Klarinet Archive - Posting 000194.txt from 1994/12

From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.EDU>
Subj: A bass clarinet experiment in progress
Date: Sun, 11 Dec 1994 17:09:51 -0500

I am a little beyond the beginning of a bass clarinet experiment that
I want to tell the b.c. players of this board about, and to update
as the next few weeks go by.

It began with a comment to me in London by Steve Trier about how his b.c.
and basset horn bells were made out of wood and that he had done this in
the belief that a metal bell reinforces the least pleasant characteristics
of a b.c. I thought it was such a good idea that I would try it.

Har di har har. Then I found out the cost!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just to get the piece of the bell (the curved part) that would connnect
a wooden bell to the lower join was something like $800 and that did not
include any labor or the price of turning the bell or raw material costs,
etc. So I gave up.

Then, about two months ago Steve Prescott told me that he had come across
a b.c. bell and he would sell it to me at a modest price, for which I
was very grateful. When I got it, it did not fit my b.c. lower joint
and was 1/10,000 inch too small. That is because it is a Bundy bell, not
a Selmer bell.

Now Clark Fobes is in the act and he is convinced that he can open the
tenon up to the right size and get it to fit. He has also gotten in
touch with a maker of original instruments to begin discussion on the
turning of the bell itself (which is probably going to be made out of
maple). Disucssion of that begins next week.

The story will continue as more info comes up. But does anyone have an
idea about what kind of wood to use?

Several things have to happen:

the new bell has to be taken apart to leave only the bow,
or the curved piece to which the bell is attached and which
attaches to the b.c.

the bell has to be turned with length and inside/outside
diameters important

the bell has to be attached to the bow that will, on the other
end, attach to the lower joint of the b.c.

the bow has to be opened up to fit my b.c.

the connection between the lower joint of the b.c. and the bow
must be made to continue to permit the connection to play low C

the whole thing has to be in tune

I would like it to fit in the case I have so I don't have to
carry two things

the peg must attach to the completed bell

it must be cost effective

the end result must be subjectively worth the effort; i.e.,
sound better in some sense

This is exciting!! And if it works, I will have an extra bell for someone
else to buy and do the same thing. It will be like dominos with each person
selling his/her bell to the next person on the list.

Steve Prescott and Clarke Fobes: speak up if you wish. Add to this matter.
It is getting fascinating!!!

====================================
Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
(leeson@-----.edu)
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