Backun Q Series vs Protege B-flat Clarinets Review and Demonstration 

What perfect timing! I have a protege clarinet and have been looking to upgrade to the q series.

I played a cocobolo Protege for 5 years, and last spring treated myself to a Q-series (also cocobolo). I hesitated, as I really enjoyed the Protege: I had played a used Selmer Series 9 before that, and fell in love with the way the Protege went effortlessly over the break, the position of the keys, and the sweet tone. The Q-series feels very familiar after the Protege, the position of the keys is just as comfortable and it is also very even across registers, but I found that it projects more easily, has slightly better intonation, and gives a richer tone in the lower chalumeau and altissimo notes. I'm an amateur player, but serious enough to want to have a high quality horn for orchestra and chamber group playing, and willing to fork over the (fairly modest) price of the Q. (I also tried the Selmer Presence, and liked it very much, especially the robust throat tones, but found the Backuns slightly easier to play across registers.) But in some sense the Protege is a great deal in terms of quality for the price, one gets a terrific free-blowing, sweet-sounding clarinet for much less than an entry-level Buffet or Selmer.

Maravillosos clarinetes ❤