Klarinet Archive - Posting 000741.txt from 1998/08

From: "line ringuette" <lringuet@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Re: klarinet Digest 24 Aug 1998 14:29:23 -0000 Issue 419
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1998 10:08:10 -0400

Dear Francois,

I'm very sorry if I hurt your feelings with my post, that was not my
intention. Perhaps I should have been a bit more careful.
Francois, there is nothing wrong with my instruments. I have 2 R13's and
the new Prestige bass that I dearly love! You are doing a great job, or I
wouldn't own Buffets or recommend them to my students.
Now as for the work that Brannen does on instruments, you may just have a
different opinion from his, and that's fine: you are both craftsmen who
obviously take great pride in your work and personal attachment to your
creations.
I can give you one small, specific example however, of something I like
that Brannen did for my clarinets: on the left hand C lever, which
connects to the right hand C, there is a little piece of cork between the
two. Now on every single clarinet I've ever owned, that little piece of
cork has eventually worn down (loosening the mechanism) and finally broken
off, resulting in jiggly-feeling keys. I was very happy to see that
Brannen completely erradicated that problem from both my horns, forever! I
think he actually drilled through the metal key and inserted a small
teflon bumper that is permanent--it will never break, wear down, tear,
etc... The mechanism is perfectly aligned with absolutely no play,
whatsoever! To me, that's great! I like a really super-tight fit. Now
mind you, the mechanism was quite sound when I bought the clarinets but
after hours of daily practice, no little piece of cork can withstand that
abuse! However that teflon piece will last forever!!! Maybe it's just me,
but I was wondering why this couldn't be done initially....is it that no
one has ever asked you? I wouldn't think that a little piece of teflon
would cost that much more than cork, but I may be wrong. I wonder if small
pieces of soft plastic/teflon were used instead of cork, what the result
would be....
Now of course, this is just one little example...Brannen does lots of other
things I wouldn't even know about (and as if he'll ever tell in
detail--you've gotta protect your "intellectual property", right!) That
kind of work is of course, not something that can be cranked out on every
clarinet produced.
But the total work he did on my clarinets is fantastic and yes, it was alot
of money but I think it was worth it! My A clarinet plays so in tune now,
I actually wondered if the needle on my tuner was stuck! And to think that
a year ago I was so depressed with that horn--the sound was very nice, but
the intonation and resistance!!! GAWD!!!! It was just awful, I was actually
considering selling it! I thought I had made the biggest mistake of my
life by purchasing it, and now...it plays like a dream, and I like how I
sound on it.
Ok, I hope I have answered to everyone's satisfaction....now, I REALLY
REALLY have to go practice... I'll just go back to my "lurker" mode, if
that's ok!
Line

[and for R.Garrett: now behave, eh? ;) ]

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