Ridenour UK LTD & LC CRAVEN Sonoro Clarinets – for accessories please go to online shop page.

 

Most of the clarinets on this site are made of eco sustainable hard rubber and the custom wooden barrels and bells are from FSC certificated forests and are eco sustainable. NEW now there is a fantastic bespoke wooden version of the SM2 the SM-W a real pleasure to play and ease of emission of sound – rounded and even and in tune all over the range of the instrument. contact Leslie for details of availablility and pricing from £1,450

If you wish to buy a clarinet please kindly make contact with me by email or telephone (lesclarinet1@gmail.com tel: 01600 714169) or via my address and details on the contact page and I will discuss your requirements which can also be done on a zoom meeting where I can demonstrate the clarinets to you.

Check out the reviews and testimonials on the Testimonials drop down page hover over the Ridenour clarinet products title on the main menu and click testimonials

I always try to advise customers as to the best product to buy. I can explain the differences between the models and makes and offer discounts and special deals for packages of clarinets with accessories.

Once you have decided then I send an invoice and on receipt of payment will despatch the instrument(s) etc., unless you choose to visit my studio and collect the clarinet and have customisations done.

FREE DELIVERY

ON ALL CLARINETS TO ADDRESSES in the UK

for overseas orders please contact Leslie direct.

Ash Brand talented clarinettist and Saxophonist can now demonstrate the clarinets to London based / home counties customers. He will be available to visit to try the clarinets or can take them to a pre designated venue for customers to try.

New – for customers living near London – now you can try Ridenour and Craven Sonoro Clarinets by appointment with Ashley Brand who will show the instruments and then direct you to me to take payment should you wish to make a purchase by credit or debit card over the telephone or bank transfer. You will get the same personal service from me and all the clarinets will be checked and set up by me without the need to travel miles to Wales to try them. Ashley is a talented young professional Clarinettist and Saxophonist who graduated with a Masters degree fromTrinity Laban having gained his first degree at the Royal College of Music. He is very knowledgeable about all aspects of playing and is well versed in the differences between all the instruments and is well placed to give advice for purchasing a clarinet. If you wish to try the instruments in or near London please contact Ashley at ashbrandsax@gmail.com who will arrange a time and place for you to try the clarinets and accessories, either in his home near London or at a pre-arranged place.

I can take card payments over the telephone most major cards accepted VISA MASTERCARD etc

Customers have a week to trial the clarinets and if returned by insured post and no damage is evident then a full refund minus a £10 re-stocking and total sanitising process fee will be deducted.

for details & prices of RIDENOUR CLARINETS please SCROLL DOWN beyond LC CRAVEN Sonoro Clarinets

Below are a couple of typical emails from delighted customers.

Dear Les Have had the clarinets a week now and I must say I am very pleased with them. Both play very freely and the A is especially nice to play. I am glad I had the extra bells and barrels and cannot wait to play them in the various groups I play with.

Ian Hunt. Essex

From another Customer – Mr Rayneau : I have been teaching myself clarinet for 3 years. I had been playing on a plastic clarinet but decided  to upgrade.  

I emailed Les and told him about my experience and requirements.  He advised me to consider his new Craven Sonoro SM Bb clarinet.  It is made from hard rubber.   Hard rubber has advantages over wood in that it doesn’t warp or crack. 

 I was able to take advantage of a very generous discount which he offers to NHS employees.  Les says the Sonoro is as good as a professional wooden clarinet costing many thousands of pounds.  I am relatively new to the clarinet world but it feels like a quality instrument to me. It is light, robust and the key work is excellent. The keys fall nicely under my fingers. The intonation is very good.  The whole instrument resonates when you play and even high notes at softer dynamics come out easily.  It is adjusted and tested prior to dispatch.  Included are 2 barrels, standard mouthpiece, cork grease and pull-through and a nice well fitting case. 

I subsequently bought one of his Craven mouthpieces and am getting very good results from this. 

 Customer service is first class with all questions answered promptly. 

