Klarinet Archive - Posting 000438.txt from 1995/11

From: "Lorne G. Buick" <mcheramy@-----.CA>
Subj: Re: Buffet R-13 clarinets
Date: Sun, 26 Nov 1995 18:26:17 -0500

Hi Julianne:

I've been away from the list for a few days (actually most of the past two
weeks) so I hope this isn't totally redundant:

I hope you haven't been led to believe that R-13's have necessarily
_better_ pitch than your present instrument. I've never played an L-300
myself but I've played lots of R-13's and they have several intonation
problems. What I've noticed every time I've changed instruments is that for
the first few days it seems like all my problems are solved, the new
instrument is perfect and I've died and gone to heaven. Then I start
noticing that the new one has its own set of problems... even my present
hand-made rosewood Rossi clarinets aren't _perfect_...

I also hope you haven't been told that all the players in a section must
play the same clarinets or they won't be able to play in tune. If it's not
obvious to you why this is wrong, let me know and I'll give you the full
rant ;-)

So in short, I hope you have better reasons to switch to the R-13 than
those you've mentioned so far. The R-13 is a great instrument (thousands of
clarinetists can be wrong, but not _completely_ wrong ;-) but just getting
three notes better in tune is not enough reason to play it.

> I play on LeBlanc L-300's but have trouble with intonation of
>high F, throat A natural, and B natural below the 2nd break. I found
>out a lot of this with a tuner, and I played in an honor band a few
>weeks back. I was the only first clarinet without a Buffet and I could
>tell on several pitches that I was the one out of tune especially on my
>high F (which is really super sharp.) My high G is fine but I
>understand that there is nothing I can do about the high F except lip
>it down. On the Buffet, I know the high F is flat, and to bring it up
>you add the right hand fork key. Does anyone know a similar way to
>bring the LeBlanc down to pitch?

Meanwhile, as long as you're playing the L-300, I assume you've checked the
other notes that use the same fingering as the high F (low C sharp,
clarion G sharp). If they're also sharp, you can use tape or wax inside the
hole to lower the pitch, or bend the key down so it doesn't open as high.
(Get your teacher, or repairman, or other pro to help/ supervise). If I
remember correctly, lowering the key will lower the high notes more than
the lowest one.

If the C#/G# are in tune or flat it gets more complicated- a good repairman
should be able to improve it for you. If you're confident of your own
mechanical aptitude, email me and I'll give you my do-it-yourself
instructions...

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
LGB Lorne G Buick Draft III Music
mcheramy@-----.ca Wind Music
Arranging, Copying, Publishing
Have basset horn, will travel