Klarinet Archive - Posting 000361.txt from 1996/05

From: Dan Oberlin <oberlin@-----.EDU>
Subj: Lee Springer
Date: Thu, 16 May 1996 10:17:38 -0400

> I was recently given a A clarinet barrel made by Lee Springer of
> Chicago. It is marked: A 9-1
>
> Anyone familiar with this maker? I've not had the opportunity
> to try it yet as my A has been out on loan.

Lee Springer was one of the first to make custom clarinet barrels
out of materials other than wood. I first heard of him in the 60's
when he was using hard rubber. I believe that some of his barrels were
used by the players in the Chicago Symphony then. I contacted him in
1991 about some older Buffets I had. He sent me quite an array of barrels
to try. He seemed to be familiar with the problems that my clarinets had
and seemed to know which of his barrel designs would remedy those problems.
I'll bet that he had more than 20 different bores available. At that time
he was working in ABS because of its easier availability and because it
was easier on his reamers. His barrels certainly improved the response
on my instruments, and I still use one on my balky old A. My personal
feeling is that an ABS barrel alters the sound of an instrument, perhaps
because it is less dense than wood, and I did not like this on my
B-flat clarinets. But his barrels really improved the response of those
older instruments. Lee's death was reported in The Clarinet awhile back.
I think he really understood some things about the acoustics of barrels,
but I suppose that, sadly, his knowledge died with him.

Dan Oberlin