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The Protégé is your foot in the door to college or the perfect teaching companion. Featuring unstained, naturally-aged grenadilla wood, the barrel, body and bell are all crafted from the exact same wood used for our professional and custom clarinets.
The Protégé features a professional finish, undercut tone holes, a New Traditional Barrel and Backun Bell. Custom black leather pads, an adjustable thumb rest with neck strap ring, and a durable backpack case rounds out an impressive list of features at an even more impressive price.
Overall rating: 4.9 / 5 from 204 reviews.
The team at Backun Global was absolutely amazing and went above and beyond to help me and my son with his clarinet purchase. They were out of stock of the first choice, but provided a fast and amazing solution to the issue. My son is in love with his new clarinet and could not be happier. We will definitely be going back to Backun Global for future needs. Thank you all so much for all your help. You all are wonderful people and provide extraordinary instruments.
I just received it from the dealer, 2/9/2026. It is so beautiful I am almost afraid to play it. But I cant wait to try it.
I am still in the break-in procedure, but my cocobolo Protege is getting better every day. Recently I bought a Lumiere barrel and the sound improved even more. I play on a Buffet RC which is a great instrument, but I love the warm and bright sound of my new cocobolo Protege.
I got this instrument not to long ago and it has been the best instrument I have ever used!
I bought the cocobolo protege b flat clarinet and vocalist G mouthpiece. I love the clear smooth A-B flat and A flat tone and the rich lower register. I have not played seriously in about 7 years so the high register and my ambusher is coming back slowly. I had played in many small wind ensembles and orchestras with solos at an intermediate level for over 40 years but had to sadly stop playing for personal reasons. Now that I have retired I decided to treat myself to this lovely new cocobolo clarinet with silver keys and gold posts &E flat key. It has a wonderful warm tone that is working to inspire me to play all over again. Once I am back playing full time I may experiment with some alternate Backun barrels , mouthpieces and products to upgrade my experience.
I settled on this horn a few months ago while testing several. Finally had the budget to purchase it and I could not be more thrilled.
While I ended up focusing on bassoon, I've always missed my days as a would-be woodwind doubler. Not being familiar with the Backun name, I happened upon some Corrado Giuffredi videos on YouTube and was struck by the beautifully warm, even quality of his sound! I did some research on Backun clarinets and listened to others who play these lovely instruments and decided I needed to get back into playing. I've been on the look out for a Backun that would fit well with me and was lucky enough to come across the Backun Protege in Cocobolo I have now! I may be a bit rusty, but the luscious tone of the Cocobolo and ease of playing definitely has me inspired and excited to be playing again.
Beautiful Sound
I have just received my Backun protege clarinet in the mail and began to play on it. It feels really smooth and has a much darker tone than my other wood clarinet. I have had a few issues in the altissimo register but I will give it a few weeks of playing on the instrument before I ask about it.
Store owner replied: Hi Joshua, I hope you're still loving your new clarinet and that the concern about the high notes has resolved. If not, please do not hesitate to reach out to us for support at sales@backumusical.com! Sean
This clarinet is great in my opinion. Its sound is dark, round and strong. It allows me to play comfortably, with a great support. With this clarinet I can play very low and without effort. I highly recommend this clarinet if you want great quality and cheap price.
I'd been limping along as an adult learner for two years on my mother's trusty Bundy and on an "eBay Special" (Selmer Signet 100), and decided that I was at a level in my studies where I deserved a better sounding instrument. I've played my new Protege for all of 15 minutes and am just loving the difference it promises to make in my progress. Throat tones are way less stuffy and match the clarion register. I really like the key action. I am impressed with the quality of this instrument and proud to have supported a Canadian company.
I wish the wood of the barrel and bell matched the body better.
Store owner replied: Hi Mark, Thank you for your feedback. Since our products are unstained, the natural beauty of the exotic hardwood shines through and makes a statement. If you'd like it to appear darker, please note that oxidization will take effect in time, and you can accelerate this process by using a bit of bore oil on the outside of the barrel every few months. Thank you for choosing Backun!
I am 61 years old. Four years ago I started playing the clarinet, there was a wish I had since I was little. In september I bought a Backun "Protege" clarinet, and it works very well. I am sending you a photo of my clarinet and another of the "eva" rubber detail that I have attached to the thumb rest and that fits the finger perfectly. Receive a warm greeting!
I just bought a Protege Grenadilla wood Clarinet Backun (Bb) with 18 silver keys. I am very happy with the purchase although I would have liked more with the gold finish on both the keys and the pillars but there were no stocks in the store. However, the clarinet is appreciated quite well. I have also purchased the Vocalise CG mouthpiece from Backun. The recommendation regarding the clarinet and mouthpiece has come from a close friend who is also an artist of the Backun brand, such as Ivan Villar. I recommend buying this brand.
The keywork is stunning, I love the look of this Clarinet. I haven't had the opportunity to play too much as I am in the break-in process, but love it so far.
What an amazing clarinet. 25 years ago I bought a Buffet R-13, which I loved. Recently I found Backun clarinets on the internet and watched some YouTube reviews on them. Nothing but wonderful reviews. I decided to get one. I'm so happy I did. An amazingly easy to play a beautifully sounding instrument.
