Backun Protege Clarinet – Cocobolo Wood

Backun Cocobolo Protege Clarinet
Affordable Elegance!

An affordable professional instrument, the Backun Protege Clarinet is the next logical step between student and Artist model clarinets. With its uncompromising tone, impeccable intonation and a unique acoustical design, the Backun Cocobolo Protege redefines what an aspiring player needs in a clarinet.

Cocobolo Protege Clarinet
Back in 2019, the Backun Cocobolo Protege was discontinued for the US market in order to focus production on the Grenadilla Protege. However, the popularity of this option was just too much! So in 2022, Backun brought the Cocobolo Protege back to the clarinet market offering players a more affordable, elegant clarinet option in this highly sought after wood!

Configuration
The Cocobolo Protege is now only available in one configuration: Bb Cocobolo with Silver Keys, Gold Posts, and the Left Hand Eb Lever. Originally, Backun tried to offer ALL the options but found that by simplifying it down to this one, most popular option, they can better serve the demands of the market.

The Backun Protege Clarinet is available in 2 different woods: Grenadilla & Cocobolo. There are many differing opinions on which is best and even differing opinions on what the wood does to the sound. So here are the personal opinions of Dave Kessler in regards to these woods:

Grenadilla Wood
Grenadilla is the same wood that most clarinets are made out of. Backun uses a premium quality, unstained Grenadilla for the Backun Protege 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.

Cocobolo Wood
Cocobolo is a very dense wood and like the Grenadilla, Backun uses a premium quality, unstained Cocobolo for the Backun Protege clarinet. I find that the Cocobolo gives a broader and sweeter tone that is more open that the audience will hear as a more open tone with added brilliance. 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.

However, we do find Cocobolo wood to be a bit more sensitive than Grenadilla and thus proper maintenance and a more conservative break in period is a must for the wood. Every clarinet that we sell is store with a case humidifier to ensure stability in our shop storage. When the clarinet sells, the humidifier is included along with the tools needed for proper bore oiling of the clarinet (almond oil and a feather). We also include a 1 page “break in & maintenance” guide with each clarinet.

Professionally Setup
Every Backun Protege 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 Protege 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 Protege clarinet setup flawlessly!

Multiple Financing Options Available!

We have a myriad of different financing options available for your new instrument! From affordable monthly payments over a longer period of time to other options that can include 0% Interest or Deferred Interest options, we can help find a way to make the instrument of your dreams become the instrument of your reality! Give us a call!