Low Eh!

Up until March 2026, I had been performing on my Buffet Prestige bass clarinet (model #BC1193), and had no plans on ever switching off of it. I loved everything about it, except the fact that it was an expensive instrument, made of grenadilla, and I live in Ottawa.

This past winter was particularly cold, and every time I would leave the house with my Buffet, I would cross my fingers, and hope that it wouldn’t crack – especially if I had to park and walk some distance to a venue that I was playing. It was my only bass clarinet, and I need a low C for most of the shows that I perform on – an entry level Yamaha or the like wouldn’t do. It being my only bass, I couldn’t afford to be without it for too long.

I had been curious about the Backun Alpha as an “all season” bass clarinet. I have a few students who use them, and I rented one in January to test it out on a few gigs, and in the teaching studio. The Alpha is a synthetic body, with nearly the same keywork as the Q – all of the most important elements of the Backun design are featured on both instruments.

My plan was to use the Backun in any situation where I was uncomfortable using my Buffet, and use the Buffet at orchestra concerts, recording sessions, or in controlled environments. That plan changed…

I was so impressed with the Alpha – the ease of playing, the keywork (the thumb low Eb is something I never knew that I needed), the tuning, and tone. I took it to the teaching studio, and a rehearsal the day that I picked it up, and loved how it was so easy to work with! At the end of the rehearsal, I swabbed it, and put it in the trunk of my car…and didn’t worry about it cracking. This was the peace of mind that I was looking for.

**NOTE** There was some tweaking of the register mechanism to get the instrument to speak properly – over a few weeks of small adjustments, I did get the instrument to play the way I wanted.

The Backun is much more free blowing than the Buffet. I would play them back and forth, but I was changing mouthpiece and reed setups depending on the clarinet to get the most out of each instrument, and in turn, my tone, and tuning didn’t feel locked in. I decided that I wanted to try the Q – the professional, grenadilla bass clarinet offering from Backun.

I was fortunate to have one ordered on trial – I was mostly leaning towards trading my Buffet in, but I had the instrument for years, and while I’m not usually sentimental about my gear, it was a tough decision. As I drove to Long and McQuade, I was trying to convince myself that the Q wasn’t going to be measurably better than either the Alpha or the Buffet Prestige.

I warmed up on the Alpha – the bass clarinet that I had been playing the most, then the Buffet, and then I tested out the Q. I really was blown away by the Q. It’s everything that I love about the Alpha, and more. I left with the Alpha, and Buffet, thought about it for a few days, and then made the trade.

I’m spoiled. I have my Alpha, which I love to take on jazz shows in clubs, to teach, and to perform with when the weather is too cold or hot. I have my Q for the recording studio, and on stage with the orchestra, or when conditions are favourable for the instrument. I can use my same mouthpiece and reed setup on both instruments and get the same result, and now I have the peace of mind that I will always have a bass clarinet that is in top shape!