Klarinet Archive - Posting 000823.txt from 1998/07

From: <Felix1297@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Undercutting
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1998 11:51:03 -0400

Ken Wrote:
Someone else on the list told me the CT, at least mine circa 1957, is .587.
The Balanced Tone was .590. Then, I was told, they shrank it again with
the Series 9. I was told to match the right mouthpiece to the bore: as I
said, the HS* works well. But with a Vandoren 5JV, it's like playing the
Lincoln Tunnel.

Now, I am in ignorance here. WHAT does it mean to "undercut" tone holes?
Is this supposed to be good? I would thing so since all the manufacturers
list it as a feature on their intermediate and high-end instruments. Is
there any advantage to NOT undercutting, whatever that means?

Ken

Dear Kenneth,

I'll try to be clear and not to boring.
First of all the thickness of the clarinet's wood is very important for the
sound and the vibrations.For example if you drill cylindrical holes on a thin
wall wood calrinet it will be similar as a thick wall wood clarinet with
undercuttig holes.To be right the size of the hole must be proportionnal to
the size of the segment of the hole is located at. If you take the tone hole
at the top of the instrument wich are near the moutpiece,they are smaller than
the one on the bottom of the instrument wich are farther the moutpiece,they
are following the flaring of the bore. The undercutting help to build a
"Bridge or connection (French :-) sorry but it was so easy!).between the note
and have an even scale. We use the undecutting to do some changes sometime
with the musician on color and tune. The position of the tone hole on any
instruments are very important too of course,because of the connection with
the bore and the total volume you need to have to make it work.
In general if you wants to have more undercutting or less you have to keep in
mind that that can affect other notes you have to do it carefully. Sometime by
undrcutting more certain note depend on the kind of moutpiece or barrel you
play on you can have additional noises it is because you changed the volume
inside and then add a space where the air will go automaticly. Of course i
didn't talk about it yet but the moutpiece and barrel choice are very
important and can affect positivly or negativly the way the air travel in your
instrument and the response and sound of course.
But here you have to talk to a moutpiece expert I am not one.

I hope this is helpfull and please forgive me for the mistake in my english.

Musicaly Yours

Francois Kloc
Woodwind Product Specialist
Boosey & Hawkes Musical instruments Inc.

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