Klarinet Archive - Posting 001016.txt from 1998/07

From: reedman@-----.com
Subj: [kl] Tape in tone holes
Date: Sat, 25 Jul 1998 04:36:53 -0400

Wow, it's amazing how misinformation gets passed along. I have seen several
instruments that were tuned or worked on by Hans Moeening and I have never
seen an instance where he used tape to tune a tone hole. Perhaps someone
out there who worked with Hans can back up or deny the statement that Hans
used tape for tuning. I have seen cases where a bit of nail polish was used
to fill tone holes.

In any case, I seriously doubt that a craftsman of Mr Moennig's
expertise would allow tape to run into the bore. That is just sloppy work
or inept work. As a young man Hans Moennig worked for his father BUILDING
woodwind instruments. His knowledge of woodwind design, from what I have
determined, was completely empirical. He understood the importance of bore
shape and bore intereference from a very practical perspective.
He also understood how woodwind tone holes functioned. Therefore, I
SERIOUSLY DOUBT that he would have put tape in the lower side (Bell side)
of a tone hole. The common thinking is that to lower pitch one places tape
on the mouthpiece side of the tone hole and to raise pitch one places tape
on the bell side. The first case works, the second does not.

These are the only means to raise pitch at a tone hole other than
adjusting pad height:

1. Enlarge the tone hole concentrically
2. Elongate the tone hole towards the mouthpiece end
3. Fraise the entire tone hole (which raise the fundamental
primarily)
4. Enlarge the fraised portion of the tone at the mouthpiece side
(most adviseable)
5. Enlarge the bore section at the tone hole

It is extremely important that in attributing styles of work to
craftsman that are now dead and cannot speak for themselves that the
information we pass on is PRIMARY in nature.

I believe some incorrect concepts of the work of Frank Kaspar have
also been developed due to players examining mouthpieces that have been
refaced, rebored or transmuted.

How unfortunate that these great craftsman did not put their theories
or methods in writing.

Clark W Fobes

Clark W Fobes
Web Page http://www.sneezy.org/clark_fobes

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