Klarinet Archive - Posting 000235.txt from 1995/02

From: David Gilman <dagilman@-----.EDU>
Subj: German Boehm, advice needed
Date: Fri, 10 Feb 1995 13:16:42 -0500

>Return-Path: <@-----.BITNET>
>Date: Fri, 10 Feb 1995 06:24:40 +0100
>Reply-To: Klarinet - Clarinettist's Network
<KLARINET%VCCSCENT.BITNET@-----.EDU>
>Sender: Klarinet - Clarinettist's Network
<KLARINET%VCCSCENT.BITNET@-----.EDU>
>From: Henrik Faltstrom <etxfalt@-----.SE>
>Subject: German Boehm, advice needed
>Comments: To: KLARINET%VCCSCENT.BITNET@-----.EDU
>To: Multiple recipients of list KLARINET
<KLARINET%VCCSCENT.BITNET@-----.EDU>
>
>Hi all,
>
>First, let me introduce myself. I am a swedish, 25-year old computer engineer
>who also plays the clarinet with great pleasure. I play in a small amateur
>symphony orchestra i Stockholm. I have been messing around with my Noblet
>school clarinet for fifteen years now, so I feel it is time for an upgrade.
>
>Yesterday I had the privilege to try a Yamaha YCL-856 "German Boehm" clarinet.
>For those of you who don't know this model, it is an "Oehler with Boehm
>fingering". When I assembled it, I discovered that my standard A/Bb reeds
>were too wide for the mouthpice. The dealer told me I needed "German cut"
>reeds, but he didn't have any at the moment. Instead I replaced the mpc
>with my standard Bb mpc.
>It played beautifully, and I was amazed how light the keys were. I thought
>they would be much harder due to the complex mechanism.
>The sound was clear and steady, I couldn't possibly tell wheter it was
>german, french or anything else. To me, it just sounded very good, much
>better than my Noblet. The dealer would sell it to me for $2100. He claimed
>that normal retail price was around $5000 but this instrument had been used
>for demonstrations. It looked just like new, and the plastic covers were still
>there.
>
>For comparison, here are swedish prices for some other common clarinets.
>
>Buffet RC $1900
>Buffet RC Prestige $2600
>Leblanc Concerto $1600
>Yamaha CX $1600
>Yamaha CS $2100
>
>The R-13 isn't very common in Sweden, so I have no up to date price.
>In a five year old catalog, it was priced about $100 below the RC.
>
>I now have a few questions:
>
>Has anyone on the list had any experience with this type of instrument (the
>YCL-856 in particular)? How did you feel about it? All comments are welcome.
>
>Are there other manufacturers of german boehm clarinets?
>
>I guess all the alternate fingerings presented lately don't apply, or...?
>I didn't bring my fingering sheet, but I will next time...
>
>There is a limited availability of german cut reeds, so I wonder if replacing
>the supplied mpc with my ordinary Bb mpc would bring it out of tune.
>It also seems such a hassle dealing with the string ligature.
>
>How would you clarinet repairmen feel about adjusting and/or repairing
>such a clarinet?
>
>Should I go for a standard Boehm instead, at the same price level?
>
>
>I'm sorry if I don't make myself perfectly clear, I haven't been practicing
>my english as I should...
>
>Regards,
>Henrik Faltstrom
>
>etxfalt@-----.se
>
>
Kare Henrik!

My information is somewhat out of date, but I have heard of Herbert
Wurlitzer producing another German Boehm clarinet, called the "Reform
Boehm." Several years ago it cost around $5000 (US), and it was available
on special order only. From what I read you had to know enough German to
convince Herrn Wurlitzer to make one for you, and there was a wait of some
years involved. There is a highly respected clarinetist named Charles
Stier, who lives in the Washington, DC area [I think] who plays it. He
wrote an article about the Reform Boehm in _The_Clarinet_ some years ago
describing it in glowing terms. More recently, I read another article in
the same journal by a man named Roger Salander in Vienna who told of a
similar German Boehm instrument made by Hammerschmidt (both the German and
Austrian Hammerschmidts). The situation there is similar: special order
only, and they are not equipped to take correspondence in English.

I have a high opinion of many clarinetists who play the German system.
Their sound is well worth emulating, and any instrument which allows us to
produce it while maintaining our own (easier, in my opinion) fingering
system certainly deserves a try.

Adjo [That's most of my Swedish.]

David Gilman