Klarinet Archive - Posting 000006.txt from 1994/05

From: "Jay Heiser, Product Manager, Govt Systems" <jayh@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: Wood and its availability
Date: Mon, 2 May 1994 10:17:59 -0400

I saw it, but due to technical reasons was unable to record it :-(
It was very interesting, though.

For me, I think I've finally got a handle on this 'is it ebony?'
or not question. The way the show presented it, the same wood
that they make clarinets out of is the same stuff that they make
piano keys and string instrument fingerboards out of.

Guitar makers have always called this stuff 'ebony' (some
make a distinction between 'ebony' and 'gaboon ebony'). I'm willing
to accept that the stuff my clarinet is made out of is the same
stuff that my guitar's fingerboard is made out of (albeit stained
black on the clarinet).

Clarinets need square blocks of this stuff, but think how big a
piece of wood a string bass would need!

The program quickly touched on other instruments, but didn't spend
time on them like the clarinet.

Its obviously a wonderful wood to machine and finish, but I cannot
believe that it doesn't have tonal properties that contribute to
the sound of the instrument (to hark back to our debate of sev
months ago). The jazz clarinet player interviewed (Pete Fountain???)
made it clear that he felt that the wood was essential to the
tonal quality of the clarinet.
-->From sco.sco.com!vtbit.cc.vt.edu!vccscent.bitnet!klarinet Sat Apr 30 20:42:54
1994
-->Date: Sat, 30 Apr 1994 17:29:40 -0700
-->Reply-To: leeson@-----.edu
-->Sender: Klarinet - Clarinettist's Network
<KLARINET%VCCSCENT.BITNET@-----.EDU>
-->From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.EDU>
-->Subject: Wood and its availability
-->Comments: To: klarinet%vccscent@-----.edu
-->To: Multiple recipients of list KLARINET
<KLARINET%VCCSCENT.BITNET@-----.EDU>
-->Message-ID: <9404302043.aa20721@-----.COM>
-->
-->Speaking of wood and its availability, did any of you east coasters
-->see and tape the show on "The Tree of Music" which was all about
-->the African Blackwood tree and which was rerun on last month's
-->schedule but only on the east coast?
-->
-->
-->====================================
-->Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
-->(leeson@-----.edu)
-->====================================
======================================
Garden Status:
Soil Temp: 65 degrees F
Blooming: dogwoods & azaleas, last of fruit trees
Spinach, lettuce, carrot, broccoli, cabbage & peas doing great.
Got brave and planted tomatoes & beans.
since Saturday