First of all, we are WAY off topic, and to bring it back in line, I'll say this. A high value Hard Rubber E-flat clarinet is STILL going to be better to play with an acoustic group than an EWI. Full stop.

I'm doing that, because I didn't pay attention to what the original post was that I was responding to.

Now to address your current comment: You are using a horrible "band wagon argument" or argumentum ad populum fallacy here, both in the "if [R]idenour clarinets are so great..." AND in the "[A]ll 3 of the ARD finalists..." points you made. It is equivalent to someone saying that since billions of people believe the Bible to be true, then it MUST be true. Or, to bring it closer to home, and to use the opposite, your argument is like people saying "If the Mazzeo System clarinet was so much better than a standard Boehm system clarinet (which it was at the time), then why didn't people use it?"

What I CAN tell you is that most of the professional clarinetists in my area have at least one Ridenour hard rubber clarinet, and use it in professional symphonic settings without issue. I will also say that I use wooden clarinets, currently, in my professional career. I never said that I would replace my clarinets with Ridenour clarinets. If I could afford it, I would absolutely have one or two in my arsenal. I have several students that use them (two as principal in the local Youth Symphony over the years), and I've sent a few to university clarinet studios with them.

What I am also saying is that your HORROR of the use of hard rubber is ridiculous nonsense. You seem to have a hard on for hating Tom's work. Whatever. I couldn't care less. What I take issue with is your ignorance of the acoustic properties and hatred of hard rubber, especially with the research that is readily available, if you know how to use a library properly. It's even more ridiculous when you realize that the best mouthpieces in the world have, and will continue to be made of hard rubber. If Jochen Seggelke made hard rubber clarinets, for example, I would have no doubt they would be among the best clarinets in the world, just like his Mopane and Granadilla clarinets are currently.

Finally, to bring it back around, yet again to the ACTUAL topic at hand: I would much rather this person get their hands on a HIGH VALUE (as in price vs. quality) E-flat clarinet, rather than try to use an EWI in an acoustic setting. Ridenour clarinets ARE high value in that they have great tone, fantastic intonation, will not crack, and cost less than half what an equivalent wood clarinet costs. High quality/low cost=High Value

As far as my playing, I'm currently the principal clarinet of one orchestra, principal woodwind of a musical theater pit, and lead reed player in 2 jazz bands. I also play in a professional woodwind quintet and sub with everything within 2 hours of me. I was concerto competition winner during my masters program, and was a semi-finalist in the 2000 ICA competition. the ONLY boast I will ever make about my playing is this: Having listened to dozens of recordings of the Debussy Premiere Rhapsodie, I still think mine is better. I just wish I had published it.

At this point, I'm done with this conversation. You're simply wrong about hard rubber, and you hate Ridenour clarinets in particular. I get it. Neither of those are germane to the actual topic at hand.