Backun Model F Clarinet

The Backun Model F Clarinet is available in 2 different woods: Grenadilla & Cocobolo. There are many differing opinions on what the wood does to the sound. So here are the personal opinions of Dave Kessler in regards to these woods – please note, this is just Dave Kessler’s opinion:

Grenadilla Wood
Grenadilla is the same wood that most clarinets are made out of. Backun uses a premium quality, unstained Grenadilla for the Backun Model F Clarinet. I find that the Grenadilla will produce a more tonally centered and deeper tone that the audience will hear as darker and richer. Personally, I always prefer the way that customers sound on the Grenadilla as I listen to them. However, the effect of the wood “behind” the clarinet will make the player perceive the Grenadilla as a bit brighter and more focused than the Cocobolo wood.

Best Suited for Blending in a Section

Cocobolo Wood
Cocobolo is a very dense wood and like the Grenadilla, Backun uses a premium quality, unstained Cocobolo for the Backun Model F Clarinet. I find that the Cocobolo gives a broader and sweeter tone that is more open that the audience will hear as brighter and lighter. However, the player “behind” the clarinet will generally perceive the Cocobolo as the richer of the two because they are “hearing more” from the clarinet than they do with the Grenadilla.

Best Suited for Solo work and standing out from other players’ tones.

Professional Setup
Every Backun Model F Clarinet we send out to a customer is not released from us unless it has been completely setup in our shop first. Sometimes, a clarinet (regardless of who the manufacturer or the price point is) comes in needing 20 minutes of adjustments and then the very next one can require 2 hours!

This is why we perform our setup (in our www.ClarinetRepairs.com ProShop) on your new Backun Model F Clarinet before delivering it to you. You trust us with your purchase and we want to make sure that you are rewarded by giving you your new clarinet setup flawlessly!