Even though I've been playing brass instruments for over 60 years, I decided to learn Clarinet little over a year ago. Although I play my student model LeBlanc clarinet quite well, I thought it was time to move up to your intermediate Protégé model. The natural Granedillo wood is absolutely beautiful along with the silver key work. I am having trouble getting this clarinet to play properly but It and I are getting more acquainted every day. I am sure the problem is me.
Haven't had the chance to play it yet, but it's the most beautiful clarinet I have owned. Beautiful instrument!
Have a Buffet B12, but wanted an upgrade. Went to the music store and played a Buffet and the Backun Protoge. No question, the Backun was the clear winner. I am in LOVE. I use my B12 for outside performances, but the Backun is my constant instrument. The workmanship, sound, and ease of play is amazing. I will never go back to Buffet!
Just holding this wonderful instrument inspires confidence. I've had half a dozen clarinets, Noblet, Selmer, Buffet, and others over the last 20 years, but this is by far the nicest playing one I've owned, and will it may very well be be my last!
Excellent value for the money. The instrument is very well made. Obvious attention to detail in manufacturing. I love the warmth of tone and overall quality. Fully recommend Backun products based on personal experience.
Excellent
So far I've really been enjoying playing the Backun Protege Bb Clarinet. I've never played on a wood clarinet until now and I do hear and feel the difference in sound quality.
So far everything looks and sounds good.
This instrument came with a little bit of a learning curve for me (you need to align the bridge pretty accurately otherwise lower key notes are airy with a strange resistance), but the sound is so much better than my beginner clarinet even with slight struggles. It is worth the money I spent, I wish I could have gotten the same model in the other type of wood because that was the best I tried, but it was sadly out of budget (if you can afford it, I highly recommend because the sound on it is the best). One can also tell this clarinet is put together with longevity in mind. Compared to my beginner, which according to techs who have fixed it is "put together with the smallest amount of glue possible", everything on this model seems very well attached. I am happy I won't worry about this clarinet breaking at an inconvenient moment. Overall, I highly recommend this model to fellow intermediates and beginners who know they will continue playing. Playing on a good instrument makes practice so much more enjoyable.
It’s easy to play. It fits well into my hands, and I like the feel of the wood.
I am very impressed by the wood quality and the ergonomic keywork. It plays very well and helps me produce a round, developed sound. I love that it came with two of Backun's premium barrels and a beautiful bell. I got this instrument during a difficult time for me and my family. The sounds I can make with this instrument uphold my confidence as a player and I hope I can play an instrument of this quality for the rest of my life.
The clarinet is working wonderfully for my daughter. She's enjoying her practice sessions more, and her tone has noticeably improved. The included case is also convenient — it has both a carrying handle and backpack-style straps, giving her easy carrying options. Thank you!
It is superb and made with excellent care and caution, ultimately giving the clarinet a nice and dark tone that has warmth wrapped around it.
I've only had my new Backun Protege for a month, but I can say it's been wonderful. Two things that stand out are (1) it's near perfect tuning in all three registers right out of the box and (2) it's playing ease especially when crossing the break.
Looks nice and plays very well.
Great clarinet for the price huge upgrade from a student level clarinet.
My first impression of this product is that it is well made and has really good parts and/or materials. It feels comfortable to play and sounds great straight out of the box. Paired with a Vocalise mouthpiece, I have the R, it is one of the best sounding clarinets I ever played and trust me I have played quite a few of them over the years. It is free blowing and not too much back pressure, great articulation and intonation is even throughout the whole range of the instrument. To my ears the cocobolo wood clarinets sound just as good as the grenadilla wood clarinets and it is a lighter wood as well. Easier to hold. So, at the end of day I would recommend this style of clarinet to anyone who is interested in beginning the instrument or to someone who is looking to upgrade. You will have fun, I am. Cheers, Jason Just for reference, I have the Backun Protege Bb Clarinet in Cocobolo Wood, Extra Ab-G#/D#-Eb Key and Gold Posts.
Store owner replied: We are very glad to hear that you've been loving your new clarinet, Jason!
Good tone, great key response
I've only had this clarinet for 1 full day. I have to make myself put it down! So far I love the rich tone and the finish to to sound. I can't wait to get to know it better!
I was so pleasantly surprised by this instrument. I went in the store prepared to buy a different brand, but ended up falling in love with the Backun Protege. It's very responsive and has a beautiful, rich tone. I'm so excited to really get a chance to use it after it has been broken in!
Love my new clarinet!
Never heard an open g sound so clear. It is true. Throat tones sound so good on this clarinet - so clear, so sweet, no fuzz, no need to apply alternate fingering. Ok. Lots of other good reasons like how the keys work or the adjustable thumb rest or the consistency of tone from the lowest to the highest note - but mostly, for me, it is about that open “g”.
Store owner replied: Thank you for your kind review, Michael! We hope that your new Protégé continues to exceed your musical expectations for years to come.
I was so excited to receive my clarinet and she did not disapoint! She’s beautiful to look at and the sound is rich and creamy. Takes a couple of minutes to warm up but plays wonderfully!
A dream to own!