LC CRAVEN SONORO CLARINETS

The LC CRAVEN Sonoro SM, SM2 and SM-W (New – Wooden version) Bb clarinet (SM stands for “Special Model” – with no rings) £775 ideal for students, advanced amateurs and professional players wanting a robust non – crack clarinet to play outdoors or in adverse climatic conditions. A matching clarinet in A (with considerable tuning and fine finishing work from Leslie Craven personally) is now available in a beautiful double case, included in the price. This represents a very attractive second pair of clarinets for a professional player or student /amateur at a very modest price. Most “pro” players like to have at least one spare set of clarinets and this hard rubber non-crack, non-warp clarinet puts this SM into that league of excellent robust professional quality clarinets at a very affordable price that can be played in all climates with peace of mind.

THE CRAVEN SONORO SM CLARINET Players who have bought them are delighted – see the Ridenour Clarinet Products UK Ltd face book reviews – this from a delighted customer in Ireland

“I have his new Sonoro SM Bb, with his Craven mouthpiece and Silverstein ligature, and it is an absolute joy to play. He set it up himself, and it responds to the lightest breath. The insight and expertise that he puts into his service and into the instruments is just superb, priceless, and extremely welcome. In short, getting a clarinet from Les is like getting a lightsaber from Obi-Wan Kenobi.” Liam Borgstrom – Dublin

Excellent finish and padding: White leather pads, robust, reliable mechanism, ring – less joints, adjustable thumb rest with sling – eye attachment. This non crack- non warp clarinet has excellent intonation, beautiful clear focussed sound over all registers and is hand finished and fine tuned by me, Leslie Craven.

Presented in a neat , really well fitting case with very deep snug wells to cradle the clarinet safely.

includes back pack style straps plus an additional shoulder strap. The deal includes : mouthpiece, two barrels, one long, one short, cork grease, swab Probably the best non crack non warp clarinet package on the market at this price £775

The superb Sonoro SM the latest inexpensive addition to the Sonoro range

The Craven Sonoro SM : the answer to the inexpensive clarinet dilemma – quality and affordability £775 inclusive of standard mouthpiece ligature, cap, backstrap style cool looking case with cork grease, and swab.

Ideal for all levels whether pro, student or amateur . Unlike some really cheap far eastern imports this LC CRAVEN Sonoro SM clarinet is capable of delivering a high quality sound and its ringless construction and all round quality belies the price. Light to hold in part because of the ringless construction and also because of the superior material it is a joy for those who find the weight of a wooden clarinet too much but without the cheap edgy sound that plastic clarinets normally produce.

Emission of the silky smooth rounded sound is very easy over all the registers so easy that crossing the break is no longer a problem even for beginners. Made from a form of hard rubber compound it resists heat and chemicals and has little bore resistance – this means that there is very little effort required to emit the sound, making it an ideal instrument for those on a limited budget but delivers much more than a student clarinet. The Bell is very robust and gives a deep resonance to the lower notes in the chalumeau – a striking depth of sound for such an inexpensive clarinet.

£775 the Sonoro SM

below: robust resonant bell giving warm rich chalumeau notes

This really beautifully designed bell gives rich low end quality that rivals the best wooden clarinets

Why not go the whole hog and upgrade the supplied mouthpiece to a professional quality Craven mouthpiece for £150 (normal price £190) complete with a Silverstein CRY04 ligature for £150, (normal price £185) to make a fantastic custom package.

To complete the package deal choose your preferred grenadilla barrel and bell from 3 designs (tenon receivers lined with metal for extra strength) for £205 the pair. Barrel and Bell for £205 (NOT 205 each !) (One Backun bell would cost in excess of £300 – £400 alone!!)

So a professional package which would surpass any like – priced clarinet on the market with the best accessories that money can buy for just £1,075 with mouthpiece and ligature add barrel and bell for extra £205 so for just £1,280 a totally top quality outfit – with option to match with an A clarinet for the same price as the Bb.

