Klarinet Archive - Posting 000001.txt from 1994/06

From: Clark W Fobes <reedman@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: Selmer low C
Date: Wed, 1 Jun 1994 01:35:33 -0400

On Mon, 23 May 1994, Dawn Anthes wrote:

> Thanks for all the advice on my bass clarinet problem.
> In answer to your questions Dan Leeson the instrument is not mine, it
> belongs to the University I am attending (UWSP), it is about 5 years old,
> it is still in the original case, I am using a Selmer C* mouthpiece with
> stock ligature, Vandoren bass clarinet reeds #4.
> This instrument has not seen a repair shop in at least a year, it is in
> almost constant use because it is the only low C instrument the
> University has, we have no stand for it so whenever someone doubled on it
> it got sat on the floor when not in use.
> I mistakenly said I had trouble with the written octave from c1-b1, I
> meant b1-a2 (written b, middle of the staff to a above that.) Upon
> further playing and a great deal of tinkering with my embouchure I've
> gotten these notes to sound (most of the time) but they sound really bad.
> The left hand f/c key is bent so that when depressed it gets caught behind the
> other keys.
> I am planning on working with it for a while longer, but if the
> situation does not improve much I may just try and get back the other
> instrument I was renting, a Selmer low Eb bass wich plays just fabulously.
> Sometimes it seems the increased performance ability of these newer
> instruments do not warrant the problems the increasingly complicated (and
> increasingly sensitive) key mechanisms cause. There is so much that can
> go wrong I am surprised they play at all.
>
> Dawn M. Anthes email:danthes@-----.edu
> *******************************
> * Bass Clarinetist of fortune *
> *******************************
>
Selmer made a rather dramatic change in the key design of their model 33
(Low C) bass clarinet around 1983. There were also major changes in the
positioning of tone holes and a change in the bore that, I believe, had
a rather deleterious effect on the sound of the instrument. Recently
(within the last year), I have noticed a distinct improvement in the
sound of these instruments and I believe it is due to a further change in
the bore. The newer instruments have a better scale (somewhat) than my
older model 33 from 1976, but the mechanism for the extended tones is a
nightmare.

The reconstruction of the extension mechanism in the early `80's made it
possible to play a wider variety of chromatic and diatonic passages than
with the previous model. I have been able to successfully adjust this
mechanism so that it plays fairly well, but there exists a major flaw
that cannot be corrected. The only position to play the low Eb is with
a key that does not have sufficient leverage from the axis and must be
activated by the little finger of the right hand. My hands are small and
I find this area of the instrument very annoying.

The register mechanism should work fine if it is properly adjusted. The
area of difficulty mentioned by Dawn is related to this mechanism.

An excellent article regarding the tuning and adjustment of the Selmer
Low C bass clarinet was written by one Clark W Fobes and published in
"The Clarinet" Vol 14, no's 1. and 2. :-)

If the author would get off his ___ he would publish an addendum
specifically related to the newer model.

Clark W Fobes

   
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