Klarinet Archive - Posting 000530.txt from 1995/11

From: Jacqueline G Eastwood <eastwooj@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: : Silk or Cotton - old or new
Date: Thu, 30 Nov 1995 10:29:56 -0500

Hi, Daniel,

Here's a response to your swab question: how about a blend of BOTH?
I've been using Coppenbarger swabs from International Musical Suppliers
for over a year now, and they are by far the best I've ever used! They
are large, slide through the horn easily without getting stuck (have you
ever gotten a swab jammed up in the upper joint right before you have to
play something?) and quite absorbent. To the best of my knowledge, they
are silk/cotton blend (and come in a lovely assortment of colors!) I
have several Buffet cotton swabs (some are brand new, in the package) but
I won't use them any more now that I've found these!

Jacqueline Eastwood
University of Arizona/Arizona Opera Orchestra
eastwooj@-----.edu

On Thu, 30 Nov 1995, Daniel A. Paprocki wrote:

> Here's a question. What type of swab is better, silk or cotton? I've been
> using silk but a couple of weeks ago I was talking with Bil Jackson (Pitt
> Sym) and he felt that cotton is less abrasive on the bore than silk. He
> metioned that in Jack Brymer's clarinet book, Brymer made a case for using
> cotton. I checked this and he's right but there was no real proof. Anyone
> know and have some facts to back it up?
>
> Old or new. I just started playing a new R-13. This replaced my old (26
> yrs) R-13. Myself and a number of colleagues felt that my old horn was
> "blowen out". It had lost some resistance, the lower left hand didn't stay
> focused, and the keywork was at the end of staying in adjustment. I like
> the new horn. It has more resistance and stays focused throughout. I know
> the process of the clarinet blow out but my question is why do clarinets
> blow out and bassoon don't. I have a friend that is playing a bassoon from
> the 1920's that's been rebuilt.
>
> Dan
>
> ******************************************************************************
>
> Daniel A. Paprocki
> dap@-----.us
>
> ******************************************************************************
>