So the above package but with a pair of matched A & Bb clarinets, Craven Mouthpiece, Silverstein Cryo4 ligature, Custom barrel and bell in a beautiful double case (discounted to just £120) would cost only £2,175 with Custom Barrel,* Bell,* Craven Mouthpiece* and Silverstein CRY04 included in the price with a beautiful design lightweight back pack style double case. Truly excellent value.( *chosen for you specially by Leslie Craven to match the clarinet and produce the best sound )

Mouthpieces and ligatures, barrels and bells make a huge difference to the sound of a player and despite the fact they are a professional accessory, players young and not so young of all levels would benefit enormously from having the correct equipment from the word “go”. It is a false economy to buy a beginner or intermediate player the cheapest clarinet mouthpiece and ligature on the market as the cheapest clarinets are usually not in tune and young ears need to be trained correctly from an early age. There is a very good reason so many top pro players use Craven mouthpieces.

The importance of a good ligature: Cheap single screw ligatures can warp a mouthpiece making it unstable and likely to produce squeaks and in addition do not hold the reed in place adequately to get the best vibration and harmonics from the reed. Combined with a cheap mouthpiece can sound thin and edgy.

There is nothing more frustrating for the young learner or adult learner for that matter, than a clarinet that is a battle to play and a sound that is not rounded and pleasant to listen to. These Sonoro SM clarinets are not only for amateur players but can be used in professional scenarios have a natural projecting sound that has a lovely silky cushion to the sound.

CRAVEN SONORO PROFESSIONAL CLARINETS (also ideal for students and fine amateurs) FREE DELIVERY TO ADDRESSES IN THE UK

The New design ring-less SM Bb or A Sonoro SM – £775 or add a Craven mouthpiece and Silverstein CRY04 ligature special deal – £1,075

Pair of SM Bb and A in beautiful double case – £1,670 – with optional custom barrel and bell £1,875 or add Craven mouthpiece and Silverstein ligature for an extra £300 the whole package = £2175

New Sonoro C clarinet £695 professional model (in beautiful “Reed and Squeak” case) but also ideal for young players with small hands. The new addition to the Sonoro range of clarinets ideal for young players with small hands or for pro or amateur players wanting a C to play without the hassle of transposing. The same deal for custom barrels and bell as for the Bb & A clarinets – £205 the pair barrel and bell plus the Craven Sonoro mouthpiece and Silverstein ligature included for an extra £300 making a C clarinet total package of £1200 for: Clarinet, Reed and Squeak case, custom barrel and bell, Craven Sonoro Mouthpiece and Silverstein ligature – CRY04

Sonoro BC 01 Bass clarinet to low C* £2,100 or add Craven pro mouthpiece and Silverstein ligature for an extra £300 – £2400 total saving over £100 on these items. *NEW now with advanced roller mechanism for the lowest notes to facilitate fast passages in the lowest area of the bass.

Sonoro Eb sopranino/piccolo clarinet £1,750

Smerf the amazing reed system that fixes hard stuffy unresponsive reeds £35.75 special offer for first 30 sold (normal price £45.00

NEW Eb CLARINET GRENADILLA WOOD £1,750 to firm order only – shipping time approx 3 weeks The only wooden clarinet in the Sonoro range so far is this lovely Eb clarinet which is very high quality and plays beautifully. Tuned and set up by me it has ringless barrel and bell Backun style and comes with Rovner style ligature and a mouthpiece of my design: Sonoro Eb 01 great tuning, excellent keywork Silver plated. With a sling, adjustable thumb rest, white leather pads, extra LH Eb / D# key presented in a cool single case with zip pocket and shoulder strap. Checked and meticulously tested by Leslie. Price includes shipping to UK addresses.

This 5* review from my very first Eb customer (Leslie): I received brilliant service from Les in the purchase of a wooden Eb clarinet which arrived last week. It has a beautiful tone and a lovely feel to play. I love the mouthpiece too. It really has a lovely tone – it’s not too dissimilar to the tone on my Buffet Festival Bb and it’s similar to the feel of that too. The Marca reeds are perfect for me, so many thanks for including those too. It’s so much nicer than the Amati I tried out 2 years ago, which had somewhat put me off Ebs. Throughout the process – from discussions before placing the initial order up to to delivery – Les kept me updated as to the status. Great customer service from a top professional. Thank you Les!……It was a pleasure doing business with you………” Julia, Kent

RIDENOUR UK LTD CLARINETS free delivery to UK addresses:

Lyrique Libertas in Bb with either Ridenour or CRAVEN mouthpiece £1575 or £1425 without (currently no stock – will take firm orders – delivery time 3 -4 weeks.)

