Klarinet Archive - Posting 001479.txt from 1998/04

From: "Jason Hsien" <jasonavhs@-----.com>
Subj: [klarinet] Re: Jason and the dark sound
Date: Sun, 26 Apr 1998 14:54:41 -0400

-----Original Message-----
From: Jack Kissinger <kissingerjn@-----.EDU>

|One thing to consider, regarding the sound you get on wood vs. plastic
|instruments is the quality of workmanship in the instruments. If you are
|comparing professional or even intermediate wooden instruments to student
quality
|plastic ones (is their any other kind absent Buffet greenlines), the
differences
|you and others notice may be more due to the overall quality of the
instruments
|rather than the materials from which they're made. Just a thought.

I'd just like to add that in my original message, I was trying to be
general, and I can understand that normally, plastic instruments are student
and wood are intermediate to professional, which may also be a reason. Also,
I know that it's possible for wood to be "bright" and plastics to be
"mellow", and that it may all be part of the instrument quality.

Also, in response to the comment about Buffet Greenlines, they are still
considered wood/wood-composite instruments, not plastics, even if there is
some in there. (Though some would disagree) But, they're not plastics
according to Buffet, and they do mak ethem exactly like the other R-13's.
But, if you do feel a greenline is plastic, not wood (despite the 90% of
wood in it), it just totally shows that it's not material, but workmanship,
that determines the quality of an instrument's tone.

But, back to that dark tone vs. light tone argument. The easiest way to see
the difference is to get a good, professional wood clarinet and try the
sound (intermediates might work even). then try a cheap, student, plastic
clarinet and try the sound. In most (not all) cases, you'll tell a
difference in quality.

:-)
-jason

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