Backun Model Q Bb/A Clarinet - Grenadilla/Cocobolo

The Q is the "Buffet R13" of Backun's line. Morrie would probably shoot me for writing that, but it's kind of true: it has a familiar French feel, albeit with the features we've come to appreciate about Backun instruments — the in-line trill keys (no more water in your Eb, thank you!), precision-cut tone holes (so pads seal perfectly), carbon fiber joint ring, triple-plated keywork.

This is the Second Generation Q (2021), which means Morrie completely redesigned the bore based around the Lumière, and it now ships with Lumière bells and barrels. Flagship DNA at a civilian price point. This second-gen also features upgraded black leather pads and a left-hand pinky Eb/Ab key.

If you're coming from an R13, this is probably the gentlest on-ramp to the Backun universe. It won't feel alien.

How it plays

Here's the part that surprised me: the Grenadilla Q has the most accurate scale of anything I've fingerprinted. Not the most accurate at its price. The most accurate, period — better than its own flagship bore donor (the Lumière). Whatever Morrie did when he redesigned this thing, the tuner believes it. The twelfths line up well too, and articulation is quick enough that nothing feels sluggish.

While the Cocobolo is mellow(er) and the Grenadilla is brighter, both are projecting, French-sounding instruments, not a dark ones. If you're expecting "Backun" to mean dark, that's the Essence's job; the Q pings.

Resistance: 5/10, Medium

Middle of the scale — actually it's very similar to the R13 in resistance. Hear how it responds to volume in the audio player below — Weber first (wide dynamics, wide color), then the Berlioz (wide dynamics, narrow color), then the Gershwin (narrow on both).

Grenadilla or Cocobolo?

Grenadilla is what nearly every professional clarinet is made from — harder, denser, more projection. Cocobolo is its Central American cousin: noticeably softer and lighter, warmer tone, easier to blend. So it goes with this pair: the Cocobolo Q measures a good deal darker, with slightly slower attacks — the Grenadilla is the sharper tool, the Cocobolo the warmer one. Oh, and the "cocobolo cracks more" thing is a myth — it actually has lower shrinkage coefficients than grenadilla (see our FAQ for the data). Different sound, different vibe, not better or worse. If you're still not sure which one you want (or you want to get into the weeds with the subject), read our Cocobolo vs. Grenadilla primer before you buy.

Before you decide

This price bracket is the most crowded shelf we have, so you may want to cast a wide net and try a bunch.

The obvious fight is with the R13: nearly identical brightness, and while the R13 tongues a touch quicker, the Q's scale blows it away. Also, while a little pricier, Royal Firebird is the all-rounder rival — quickest attacks of this bunch, a scale nearly as accurate as the Q's, plus the double-register-Bb vent nothing else in has.

Want darker? The Polaris is the darkest horn in this price bracket with a scale close behind the Q's, and the Yamaha CSVR runs even darker still.

Want lighter resistance? The Uebel Rêve is the most open feel here and its twelfths tie the Q's; the SEVR is the lightest-resistance instrument I carry, period. The Selmer Présence lives in that free-blowing, brighter corner too.

Play or listen to any of these against the Q in the audio player and pull up the dashboards. Buy the Q if you love the idea of a great scale with a nice French pingy sound. If you want most of that accuracy with more bells-and-whistles, hear the Firebird; if you want it darker, the Polaris.