Klarinet Archive - Posting 000590.txt from 1997/02

From: Fred <fsheim@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: R13 Intonation
Date: Mon, 17 Feb 1997 12:23:45 -0500

>Skimming the newly and thankfully unreligious mail, I see the following
>comments
>
>>By the way the yamaha CX in my books is in some ways alot better
>>than the Buffet R13. The mechanisim is alot smoother and the intonation
>>is better, but may be it was just that I didnt pick up any good R13's.
>>Franceska Nagy
>
>and...
>
>>Lip pressure rather than jaw pressure causes a
>>fuzzy out tune sound. This is most often exhibited in the low register
>>(both clarinet players and saxophone players tend to drop the jaw and use
>>lip pressure over jaw pressure for the lower notes). This is one of the
>>most common reasons why low E on the clarinet sounds so out of tune when
>>played by so many players.
>
>>Now, if you mean something else, I'm afraid you lost me.
>
>>Adam
>>amichlin@-----.edu
>>amichlin@-----.com
>
>
>Why is it that the R13 intonation has to be so bad? I recently bought a
>couple of discontinued LeBlanc LX's (new at a great price) to use when I
>travel for business (not wanting to take my R13's) and they play so well in
>tune (and easily) that I find myself playing them instead!
>
>Are we brainwashed? Has this been gone over before? I read vague references
>to "can't screw around with bore design to improve intonation without
>interfering with tone... yada yada yada" But it appears that manufacturers
>can indeed split the intonation errors more evenly. The bore design on an R13
>(reverse taper on top joint) is not even a "classical" cylinder design, so
>they are not pursuing an absolute purist design.
>
>Does Buffet care? Somebody take up the challenge and explain this to me. When
>I go back to play my R13's I cannot believe how out of tune they play...
>
>
>Armored and Ready for Incoming....
>
>
>Jerry Korten
>NYC
>
>
Perhaps it is YOUR R-13's that are bad. My (1963) horn is beautifully in
tune and sweet. I also remember that when I bought the horn, it came with a
cardboard piect to measure length of the inside of the mouthpiece. It says
"Buffet-Crampon Clarinets are tuned with the standard bore Buffet mouthpice.
The chamber of this mouthpiece is 2-1/8" or 53-1/2 mm in length. Some
mouthpieces on the market vary from this standard, and use of them will
cause the Buffet to play out of tune." That was in 1963- perhaps it still
applies?

Fred (fsheim@-----.com)