. This makes it unusable to play with a piano at concert pitch for most of the year where we live (South Yorkshire) - unless you like your house uncomfortably hot - so we had to return it. With other instruments (strings, woodwind) that could be detuned it would likely be acceptable.