Lyrique 575 in A £1575 with either Ridenour or CRAVEN mouthpiece or £1425 without (currently no stock but will take firm orders – delivery time approx 4 weeks)

Lyrique 576b in Bb £945 with either Ridenour or CRAVEN mouthpiece or £795  without mouthpiece (my price is at least 20% cheaper than the price on the Ridenour ebay site plus VAT import duty etc.) (Currently one left in stock.) June 2021

New Noblissima Bb clarinet £695 (my price is at least 20% cheaper than the price on the Ridenour ebay site plus VAT import duty etc.) with either Ridenour or CRAVEN mouthpiece or £550 without mouthpiece 2 in stock June 2021

Lyrique 570 in C £1175 with mouthpiece or £1025 without mouthpiece (at least 20% cheaper than price on Ridenour ebay shop which is £1043 plus VAT and duty) Currently no stock – firm orders only. delivery time approx 4 weeks

Another terrific review in April 2020: “I’ve just taken delivery of a Lyrique 576. Buying a clarinet from Les is the musical equivalent of going around Harrods with a personal shopper. From the initial enquiry to final delivery he is with you all the way ,answering all questions honestly and replying promptly to messages. His pre sale set up is one of the finest available and I would doubt there is a better playing and sounding instrument under a grand. I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Ridenour clarinet Products to anyone be they amateur or professional .” Dave Cluderay ….Leeds  

Descriptions and more information about both LC CRAVEN SONORO and RIDENOUR clarinets below please scroll down to the Model you wish to see:

NEW LC CRAVEN SONORO ringless C CLARINET with option to customise with reinforced tenon receiver wooden barrels and bells

SONORO BASS CLARINET BC 01 £2,100 (hard rubber non crack non warp)

The LC CRAVEN Sonoro BC 01 is the fantastic entry level professional Bass clarinet for those on a budget – or students with very limited resources. Just £2100 for the clarinet and well fitting case with back straps plus basic mouthpiece and ligature.

Upgrade to a Craven mouthpiece and CRY04 ligature just £300 extra for the two.

Adjusting screws in crucial places

BC 01 Sonoro

hese clarinets are very popular because they are great value and professional quality with the same excellent tuning scale and evenness that all Ridenour clarinets display. To lock in a price (these prices can vary due to exchange rate) secure a clarinet price with a £100 deposit. This guarantees your clarinet will be put aside for you, tested and set up for you personally by me, Leslie Craven.  Please check with me for current prices as I can personally negotiate the price for a package deal - it is possible to get a deal of a discounted superior lightweight "Reed and Squeak" case plus mouthpiece and selected accessories. 

BC01 has a failsafe assembly mechanism to prevent over rotation of the joints.

LC CRAVEN SONORO Bass clarinets have a robust key design and will stand up to the rigours of professional use at an entry level price point. All set up and tested personally by top pro player Les Craven. Differences between Sonoro BC 01 and the BC02 : The BC 01 has no adjusting screws on the RH large pads but is a robust Bass clarinet with a very simple and accessible LH low D plus long rod guides – a very strong feature fully checked adjusted and tested by Leslie. NB The BC02 is being discontinued but there is one left at a sale price of £2,100 so the same price as the excellent BC01.

These wonderful mouthpieces combine ease of production, warmth projection facile staccato in all registers and a gentle focus to carry over the largest orchestras yet also at home in a chamber music setting.
CRAVEN MOUTHPIECES the choice of many pro players in Eb Bb and Bass

RIDENOUR CLARINETS

NEW RIDENOUR NOBLISSIMA a version of the brilliant 576b clarinet at a lower price tag.

£550 inc delivery to UK addresses. Please contact leslie for overseas orders.

