Klarinet Archive - Posting 000171.txt from 1994/09

From: Gerry Evoniuk <Gerald.Evoniuk@-----.BITNET>
Subj: Re: African blackwood
Date: Wed, 21 Sep 1994 18:08:30 -0400

>Interesting tidbits on the grenadilla wood. I wish I'd seen that
>documentary.
>
Maybe we (clarinetists)
>should encourage manufacturers to experiment with other woods.
>

Not to mention plastics and various composits. Fox has been very succesfull
with their plastic oboes and bassoons. In the 30 years I have been
associated with the retail industry Leblanc is the only one to delve into
this area marketing two advanced models, the VSP and most recently the V40.
I have had good results with acceptance by advanced teachersf especially
with the V40, as an alternative to an intermediate wood clarinet. No
manufacturer has gone beyondthe intermediate stage to my knowledge. The next
step would be to create a prototype with other materials by doing all the
boring, undercutting and tuning they do to wood instruments.

Many people at the design level have told me they believe it is entirely
posssible to build an acceptable artist level clarinet out of plastic but
marketing keeps telling them the world is not ready.

Perhaps with heightened awareness of environmental issues as they pertain to
endangered species and rainforests things might change. I wouldn't be
entirley suprised that some enterprising individual(s) could get substantial
funds to research this area not only from an acoutstical, but a
psychological and sociological stand point.

Our industry for too long has been clouded by hear say and often voodoo.
Hard scientific data is very difficult to get and I don't think that a
professional effort has ever been made to tie acoustical data to the
psychological and sociological elements that drive marketing decisions.

My two cents.
******************************************
Gerald Evoniuk
Instrument repair technician
School of Music, Box 870405
Arizona State University
Tempe, AZ 85287-0405
(602)965-4502
Fax 602-965-2659
email Gerald.Evoniuk@-----.EDU