The Uebel Rêve felt immediately comfortable — familiar — when I tried all of Uebel's clarinets. I love the ease of blowing, the humongous sound, the super-"pingy" articulation that comes from a super-responsive clarinet. Seriously, this clarinet rocks. If you're coming from a Buffet Festival or R13 Prestige, a Selmer Signature or Privilege, I think the Rêve will feel very comfortable to you.
With its brand new bore—appropriately named the "Rêve" bore—the instrument projects like a mofo. If you're wondering, the Grenadilla version has a more compact sound than the Mopane version, but both can fill a room, a hall—and probably a stadium if you've got those kind of gigs.
Next to the Selmer Muse, the Buffet Festival, and the Backun Lumiere, this is in my Top-5 of the clarinets I sell. Notice, this is the least expensive of all of those, by quite a bit.
Resistance: 4/10, Medium-Light
The Rêve has a delightfully light, crisp, very "French" sound. And it's pretty darn effortless to play, due to its medium-light resistance.
In general, more resistance in a clarinet design usually keeps the louder dynamic ranges from spreading; the clarinet "holds its core" and focus, but will provide a smaller dynamic range (on both ends, loud and soft) and smaller color palette. A less resistant clarinet typically provides a much wider tonal palette to choose from, but will require more control from the player to control pitch and sound consistency.
When listening for how a clarinet responds to added air pressure and embouchure control, listen to the Weber example (wide dynamic range and color range), then the Berlioz excerpt (wide dynamic range, but narrow color range), and finally the Gershwin excerpt (narrow dynamic range and narrow color range). You will hear how these clarinets respond — for better or worse! — to my input as a clarinet player.
The Rêve offers a more free-blowing and responsive playing experience, with slightly less resistance compared to the Selmer Privilege. This lower resistance can allow for easier and more effortless airflow, providing a sense of openness and flexibility in sound production. The Signature's lighter resistance may be advantageous for players seeking a more flexible and expressive playing style, such as in jazz or contemporary genres.
Of course, it's important to note that resistance can be subjective and may vary based on individual playing techniques, embouchure, mouthpiece, and reed choice. It's always recommended to try out comparable instruments, if possible, to determine which one feels more comfortable and suits your playing style and musical needs. I'd suggest comparing the Rêve to the Selmer Signature.
The A clarinet comes with its own double case, a set of barrels, and room for a ton of your stuff. It basically is the single case on steroids.
The Uebel warranty provides two years bumper-to-bumper, and an industry-leading five years against cracking and other wood-related issues.
This instrument comes with
- Clarinet case Vandoren B45 mouthpiece
- Two barrels (65mm, 66mm)
- Swab, shoulder strap (for case), cork grease, warranty card, etc.
All earspasm instruments come with a 7-day trial. Please read my trial policy before pulling out that credit card.
FAQ:
Q: What if I'm in New York and want to try it in person?
A: Contact me to set up an appointment, and let's do it!
Q: Does the instrument come with a warranty?
A: Yes, it comes with the standard Uebel 5-year warranty against cracks, and 2 years for mechanical issues. If you ever have any problem with the instrument, I'm your quarterback. I'll take care of the whole process, just let me know you need help, and I'll take it from there.
Q: What happens if it's damaged during shipping?
A: Inspect the package before you sign off at delivery! If there are any issues resulting from shipping, we have taken out an insurance policy to cover damage (and loss). But we need you to document this damage or we can't do anything to help. Please read my trial policy for how to handle this issue, should it arise.
Q: If I decide to return it, do have to pay return shipping costs?
A: Not if you live in the Continental US! Because I want you to find the right instrument for you, and doing so online is harder than doing so in-person, I will cover the return shipping. Please read my trial policy for trial and return rules.
Q: Do you ship internationally?
A: Yes. You can add your shipping address when checking out to see what the shipping costs will be before taking the plunge. Note that VAT and Customs Duties are not included in this cost.
