Vito Resotone 2 Plastic Student Clarinet Review
Reviewed in 2026 by Jared Burchfield
Introduction: When it comes to Vito clarinets, I usually think of the Vito Resotone 3 and its variants such as the 7212 which were some of the more popular vintage student model instruments next to the Bundy and early Yamahas. For a while I was unaware that a Vito Resotone 2 even existed until the instrument above came into my shop for a full overhaul. Minus a fair bit of corrosion, some stuck screws, and normal wear for an instrument of this age, this clarinet was in pretty good shape and turned out very nice after receiving the overhaul. Since I was unfamiliar with this specific model of instrument and I was fascinated by some of its oddities, I thought it would make an excellent candidate for a review.
General Information: The Vito Resotone was Leblanc’s student model clarinet sold in the United States as a competitor to Selmer’s Bundy Resonite line of student clarinets. Online forms note that the Vito name comes from a man named Vito Pascucci who started making Vito branded instruments in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Reportedly, production of the Vito plastic clarinets began sometime in the 1950s and the Vito Resotone 2 was the precursor to the Resotone 3 and later models such as the 7212 and 7214. Like the Bundy, Vito clarinets are plastic instruments with nickel keys, primarily aimed at the student market. Production on the Vito Resotone clarinets ranged from the 1950s until approximately the early 2000s. While the Resotone models are no longer produced, the Vito name is still owned by Conn-Selmer who, at the time of this review, still sold a Leblanc Vito branded instrument with keywork similar to that found on the early Vito Resotone models. The clarinet pictured above was probably made in the late 1950s to early 1960s.
Playability and Tuning: Like other reviews, I played this clarinet with my Vandoren BD5 mouthpiece, a Rovner Mark III Dark ligature, and a Vandoren V12 3 1/2 reed. First impressions are pretty good with this instrument as the sound is big and full. With my particular setup it did seem to be a little bit bright, especially when playing loud throughout all registers. It certainly seems much brighter than the comparable Bundy from the time which this clarinet often sold alongside. It wasn’t a bad tone or anything, but there was a noticeable brightness to the sound in all registers. I personally do not really mind the brightness as it is not too extreme, and the instrument is incredibly responsive and all registers which I really enjoy as well. The sound of this clarinet is also very clear as there really aren’t any extremely stuffy notes on the instrument at all. There are a couple of notes that are the slightest bit stuffy such as side Eb, low C# and the alternate B/F# key on the lower joint, but these are tendencies I have also seen on other clarinets so it is not a big deal. The Vito clarinets in general seem a bit more stuffy in some places than the comparable Bundy, but really it is nothing bad at all. Throat tones are likewise a little bit stuffy, especially the throat Bb, but again this is a common trend for most clarinets so I am not really worried about that either. Thankfully, they are all pretty well in tune at least.
Speaking of intonation, this instrument plays very well in tune as I would expect from a Vito. Generally, I find that Vito Resotone models seem to have a little bit more consistent and dialed intonation is compared to my earlier Bundys, especially where the upper end of the clarion register is concerned. One intonation tendency that really sticks out to me on this specific instrument is the B, Bb and A in the lower register of this instrument, which are incredibly sharp. When I play the low A, my tuner is registering 35 cents sharp at a mezzo forte dynamic assuming that long B in the clarion register is in tune. Pulling out between the upper and lower joint seems to help some to bring this area of the instrument in tune, but it is an oddity worth noting that could be a potential issue. This issue is not unique to this Vito as I have played several wooden Noblet clarinets from the same time frame that were also made by Leblanc that have a similar issue on these same notes. I do not recall later Vito models such as the Resotone 3 and 7212 having this issue, so maybe it was fixed on later models. Other then that though, most everything else on this instrument is pretty well in tune, and the upper register is really quite good. Even the lower altissimo tunes well and sounds pretty good. Much like the Bundys of the time, it is obvious that Vito actually intended for this instrument to be played at a higher level for much of a student’s musical journey rather than quickly upgraded once a student started progressing. Overall, I would say this instrument plays pretty well. It is very responsive and for the most part it tunes well, minus that really sharp low A. And honestly if that is the only intonation issue that this instrument has, it can be easily worked around.
Build Quality and Construction: This Vito Resotone 2 is made of plastic resin with a glossy finish much like many other student instruments of the time period. I always like the look of the glossy finish, and I really prefer this look on student instruments to the fake wood look as I have said before. The body feels heavy and solidly constructed, and really the instrument feels pretty good in your hands but thankfully it is not too heavy which is nice on the right thumb. The keywork is the typical nickel plated brass alloy found on many other student instruments of the time, and one fun oddity worth noting on the Resotone 2 is the design of the touch pieces on the LH pinky keys, which are quite unlike anything else I have ever seen on other instruments made by Vito or other makers. They do feel comfortable however, and just in general the key work on this instrument is very comfortable and seems like it was designed for small hands. I always found the Vito instruments to have more ergonomic keywork for a player with small hands as compared to the Bundys of the time. Other then the strange touch pieces on the pinky keys and the trill keys, which are more similar to what you might find on a Bundy from the time, Vito has basically used this same key work design on all of their other models with the only major change being the addition of in line trill keys and more conventional LH pinky keys on some of the Resotone 3 models. This keywork is reportedly a cost reduced version of what you would find on Leblanc professional instruments of the time, and I would believe it given how responsive and well placed it all is. My only real complaint about the keywork design on this instrument is that some of the pinky keys are a little clunky and are a bit noisy even with all the corks installed, but that is a minor point and is perfectly acceptable on a 60 year old student clarinet. The keywork is well made and none of it really seems flimsy. Vito took the time to make all parts of the keys look and feel nice, and overall this instrument just feels like it is made to a very good quality standard. I don’t really have any complaints about the build quality of this instrument as everything seems like it is put together well and functions as intended.
Case: This instrument did not come with the original Vito case so there is no point in reviewing that. Though I do have some opinions on the Vito cases I have encountered over the years, I will wait until I have one of those in the shop to do a proper review.
Conclusion: The Vito Resotone 2 is a unique and well made student model clarinet that gave rise to the highly successful and still popular Vito Resotone 3 models that came after it. After spending some time with this instrument, I think that the instrument is quite good and would be an excellent instrument to get fixed up for a student of any level, a casual player, or even a solid backup for a more professional player. Other than the very sharp low A, this clarinet plays well in tune and really seems like it was made to play at a much higher level then it was marketed to. I would gladly recommend this old and lesser known variation of the popular Vito as it carries the same fine quality of the later Resotone 3 instruments with a few unique quirks. The customer seemed pleased with this instrument, and I have no doubt that it will continue to serve faithfully for years to come.