Klarinet Archive - Posting 001283.txt from 1997/09

From: Lisa Clayton <clayton@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: A Plastic Clarinet Question
Date: Mon, 29 Sep 1997 22:00:50 -0400

>As someone recently pointed out on the List, clarinetists are so resistant
>to change that even rosewood clarinets are frowned upon. The clear Lucite
>clarinets are even more bizarre than the Vito Dazzlers, and just as likely
>to meet with scorn from serious players, regardless of their playing
>qualities. I think they are cool looking. But don't they fog up when you
>play them? I'm sure they were created for looks only, and are very unique,
>but usually if an item like that is dropped, it is because of poor sales.

I have one of the clear B12's also. I use it in my Dixieland band--
it's extremely eye-catching and I've had untold ex-high-school-band
clarinetists come up and compliment me on it. I'm sure it'd never
wash in a symphony setting; but for my uses it's an outstanding horn.
BTW, I use a two-color Vandoren 5JB mpc with it, makes it even more
otherworldly. And yes, the thing fogs up, and sometimes the
condensation can get, ah, heavy. That disturbs our trumpet player, which is
yet another good reason to use it. ;-)

But, to be serious, the clarinet has a very nice sound, although I'd
dispute the statement that it compares to an R13 (the few I've
tried had better pitch in the throat tones; that's my biggest
complaint about my B12 and yes, it's probably 99% me). With the
5JB, I can do some serious wailing on it. It's a great clarinet
for someone like me, who loves playing all kinds of jazz but isn't a
pro by any stretch of the imagination.

And finally, I don't march with it, not only because I'm waiting for
that chimeric great metal clarinet, but because replacing this
horn would be very difficult. They *are* hard to find anymore.

------ Lisa K. Canjura-Clayton <*> clayton@-----.edu
/ http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~clayton <*> http://www.jonsimsctr.org
/ Hank: "Cooties are what we used to call the germs girls had."
/ Bobby: "You mean like chlamydia?" -- KING OF THE HILL