Bundy clarinets are, along with Selmer (its ancestor company in France) clarinets, among the most popular student clarinets of all time. The Bundy Resonite 1400 came out in 1948, and by 1978, one million of them had been sold. They’re still being sold today, 60 years after their debut. It was patterned after the French Selmer’s BT clarinet, but made from a different material – one that revolutionized clarinet production.
The name Bundy is from a Selmer employee named George Bundy who helped the Selmer brand in the U.S. grow into the major supplier of high quality band instruments that it has been for over half a century. Bundy clarinets are very popular in school band rental programs. They have good responsiveness, and the student who practices faithfully is rapidly rewarded with a great clarinet sound.
There are today a number of brands of less expensive student clarinets, but often these are not recommended by music teachers and band directors. While some of these models may be inexpensive, getting service for them can be problematic. Music store woodwind experts know their way around Bundy clarinets and know how to find replacement parts for them easily.
But that need doesn’t come up too often because Bundy clarinets are tough. A clarinet designed for a student in the middle grades has to be tough, and Bundy has been getting the job done well for a long time. A used Bundy clarinet in good condition should only cost about $200. The Bundy clarinet that belongs to an aunt or cousin but isn’t played anymore can be a great starting instrument for a band student. A tune-up and any repairs can be done by most music stores that sell woodwinds, and getting an old Bundy into ship-shape for the beginning band student has been done thousands of times.