Affordable Noblissima Bb clarinets – standard register key, in line trill keys and wide comfortable thumb rest – the ideal student clarinet with the same exc.eptional tuning and sound as the 576b

The price on the Ridenour USA ebay shop is £556 plus additional customs duty and VAT which adds at least 20% to the price so landed would be well over £650 so I am at least £100 less expensive

FOR DESCRIPTIONS OF THE other RIDENOUR CLARINETS please scroll down

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EXCITING NEW ACCESSORY the SMERf EEZEE REED fix

SMERf A new accessory: This new product is the latest in reed gadgets and by far the easiest to use and get excellent results fixing reeds that hitherto were too hard and stuffy to play – this will save you a fortune and we offer it (for the first 30 units sold) at a reduced price available in the store page £35 75p whilst stocks last.

All clarinets come with: “my personal guarantee of satisfaction and after sales service,  worry-free buying experience and excellent value for money, clarinets set up to my professional standard of playability. Suitable for all levels – from student to professional ” – Leslie Craven

Four excellent reasons to buy from me than import directly oneself

1) After all  customs duty, VAT, shipping, bank, transfer charges, and obligatory Parcel Force / UPS handling charges are factored in, my prices are less expensive than importing direct from USA.

2) I offer the peace of mind of dealing with a respected, experienced player from start to finish, no other sales persons. You get my undivided attention and service from the minute you contact me.

3) I personally meticulously prepare and rigorously test each clarinet to a very high level of performance for all customers

4) I offer generous discounts on all accessories when bought with a clarinet, or retrospectively if an existing customer orders accessories after the purchase of a clarinet

WHY NOT UPGRADE THE STANDARD CASE WITH A REED and SQUEAK CASE? HIGHLY PROTECTIVE LIGHTWEIGHT R&S cases for a generously discounted price:

Cloth covered, long rectangular case: RRP £49 my price £44 * plus P&P In black eco leather RRP £59 my price £54* plus P&P (*if bought with a clarinet)

inexpensive, lightweight compact and very protective of the clarinet with shoulder strap

below the eco leather short rectangular case
RRP £59  my upgrade price £54 

Really compact and protective cases with shoulder strap

The Reed and Squeak bass clarinet case is illustrated and described later on this page – please scroll down to view.

Ridenour Accessories : ATG reed perfecting system, Books, Thumb saddle etc can be viewed later on this page.

To make a purchase by card – for a clarinet / group of accessories: please phone me on 01600 714169 / 07883281010 or email: lesclarinet1@gmail.com. Please leave a message if there is no reply from the telephone numbers.

Want to know more about hard rubber clarinets and their unique design? Read this article published in the Clarinet and Saxophone Society of Great Britain https://www.lesliecraven.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Rid-art-and-ad.pdf

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A comparison by Les of the Ridenour Lyrique “Libertas” and the 576b Bb clarinets

Les demonstrates the Ridenour 575a A clarinet – needing no blowing in period – just pure clear tone from the outset

Ridenour 570c C clarinet £1175 with mouthpiece
£1025 without

From William White: I am currently working as a freelance player with orchestras such as the Royal Philharmonic, BBC, Welsh National Opera, Red note ensemble and several others. I came to Les in need of a C clarinet …….To my delight the Ridenour C clarinet played with immaculate intonation….
I believe that the Ridenour C clarinet represents excellent quality and exceptional value. Perhaps the best thing about this instrument is that it will never crack! I certainly could not have gone into a dry opera pit with a brand new wooden instrument and have it come through unscathed. Be assured however that the hard rubber body has just as much projection and warmth as a wooden instrument, without the negative aspects that come with wood. For more of this review see Testimonials page

https://www.lesliecraven.co.uk/testimonials-from-ridenour-clarinet-customers/

Among others these three top players above have been delighted with the Ridenour C clarinet 570c – Rhys Taylor“this C is terrific Les” – Alison Lambert “This C clarinet is so easy to play and beautifully in tune and even – it’s lovely” Will White“When I first played it in the orchestra no one knew I was using a C, the tone was so rich and warm and the tuning so accurate.”

