Backun Clarinets: A Guide to Choosing Your Next Instrument

Backun's clarinet lineup gives players plenty to explore, from student B♭ clarinets and wooden step-up instruments to professional B♭ and A clarinets and bass clarinets with low-E♭ or low-C range.

If you're shopping for your first clarinet, moving beyond a student instrument, or adding another voice to your setup, don't choose by price or instrument level alone. The right clarinet is the one that fits your playing, repertoire, and budget.

Before you browse, keep in mind that our Backun collection includes new, open-box, floor-model, and used instruments. A recent arrival isn't necessarily factory-new, and condition and included accessories can vary within the same model. Read the description, look through the photographs, and check what comes in the case. If anything is unclear, ask us before ordering.

Which Backun clarinet should you consider?

Start with the type of playing you do. The synthetic Alpha is a practical option for a first B♭ clarinet and outdoor use. Alpha Plus, Beta, and Protégé offer wooden alternatives for students. Q-Series, Essence, and Lumière give experienced players different professional designs to compare. For bass clarinet, decide whether your music requires low E♭ or the extended range to low C.

This is a guide to the model families. Not every configuration is currently available. Our Backun clarinet collection shows the instruments available to browse.

What is the difference between the Backun Alpha and Alpha Plus?

The Backun Alpha B♭ with nickel-plated keys has a synthetic body, an adjustable thumb rest, and synthetic pads. Its body is less sensitive than wood to temperature and humidity changes, making it a practical choice for outdoor rehearsals and marching band as well as indoor playing. It still needs regular cleaning and sensible protection from weather and extreme temperatures.

A case and Backun Protégé mouthpiece kit, with a ligature, cap, and reed, provide the basic equipment for a first setup. For students and parents, that is worth considering alongside the instrument itself.

The Alpha Plus uses an unstained grenadilla wood body. It gives families a wooden option within Backun's student range, with more attention needed to changes in temperature and humidity. When comparing Alpha Plus instruments, check the condition and included equipment, especially for a floor model or open-box example.

Start with your teacher's requirements and where the instrument will be played. A student can make meaningful progress on either material; wood alone does not determine whether a clarinet is the right fit.

How do the Backun Beta and Protégé compare as wooden step-up clarinets?

The Beta and Protégé are useful models to compare when you're ready for a wooden B♭ clarinet. The Beta has an unstained grenadilla body, a poly-cylindrical bore, and an adjustable thumb rest. The bore is the shaped passage inside the instrument, one of the features that influences how it responds as you play.

The Protégé family offers both grenadilla and cocobolo, with silver-plated keys and, in some configurations, gold-plated key posts. Those choices are configuration-specific, so don't assume every Protégé has the same wood or keywork.

The grenadilla Protégé B♭ with silver-plated keys pairs undercut tone holes with a Backun New Traditional 65 mm barrel and Backun bell. Custom black leather pads and an adjustable thumb rest are part of the setup.

A mouthpiece is not included with that Protégé model. If you already have a mouthpiece and reed combination you like, use it when comparing instruments. If you need a new one, allow for it in your budget.

Try familiar scales and music on both models. Listen for how easily notes speak at a soft dynamic and how evenly the instrument moves between registers. The way the keywork fits your hands matters just as much as the specifications.

Who should consider the Backun Q-Series B♭ and A clarinets?

The Backun Q-Series B♭ and A clarinets are professional options for players who prefer a traditional French-style design. They are worth comparing if you're moving into a professional instrument or building a B♭-and-A setup for more demanding ensemble and orchestral repertoire.

Both models use a poly-cylindrical bore with undercut and overcut tone holes. Backun offers unstained grenadilla or cocobolo bodies, hardened keywork, and a carbon-fibre joint ring. An adjustable thumb rest lets you tailor the hand position, while a removable left-hand E♭ key is available on selected configurations.

The Q-Series B♭ comes with 65 mm and 66 mm Lumière barrels and a Lumière bell. The A model also comes with a Lumière bell, paired with 64 mm and 65 mm barrels. Having two barrel lengths gives you options when adjusting tuning with your mouthpiece and the conditions in which you're playing.

