Clarinet Wobbly clarinet

[ghostler]

You don't get these problems with plastic and metal clarinets. I can't see the fascination with wood.

It is "educational" folklore driven mostly by the, ahem, "US" classical music community, or such was, when I was younger. (Why I listened to a Hawaiian tutu (grandmother) during my high school graduation, "You go college, you become smaht." So I went college, became smaht.)

It is like my mother when she and my father were in full retirement. She decided she wanted a 2 story house in a preferred neighbourhood, so they sold their 3 bedroom house for a 5 bedroom. Now in her senior years, realised she now has to clean a much larger house.

Now that I have a few Grenadilla wood clarinets, I realise that having "plastic" clarinets are much more carefree and do the exact same job. 😉

 

[Pete Effamy]

It is "educational" folklore driven mostly by the, ahem, "US" classical music community, or such was, when I was younger. (Why I listened to a Hawaiian tutu (grandmother) during my high school graduation, "You go college, you become smaht." So I went college, became smaht.)

It is like my mother when she and my father were in full retirement. She decided she wanted a 2 story house in a preferred neighbourhood, so they sold their 3 bedroom house for a 5 bedroom. Now in her senior years, realised she now has to clean a much larger house.

Now that I have a few Grenadilla wood clarinets, I realise that having "plastic" clarinets are much more carefree and do the exact same job. 😉

Using the same mouthpiece and reed, WhennI had a plastic Yamaha it had less depth in tone than my wooden clarinet. If it made no difference, at least one pro orchestral player would use one 🤷🏻‍♂️

 

[Colin the Bear]

Probably more about the keywork and bore than the tube material.

 

[Pete Effamy]

Probably more about the keywork and bore than the tube material.

Maybe. I don’t know. But that doesn’t explain why no big names use one. Someone would if there was no difference in sound.

My plastic clarinet sounded “pipey”

 

[ghostler]

It is possible in the future that we may see a cultural paradigm shift in clarinet body material where more will be using synthetic versus traditional wood. Please see the following comparison and opinion shared by Fawkes Music with Buffet Crampon R13 clarinets in wood and "Greenline", Buffet's composite:

Buffet R13 Greenline - Bb Clarinet

Order the Buffet R13 Greenline - Bb Clarinet online today from Dawkes Music, the Woodwind & Brass specialists. 4.9/5 on Feefo - FREE delivery

www.dawkes.co.uk

My plastic clarinet sounded “pipey”

My "pipey plastics are fun to play". 😉

 

[PiccoloPirate]

I've read that the early B12s, had the same keywork as the R13.
Having one from the early years, the keys are well made.
I'll measure the bore.

 

[Colin the Bear]

5'11".

 

[mizmar]

Bore, not circumference

 

[ghostler]

Bore, not circumference

My body has become bigger bore, hence why I now get a fatter sound.

 

[skeller047]

Some pros use Ridenour clarinets made from hard rubber. I don't think there is a reason that a synthetic material wouldn't sound as good as a wooden one. Tom Ridenour was head designer for Leblanc for many years, and claims that there is no reason a hard rubber clarinet cannot compete equally with a wooden one.

Lots of pros now use aftermarket barrels made of hard rubber. (Brad Behn makes some that are very popular.)

Most "plastic" clarinets are made to a lower standard than the wooden ones, since they are sold to students. A recent exception is the Alpha models being made by Backun. My recent purchase of an Alpha bass clarinet bears this out. I can see this being used in a symphonic situation, and certainly in a critical recording of more popular music. It's really good. It's made to the same specifications as their Q model which is made of Grenadilla wood and costs over $10K. I paid $3.8K for it, brand new.

So times may be changing.

 

[LostCircuits]

Today I retrieved from the mailbox a brand new (old stock) Rico Graftonite B5 clarinet mouthpiece I ordered. It's tenon is a touch smaller in diameter than the Bari Esprit. It fits my Edgware clarinet barrel. Mouthpiece problem is now resolved.

View attachment 29928

Man, I have a bunch of clarinet MPCs here and no use for them, next time my son comes visiting, I'll give them to him, he lives in Rolling Hills. If you are interested, of course.

 

[LostCircuits]

You don't get these problems with plastic and metal clarinets.

I can't see the fascination with wood.

That's what she said, right?

😀😀😀​

 

[ghostler]

Man, I have a bunch of clarinet MPCs here and no use for them, next time my son comes visiting, I'll give them to him, he lives in Rolling Hills. If you are interested, of course.

Thanks, 😎 but if you are speaking of Rolling Hills, California, it is a bit "out of pocket" for me (distance over 1,000 miles - 1,600 km). 😉

 

[LostCircuits]

Thanks, 😎 but if you are speaking of Rolling Hills, California, it is a bit "out of pocket" for me (distance over 1,000 miles - 1,600 km). 😉

Sorry, it's been a long day, High Rolls, near Alamogordo

 

[Pete Effamy]

I don’t disagree with this, and the same argument has been put re metal clarinets - in that they could have been a game-changer but were seized upon by makers for marching bands and were made to a lower quality. My teacher had some ebonite clarinets in the bottom of his cupboard in the college clarinet room, and his opinion was that they should be better than wood - quicker to warm up etc - but they were in a completely unplayable condition. I don’t know what make they were either. This was in 1985.

I did have a “Click International “ barrel. Great for bringing a cold wooden clarinet into tune, but again it was “pipey”. Must be a combo of bore size and wall thickness, and maybe taper?

 

[ghostler]

Sorry, it's been a long day, High Rolls, near Alamogordo

Tried DM'ing you, but your in-box is full. Would love to but will have to pass due to our circumstances at the moment, thanks.

My teacher had some ebonite clarinets in the bottom of his cupboard in the college clarinet room, and his opinion was that they should be better than wood - quicker to warm up etc - but they were in a completely unplayable condition. I don’t know what make they were either. This was in 1985.

In the mid 1980's I was issued a new Selmer Bundy clarinet. It surprised me, although then considered beginner quality, was free blowing and played remarkably in tune, better than the Buffet pro I played back in the early 1970's. There wasn't anything wrong with the keywork.

 

[Colin the Bear]

I picked up an unloved ebonite clarinet in a junk shop back in the 1980's. I sorted it out and busked with it for a couple of months. The weight damaged the joint at the base of my right thumb, which occasionally gives me trouble to this day.

I read somewhere that some plastic clarinets were made with double walls to keep the weight down.

 

[Pete Effamy]

I picked up an unloved ebonite clarinet in a junk shop back in the 1980's. I sorted it out and busked with it for a couple of months. The weight damaged the joint at the base of my right thumb, which occasionally gives me trouble to this day.

I read somewhere that some plastic clarinets were made with double walls to keep the weight down.

Do you know any history of ebonite clarinets Colin? Who was the manufacturer of yours.

 

[PiccoloPirate]

The W German B12, measures,
15.25mm top of barrel
15.00mm bottom of barrel
15.00mm top of UJ
14.65mm bottom of UJ
Same at top of LJ
Opens up towards Bell.

The old Grenadilla in C, bore is basically 14.4mm
Will post all measurements, in that older thread.
It has the Patent C#
The HS*, that plays okay, bore at bottom of MP, 14.8mm.