Yamaha YCL-52, Jupiter JCL710N or Backun Alpha?
For an advancing student, what clarinet do you recommend out of these three? This would be my first clarinet, and I've been playing for the last 3 months on a rental Jupiter CC-65.
Backun Alpha (Like New, Demo): $649.00
Yamaha YCL-52 (Complete overhaul): $750.00
Jupiter JCL-710N (New): $549.99
Both the Alpha and YCL-52 are online only, and the JCL-710N can be purchased from a local regional music store.
I've never played a wooden Bb Clarinet but I've played a wooden Noblet Bass Clarinet in the past and enjoyed the response and sound quite a bit. I'm very curious how playing a wooden Bb Clarinet would be like, I'm just worried about cracking since I live in a region that gets very cold and dry during winter, with very humid summers.
Posted Dec 9, 2025, 4:14 AM UTC