Bass clarinettist 
City of Birmingham Symphony

Mark O’Brien

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Top players use Ridenour and Craven Sonoro products

925c bass clarinet £3375 with mouthpiece without £3250

Mark O’Brien Bass clarinettist of the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra recommends the Ridenour 925c bass in particular for rehearsals and performances where the climatic conditions could cause his very expensive wooden bass clarinet to crack.

Many top players world wide use the 925c as the Bass of choice in preference to wooden instruments as the 925c has a beautiful round warm sound and is very even in note size and has very stable intonation thanks to its construction from hard natural – eco friendly rubber.

Due to a special deal with Reed and Squeak – The Reed and Squeak bass clarinet case – can be added as an upgrade for £195 – saving £70 on the normal retail price of £265

Bass Clarinet Case-Low C
 

 

 

james-mainwaring-lyrique-endorser
James Mainwearing

RCP UK is also delighted to be associated with James Mainwaring,  leading clarinettist in London’s West End  Musical scene and for recording sessions.  right: James Mainwaring leading British doubling specialist / clarinettist  who bought a 576b clarinet  “Les, the Ridenour 576b clarinet is a terrific clarinet, I am delighted with it”  James’s full review can be seen in customer testimonials along with many other comments from leading players, both Professional and amateur 
https://www.lesliecraven.co.uk/testimonials-from-ridenour-clarinet-customers/

LYRIQUE 576b B-flat  clarinet £945 with m/piece* *choice of either Ridenour or Craven Sonoro Cost of m/piece if bought separately : Ridenour or Craven Sonoro £190

576b £795 without mouthpiece

Ridenour Lyrique 576b is used by me (Leslie Craven) and by many leading players worldwide. (See testimonials page) If you need a clarinet that will not be affected by climate the Ridenour range of instruments can supply the ideal clarinet for you. Stable, with accurate tuning and a warm focused sound the 576b is not just a student clarinet – although it is (because of its low price)  ideal for students – it is a fully capable professional quality clarinet and I have played mine on TV, in performances and recordings with great success. 

LYRIQUE 575a A clarinet £1575 with mouthpiece £1425 without

The Lyrique A clarinet plays in an extremely free blowing way (just as freely as the Lyrique  and Libertas Bb clarinets). Unlike most A clarinets that take a long time to “blow in” this A clarinet feels free and totally expressive from the outset due to its highly polished and highly accurately moulded bore. It has (because of its Tom Ridenour bore design) superior tuning and evenness of note plus the ability to cross the breaks more smoothly and evenly. It is a pleasure to experience an A clarinet with much less resistance in the upper registers – no more grunts on the notorious A clarinet clarion “A” and above. Try one and experience for yourself the lovely freedom, dark sonority and expressiveness that can be achieved on this beautiful clarinet.  

Lyrique Libertas
Lyrique Libertas Bb clarinet

LYRIQUE “LIBERTAS”  Bb £1575 with mouthpiece £1425 without

the flagship model  clarinet in the Ridenour range considered by many to be :
THE BEST IN TUNE  and TONALLY EVEN CLARINET  EVER DESIGNED – WITH NO HEAVY, CUMBERSOME ADDITIONAL KEY WORK TO CONFUSE THE PLAYER AND CREATE EXTRA WEIGHT ON THE RIGHT HAND THUMB

From Les : Many clarinet manufacturers including Buffet, Selmer and others  have now attempted  improved intonation by adding extra keys but this adds further to the already heavy weight of the clarinet. Tom has built all his clarinet range with a superior bore design that gives the closest possible twelfths and virtually perfect intonation without these confusing and cumbersome extra keys.

LYRIQUE 570C  £1175 with mouthpiece £1025 without 

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The Lyrique 570c clarinet the best in tune, even sounding, round tone C clarinet on the market

Designed to provide top professional performance features by Tom Ridenour, the C clarinet will exceed all that you hoped a C clarinet could ever be. The tone is never thin or strident and the scale never “wacky”. Rather, the Lyrique C is characterised by a warm, sweet tone that is closer to the human voice than perhaps any other wind instrument. Even the high notes retain a beautifully round, sweet quality at all dynamic levels.  The Lyrique also has the most even, efficient blowing resistance of any clarinet, giving the player the feeling of total freedom to express oneself. The tuning scale of the Lyrique C is exceptionally accurate  (normally other C clarinets are notoriously uneven in their tuning).  This superior tuning  is due to  detailed custom work  by Lyrique designer, Tom Ridenour which is checked further and micro-adjusted by me (Leslie Craven) when the clarinet arrives.

