Beyond the Curtain: Truth in Clarinet Pricing

We play on a piece of wood, plastic, or hard rubber with holes in it, with metal attached.

That simple reality should lead us to a couple of conclusions.

First, we should find joy in what we are doing and not take ourselves so seriously. Second, instruments do not have to cost $12,000 to produce that joy. If producing high-quality music truly required spending massive amounts of money, then it is worth asking an honest question. Are we actually joyful, or have we just convinced ourselves we are?

At some point, many players have been pulled in, at least a little, by strong marketing, reputation, and perception. To be clear, materials matter. Design matters. Craftsmanship matters. No one is arguing against that.

But the real question is this:

What does it actually cost to produce that level of quality?

Because it is not $12,000.

A significant portion of what people are paying for today is not just the instrument itself, but everything around it. Artist endorsements, travel, masterclasses, branding, and marketing infrastructure all play a role. And somewhere along the way, it is fair to ask whether some companies have drifted from their original purpose. Growth brings real costs, no doubt. But if a company stays grounded in its mission, it should not be producing instruments that crack repeatedly at $5,000 price points. And when companies claim that a beginner model shares the same bore design and keywork as a professional one, then transparency matters even more.

Why should a player spend $5,000 instead of $1,000?

If transparency is truly valued, then ask for it. Where are the instruments actually made? Who is manufacturing the bodies and the keywork? What factories are involved? What portion is truly done in-house?

If a company claims to own their factory, then what does that actually mean? Do they truly own and operate it, or is it simply a contracted factory they work with?

Do they employ those workers directly?

Do they provide wages, benefits, and oversight consistent with that claim?

These are fair questions.

We work with artists and dealers who believe in what we are doing and who align with our mission. We do offer artist discounts, which you can apply for on our website, and we offer dealer pricing as well through an application process.

The mission behind a company is often reflected in its pricing. We believe that is true across the board. For better or worse, some brands will cost more because of larger overhead. But if quality is diminishing while prices continue to rise, it is reasonable to step back and ask what mission is truly driving that company. Marketing used to be something we passively accepted. Now it requires discernment.

At the end of the day, players should be informed enough to look past the branding and ask:

Who is really making this instrument, and why does it cost what it costs?

Behind the Curtain on Copeland Clarinets!

All of our products are manufactured according to our specifications in China, in the same factories used by many of the big brands. All of our instruments are set up in house at our shop in Shelbyville, Kentucky. We spend many hours discussing and designing alterations to our clarinets. We listen to our clients as well. If there is a request or something you see that could improve our clarinets, we would love to hear from you.

Currently, we are working on a custom model where even the keywork is shaped in house, sent for plating, and all undercutting is done by hand. In addition, Jonathan has been working on a Basset Bb Clarinet lower joint that he is building from scratch. In the future, the design will be brought to an actual Basset clarinet in A. The goal is to provide a high quality instrument that is usually way outside of people’s budgets and bring it back into the clarinet world by making an affordable option, in addition to offering an option you do not see very often in a Bb extension to low C! We are truly innovating things day by day.

What you do not see is that every instrument comes across our repair bench. Each one is gone through, set up, play tested, and adjusted by us.

We stand behind our instruments with a two-year warranty, offering repairs as needed.

When you purchase from us, you are getting a clarinet player and repair specialist setting up every horn that comes through our shop. No wizard behind the curtain, just clarinet players who love what they do and want to make things more accessible for ALL people. And we hope that brings joy, not anxiety, over your clarinet purchases.

• – Jonathan Copeland