Klarinet Archive - Posting 000437.txt from 1998/03

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausman@-----.com>
Subj: Re: Scientific American Article
Date: Fri, 6 Mar 1998 21:45:58 -0500

At 10:56 AM 3/6/98 -0600, Ed Lacy wrote:
>I have an all-plastic Loree oboe, and it is a great instrument, with
>excellent durability and stability. However, it essentially will not work
>at temperatures lower than about 62 degrees Fahrenheit. It contracts so
>much that the posts are drawn closer together and the rods begin to bind.
>If I have to rehearse on a cold day in a room which is not adequately
>heated, I have to get there early enough to blow air through the
>instrument in order to warm it enough. In long rests under such
>conditions, it is a good idea to put the oboe under one's coat, hold it
>under the arm, etc.
>
OK. But would a matching wood one do that, too? Also, I played two
different plastic clarinets in marching band in college: a Vito which
ALWAYS bound up at low temperatures, and a Bundy which NEVER did. I don't
know if they were made of DIFFERENT plastics, or whether the Vito was just
built tighter to begin with, or what. That's why I was looking for design
information, although your personal observation is also valuable,
especially in the specification of the exact temperature where it binds up.

Bill Hausmann bhausman@-----.com
451 Old Orchard Drive http://www.concentric.net/~bhausman
Essexville, MI 48732 http://members.wbs.net/homepages/z/o/o/zoot14.html
ICQ UIN 4862265

If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is too loud.