Royal Global MAX Low C Bass Clarinet
Royal Global MAX Low C Bass Clarinet
What's a MAX?
The Royal Global MAX Bass Clarinet was released in September 2022, and is the newest in Royal's line of excellent, yet affordable, bass clarinets.
The MAX is a fantastic bass clarinet — it resonates like a wood instrument (because it is 95% wood. See more below). Along with the new Backun Alpha, it is a tremendous value.
Punching WAY above its weight class, it rivals instruments (including those from Royal, by the way) costing two to three times as much. Is it better than the Backun Alpha? That's a matter of taste, to be honest. It's a little more resistant (like the Buffet Prestige basses) so if you're looking for something that isn't as free-blowing as the Alpha, this is the ticket.
As I mentioned, unlike others in its class, the MAX is not plastic, but rather Royal's proprietary composite—Grenadilla powder mixed with a polymer resin. This provides a resonant sound very similar to the Royal Polaris bass clarinet. Not surprising, since the MAX is modeled on the Polaris and shares the same keys, neck, and internal geometry.
Does it sound different from the Polaris? Yes, it does—a little bit. The Polaris provides a richer sound, with more overtones in the high-mid range (around 5,000-8,000Hz, if you're curious), which gives the Polaris a bit more presence in an ensemble setting. This is, of course, because the Polaris is a wood body rather than a composite resin body—even if the resin is full of Grenadilla dust.
Included in the price is a full "earspasm pro setup" from my technician buddy in upstate new york who's one of the best in the business. I fly these instruments up to him, and when he gets them he sends me pictures of things like chipped tone holes that he has to fix right off the bat. And I roll my eyes. And then I pay him to fix them.
Yes, I pay out of pocket for the setup. Even for a $4,500 instrument like this. Why? Because $4,500 is STILL A CRAP-TON OF MONEY for you to spend. Yes, it reduces my profit. Yes, people have told me I should charge a premium for doing it. But like I said above, you're worth it.
All earspasm instruments come with a 7-day trial. Please read my trial policy before pulling out that credit card.
The instrument comes with:
- Standard Royal case with hideaway backpack straps
- One sitting peg (a note for the eagle-eyed shopper: the Polaris and Firebird come with two pegs, the MAX includes only one.)
Notice, the instrument does not come with a mouthpiece. Fortunately for you, I sell those too.
Hit me up with any questions by sending me an email!
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 Royal Global warranty. 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.
Q: If I decide to return it, do also I have to pay return shipping costs?
A: Yes. And you will also want to insure it!
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.
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I have no complaints whatsoever. when I sent Michael a question he responded very quick with an answer and was always nice. I love my new bass and look forward to purchasing from Michael again in the future.
I love my new Royal Global MAX Low C bass clarinet. It is easy to play and it sounds beautiful, very similar to a wood clarinet. I chose this horn because, although I loved the professional Selmer I previously had, most of my performances are outdoors in areas with extreme weather and temperature differences, and I often travel long distances between venues which caused one of my wooden soprano clarinets to crack. I did not want to have to deal with all of the worry and extra care that, for me, would accompany playing and transporting a wooden bass clarinet in those conditions. The Royal Global Max bass clarinet is a synthetic version of the company’s Polaris with identical keyword that is high quality. I did order mine with the modification of adding the C#/G# key extension that the Firebird has, which makes that particularly challenging trill fingering very easy. A friend, who is also my woodwind tech and a professional clarinetist, played my MAX and was very impressed with the sound and the quality of the key work. We both recommend it highly, if wood is not for you.
I received my instrument in February. It has been playing beautifully since day one. Upgrading from an older, probably slightly abused, Eb Bass (a community band shared instrument), the difference was immediately apparent to me and everyone who heard the sound. Our director (a clarinetist) heard the low C for the first time at the end of a piece, and immediately looked my direction with raised eyebrows and called out how good the sound was! The instrument has great response in all registers, and has dramatically improved my playing (I'd say it's about 75% the instrument and 25% improvement on my part). The entire experience of buying an instrument from Michael was outstanding...and he was extremely responsive even AFTER I'd received my instrument and he had received my full payment :)
My royal global max bass clarinet came just as expected and is playing wonderfully right out of the box. It is serving me well as a member of a quite good community band where I am playing a number of solo and exposed parts. I was recently applauded when the low C “rang” out as a final solo note on one of our pieces in rehearsal. Thank you for a fine instrument and a great experience.
I have had my Royal Global MAX bass clarinet for about 4 months now. The instrument plays like a dream (especially compared to the student-grade horn I was using before). The low C is particularly resonant, but the instrument sounds great throughout all 4 octaves. Is it a Buffet Tosca? No, but it's 90% of the horn, but at 30% of the price. Easily the best deal you can find, unless you absolutely NEED a $10K instrument.
I have to give special kudos to the "Earspasm Pro set up" that Michael has for this horn. The action of the keys is MUCH lighter than any other bass clarinet I have played; it's almost as light as my B-flat clarinet and considerably lighter than my brand-new soprano saxophone (to say nothing about my larger saxophones). His technician friend does a great job of setting up the instrument, and also preparing the instrument for shipping. There were even small wooden wedges placed in the instrument to prevent certain keys from wiggling during shipping. I highly recommend both this particular instrument and ordering it here!