Klarinet Archive - Posting 000335.txt from 1998/02

From: "Don Yungkurth" <clarinet@-----.net>
Subj: Re: Was it elitism...? (Buffet Greenline)
Date: Fri, 6 Feb 1998 21:39:57 -0500

Jason Hsien (and others) have said:

>The R-13 Greenline Clarinets aren't made of plastic! According to Boosey
and
>Hawkes, its "90% recycled ground grenadilla wood" and the rest is just a
>synthetic compound to hold the grenadilla grounds together, but it's not
>plastic.

>From an engineering background I feel that the Greenline material should be
considered a "filled plastic". Filled plastic is often a derogatory term,
since the filler used is often cheaper than the plastic and used as a low
cost extender. If you have solid particles (grenadilla) suspended in a
continuous phase (plastic), the particles contribute little to the physical
properties except as they affect appearance (color, opacity etc.). Indeed,
if the particles are not completely surrounded by the plastic (i. e.,
suspended), how could you achieve physical strength at all? I mean,
sawdust doesn't hold together in a meaningful way!

I suppose if you have relatively large particles of grenadilla, you could
have a high ratio of wood to plastic (like the 90% claimed above) and
manage to have a continuous phase of plastic to achieve strength. If the
grenadilla was like dust, however, the high surface area involved would
probably prevent you from using a 90/10 ratio of wood to plastic.

My guess is that the use of grenadilla as the filler helps us to accept the
Greenline as a "real" clarinet, but the filler might just as well be oak or
balsa. It would probably make little difference to performance. What is
likely important is that the Greenline is made with the same techniques,
care, dimensions and craftsmanship as the "real wood" Buffet instruments.

I have no personal experience with the Greenline, but this is my detached
view of the situation.

Don Yungkurth