Klarinet Archive - Posting 001025.txt from 1998/07

From: Stan Elias <elias1@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Tape in tone holes
Date: Sat, 25 Jul 1998 11:31:31 -0400

Thanks for clearing that up for me, Clark. What I saw was probably a case of
someone believing "if some is good, then more is better."
Stan

reedman@-----.com wrote:

> 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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