Customer Reviews

LJ Hutchen Clarinet with Hardshell Case

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This is a GREAT instrument. My son has been playing his LJ Hutchen clarinet for a year now and he has never had a problem. His band instructor couldn't believe how well it was made and how little we paid for it. She has even checked out the company's website and is now recommending this brand to the rest of the class. Great clarinet!!!

As an elementary and middle school band director, I have seen many students come to band with substandard, cheaply-made instruments. Recently a sixth grade student came to class with a new LJ Hutchen clarinet. Admittedly, I was worried that it might be another shoddy brand...but boy was I wrong! This is a fantastic instrument for any student player. The low notes are full and rich, the high range is easily accessed, and the tone quality is superb. I am very impressed with the LJ Hutchen line and plan to recommend LJ Hutchen band instruments to all of my band students and parents. This is an extremely impressive and durable instrument of the highest quality!

I ordered this clarinet for my nephew, who said he was not continuing on with the school band program in the fall because he didn't own his own instrument. The clarinet was shipped right away and I received it within 24 hours of placing the order. I opened the clarinet and everything looked to be of very high quality. I had a little trouble putting the instrument together (maybe because of the humidity of summer in Boston). I will leave the instrument assembled for a couple days before giving it to my nephew for his birthday in July so that it will be easier for him to assemble it. I put the reed on and tried playing a few scales (I played the saxophone up until high school) and was surprised to learn how easy the notes came out (much easier than when I tried my nephews school-owned clarinet a couple of months ago). So far, I am very pleased with this purchase and will recommend LJ Hutchen instruments to others.

I just received my LJ Hutchen B Flat Clarinet and was I pleasantly surprised! I've got to say first, it got to my house in three days from the time that I ordered it. I ordered directly from Hyson Music and they did not charge me for shipping or taxes. I paid exactly what the instrument was listed for and that was great! I have not played the clarinet since my high school days and I got out my old Selmer Segnet and couldn't even blow it initially, and once I did, I was squeaking all over the place. I knew that I had "lost my lip", but I also realized that I never took care of my instrument and the pads and corks were all dried out and the clarinet itself probably had small cracks in it. I had used it for several years for both marching band as well as concert band. So...should I get it refurbished or just buy a new one. I researched clarinets on the internet and it seemed that the best buy for the money was the LJ Hutchen, with lots of good comments. Now I see why. When I opened the box, I was happy with the hard shell case...but the best was yet to come. I opened up the case and there before me was a beautiful instrument, with everything needed to play and to clean it afterwards. I waxed up the cork and put it together. My first note was a nice, loud squeak...not surprising. I readjusted, and got out my first note. I began to play some songs that were still in my memory and I was SO pleased. I could actually play this thing without a lot of effort. There is no doubt that I have got to get my lip back in condition and get my breathing together, but I believe that before long, I will be able to join the local concert band. I am retired now and thought that it would really be cool to try and play again and the local band practices just down the road from my house...about eight minutes away. I am psyched! I would recommend this instrument to new students as well as intermediate students or older ones like myself who is trying to re-learn the instrument! Seriously...get this instrument...you will not regret it.

I bought this clarinet as a practice horn and as a backup to my Buffet E11. I considered a Buffet B12 for this purpose, but read a lot of outstanding reviews for the LJ Hutchen clarinet. Based on those reviews, I purchased the LJ Hutchen over the Buffet. First, this is a spectacularly appearing horn. Although it is resin, it has a sheen and finish that very much resembles my E11 (wood). Second, the clarinet is solidly constructed. Obviously, the resin instrument has a much less mellow sound than the E11. But, for klezmer and jazz, this is a plus. After playing it for an hour, it rapidly became a favourite and I could not put it down. The down side? The corks are pretty rough and the case is pretty basic. But, the corks could be fixed by a competent technician for just a few dollars; if the case is the selling point...well, what can I say? In the interim, generous use of cork grease is strongly advised. I would recommend the LJ Hutchen clarinet to beginning students without hesitation. It appears well built and durable enough to stand up to the rigors of elementary, junior high, and high school band. This is a bargain at around $200. Newbies should look to LJ Hutchen first!

This is a great clarinet. Great quality, it's the brand the band director recommended, but he was selling it for $50 more than I paid for this one. My son loves it, and is doing great with it. It looks like a much more expensive clarinet.

My wife and I decided to buy our daughter a clarinet for Christmas because we were renting one. She just started playing at the beginning of the school year and seems to really enjoy it. In fact, in my fatherly opinion, I think she's going to make me some money someday! After doing some research and reading the excellent reviews about the LJ Hutchen, my wife and I decided to take a chance. It came well packaged and arrived very quickly. The clarinet seems well built and came with a very nice case. However, at first we were a little nervous since the LJ Hutchen sounded different from her Jupiter. I am not saying that the sound was bad, it just had a different tone and we thought it was going to be unacceptable since my daughter was invited to join the Pioneer band at school. On her first day back to school following the holiday, we had my daughter take her new clarinet to school to show her band instructor. He played the clarinet and gave his seal of approval! The only thing he changed was the reed size increasing it from a 2 to a 2.5. My wife and I are very happy with our purchase and would recommend this clarinet to anyone learning to play the clarinet.

We just received our LJ Hutchen clarinet. I can't believe how quick it came and how beautiful it looks. I admit I was very leary about buying an instrument online but for the price I had to give it a try. It sounds great!!! I am very impressed with the quality and the price. Even better my daughter who we bought it for loves it.

I did a lot of research before deciding on the LJ Hutchen clarinet. After reading many reviews online about the quality and affordability of LJ Hutchen products, I decided to order one for my sister. LJ Hutchen's humble mission in providing superb quality products at reasonable price ranges has enabled many students and musicians to play at their best without sacrificing too much. The instrument came very quickly - arrived within three days of ordering and customer service was amazing. The quality is very comparable to that of more well known and expensive brands.The instrument played very easily, unlike the school instruments that were provided for my sister. The high notes and low notes were rich and the instrument did not squeak. My sister was very impressed with how easily all the notes came out and at the commendable quality of the instrument overall. The product came with everything to get you started. I would definitely order from Hyson Music again, and I highly suggest LJ Hutchen instruments!

I called Hyson Instruments for my sons LJ Hutchen clarinet to get a replacement screw in time for his concert, which through normal wear can come out. I spoke to the owner directly and he personally sent the screw to me through overnight mail, not charging for the part. That's what I call great service for a quality clarinet for the price!