The beautiful sound and intonation of this clarinet is enjoyed by many delighted customers – see reviews in the customer testimonials page 
https://www.lesliecraven.co.uk/testimonials-from-ridenour-clarinet-customers/

The Lyrique C clarinet takes a standard Bb clarinet mouthpiece making switching very easy from A to Bb to C seamless – Leslie’s own design mouthpiece plays these clarinets beautifully in tune.

Note from Leslie Craven: I used the Ridenour Lyrique C clarinet in Welsh National Opera for almost 20 years with huge success in many operas and concerts – Works by Beethoven, Mahler, Operas by Verdi ,(Falstaff , Rigoletto, etc., etc .,) Nicolai , (Merry Wives of Windsor) Smetana, (Bartered Bride) Rossini, (Barber of Seville etc .,etc .,etc .,) Bellini, (Puritani), Donizetti,  (Maria Stuarda , Don Pasquale etc., etc .,etc ., )  Mozart, Richard Strauss (“Der Rosenkavalier” and chamber works)  and many more utilise the unique voice of the C clarinet. The C clarinet is also used frequently in folk music and I have sold many to players in all parts of the world for this specific purpose. Many  composers  have written for this lovely instrument and a lot of early clarinet music involves the C clarinet.

RIDENOUR 925c Low C BASS  clarinet £3375 with mouthpiece £3250 without

The Lyrique 925c Low C bass is considered by many professionals to be the best value bass clarinet on the market today. The Lyrique’s  scale, even response, and beauty of tone is comparable to professional basses costing thousands more. Unlike the wood bodies of those expensive clarinets, the bore of the Lyrique will remain stable year round, and the body will not crack or warp. The mechanism is durable and with the stability of the pure, natural, hard rubber body. Features include: double register key, adjustable neck for tuning and ergonomically designed left hand thumb mechanism. For those who have always wanted or needed a low C bass but have never been able to afford  the expensive crack – prone wooden counterparts, the Ridenour Lyrique Low C bass is the solution. 


These clarinets are very popular because they are great value and professional quality with the same excellent tuning scale and evenness that all Ridenour clarinets display. To lock in a price (these prices can vary due to exchange rate) secure a clarinet price with a £100 deposit. This guarantees your clarinet will be put aside for you, tested and set up for you personally by me, Leslie Craven.  Please check with me for current prices as I can personally negotiate the price for a package deal – it is possible to get a deal of a discounted superior lightweight “Reed and Squeak” case plus mouthpiece and selected accessories.

hese clarinets are very popular because they are great value and professional quality with the same excellent tuning scale and evenness that all Ridenour clarinets display. To lock in a price (these prices can vary due to exchange rate) secure a clarinet price with a £100 deposit. This guarantees your clarinet will be put aside for you, tested and set up for you personally by me, Leslie Craven.  Please check with me for current prices as I can personally negotiate the price for a package deal - it is possible to get a deal of a discounted superior lightweight "Reed and Squeak" case plus mouthpiece and selected accessories. 

left: Unique safety mechanism to prevent over – rotation of middle joint hence avoids damage to keys and linkages.

Can be bought with or without a mouthpiece – includes case with back-pack type carry straps plus outer pocket for accessories and music, mouthpiece cap, ligature, swab, cork grease, reeds, neck strap and spike.

Please be aware : There are cheaper basses available from “mass sales, mail order companies”  but none of this quality and advanced bore design providing superior tuning and evenness than other inferior ABS resin or plastic basses. My personal testing and set up ensures your Bass works perfectly when you play it for the first time.

An independent review of the Bass from a top American doubling musician please click on the link: https://woodwindwonderland.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/the-ridenour-lyrique-925-hard-rubber.html 

If you are interested in purchasing an instrument, please contact Leslie to find out about current stock levels and availability.