How to Sell a Broken Clarinet

A broken clarinet is still worth selling — typically £12 to £75 at For Parts, against £50 to £300 in working order.

Can you sell a clarinet that does not work?

Yes. Repairers, people replacing one component and buyers who want a project all shop deliberately at this end. None of them will accept a fault they discover after paying.

What actually goes wrong with clarinets

These are the faults that move a clarinet down the grades, and the first things a buyer will ask about:

Cracks in wooden bodies, which are costly to repair
Leaking pads and compressed corks
Bent keys from drops
Plastic student instruments, worth much less

Grading it honestly

Fair covers something heavily used, or with a described fault or missing part: around £22 to £135. For Parts covers something not working or incomplete, sold as seen: roughly £12 to £75. Grades are seller-declared and nobody inspects them for you, so grading up does not raise what you get — it produces a buyer who arrives expecting something else. All five grades explained.

Working out what you actually have

Establish the fault properly rather than guessing at it:

Inspect every joint and the barrel for hairline cracks
Check the tenon corks are intact
Press each key and check the pads seal

Photographing the fault

Photograph the damage directly and in focus — it is the evidence that the rest of the description is honest:

The clarinet assembled, whole, on a plain surface
The pads close up along the body
The joints and their corks
The case interior, mouthpiece and accessories, plus any crack or worn key

What to state in the listing

Alongside the fault itself, buyers of broken clarinets want these confirmed:

Key, brand and model
Body material — grenadilla wood or ABS resin
Pad and cork condition, and whether it plays without leaks
What is included — case, mouthpiece, ligature, cap

Material, key and brand: “Buffet B12 Bb Clarinet, ABS Body, with Case”. Brand and model carry most of the value in student instruments. Say wood or resin, since it is the main price distinction, and confirm the key.

What buyers will ask

Answer these in the listing rather than waiting to be asked:

“Does it play properly?”

Have it played through the full range and report which notes seal. Leaking pads are the most common issue on a stored clarinet.

“Is the body cracked?”

Inspect wooden instruments carefully around the tone holes and top joint. Cracks are repairable but expensive and must be disclosed.

“Is a mouthpiece included?”

Say so. Mouthpieces are personal and often replaced, but a buyer with none cannot play the instrument at all.

Is it worth repairing first?

Usually not, unless it is cheap and you can evidence it. What lifts the price is condition and completeness, which a repair rarely restores:

Grenadilla and other hardwood bodies
No cracks in the joints or barrel
Pads sealing with intact corks
Recognised makers with a following

If the work would cost more than the gap between £75 and what a sound one fetches, sell it as is broken and let the buyer decide.

When to list it

Lifts sharply in September as school terms start, and before Christmas. Student instruments from known brands sell within days in season.

Getting it to the buyer

Post in the case, with the case itself boxed. Slacken nothing but ensure the joints are seated, and pack so the keys cannot be pressed against the case walls.

WishThrift does not process payments, arrange delivery or hold funds. Confirm the money has cleared before the item leaves your hands, and keep the conversation on the site so there is a record of what was agreed.

Ready to list it? Free to list, no commission, and neither side pays a buyer-protection fee — create a free account, or read the full clarinet selling guide if yours turns out to be sound.

Frequently asked questions

Is a broken clarinet worth anything?

Yes — typically £12 to £75 at For Parts against £50 to £300 working. Repairers and people harvesting one component buy deliberately at this end. Cracks in wooden bodies, which are costly to repair

Should I repair it before selling?

Usually not, unless the repair is cheap and you can evidence it. The things that genuinely lift the price are grenadilla and other hardwood bodies and a repair rarely restores those.

What do buyers ask about a faulty clarinet?

The fault itself, in detail. Have it played through the full range and report which notes seal. Leaking pads are the most common issue on a stored clarinet. The listing that answers it before being asked is the one that sells.