B♭ is the usual starting point for school band and much everyday ensemble playing. An A clarinet serves music written for clarinet in A, including a substantial part of the orchestral and chamber repertoire. It isn't a higher grade of B♭ clarinet; many advanced players use both.

If you're choosing the two together, use your usual mouthpiece and reeds and compare how comfortably you can switch between them. Listen for consistency of response and tone across registers, and pay attention to tuning and hand comfort. Ask us about Q-Series B♭ and A availability and configurations.

What should you compare on Backun Essence and Lumière clarinets?

Essence and Lumière give players further professional and custom designs to explore. Their bore shapes, mechanisms, and included barrels offer concrete points of comparison, but the decision should come back to how each instrument works with your playing.

The grenadilla Essence B♭ with Automatic Low F Vent has silver-plated keywork and carbon-fibre middle joints with multi-material tenons. The vent is designed to correct low-F tuning automatically, without an additional fingering.

Not all Essence models have the Automatic Low F Vent, so check each instrument's description carefully. The model name alone does not confirm that feature.

Among the Lumière clarinets in our Backun collection, the grenadilla B♭ configuration offers the Lumière taper, carbon-fibre joints and tenons, solid-silver thumb and register tubes, and an Automatic Low F Vent. Its equipment includes two Lumière barrels and a Lumière bell. Confirm the case and other accessories for the instrument you choose; a mouthpiece should not be assumed.

Use familiar music when comparing these models. Try soft entrances, register changes, and passages that usually reveal tuning or response problems for you. If your repertoire calls for an A clarinet, consider how it will work alongside your B♭, as well as how it plays on its own.

Should you choose a low-E♭ or low-C Backun bass clarinet?

Start with the lowest written note your music requires. A low-C bass clarinet extends three semitones below a low-E♭ model. If your parts use those lower notes, that range needs to be part of the decision from the beginning.

Backun's Alpha bass clarinets have synthetic bodies, with low-E♭ and low-C models available in the range. The Alpha low-C bass clarinet with nickel-plated keys pairs its two-piece synthetic body with a backpack-style case and a Backun Protégé bass clarinet mouthpiece, ligature, and cap.

The Q-Series low-C bass clarinet offers a wooden alternative in grenadilla or cocobolo. Its extended range and low-note mechanism are worth trying with the music you expect to play. Compare the reach to the thumb keys, the instrument's support and balance, and how comfortably you can handle it through a rehearsal.

For a school program, a doubling setup, or a dedicated bass clarinet player, range and handling should help narrow the choice before you compare materials and accessories.

Frequently asked questions about Backun clarinets

Is the Backun Alpha suitable for marching band?

Yes. The Alpha B♭'s synthetic body makes it a practical option for outdoor and marching-band use because it is less sensitive than wood to temperature and humidity changes. It still needs routine care and protection from extreme conditions.

Does the Backun Protégé come in cocobolo?

Yes. The Protégé family includes grenadilla and cocobolo options. Some configurations pair silver-plated keys with gold-plated posts. Check the specific wood and keywork when choosing an instrument.

What is the difference between the Q-Series B♭ and A?

They are professional clarinets in different keys, built around the same general design approach. Choose B♭ or A according to the music you play; many advanced players need both. The supplied Lumière barrel lengths also differ between the two models.

Does every Backun Essence have an Automatic Low F Vent?

No. The feature depends on the configuration. Read the instrument's description carefully rather than assuming it is included on every Essence.

Do all Backun clarinets come with a mouthpiece?

No. Some student models include a mouthpiece kit, while models such as the Protégé and Q-Series B♭ and A do not include one in the manufacturer's standard package. Equipment can also vary on used, open-box, and floor-model instruments.

Find the Backun clarinet that fits your playing

Explore our Backun clarinet selection with your playing needs in mind. Before ordering, confirm the key or bass range, body material, special mechanisms, condition, and included accessories.

If you have questions, contact The Mighty Quinn Brass and Winds and tell us what you currently play, the music you're working on, and what you need from your next instrument. We can help you compare the available options.