Klarinet Archive - Posting 000968.txt from 1998/09

From: Simon_Aldrich@-----.ca (Simon Aldrich)
Subj: [kl] Re: Basset clarinet lower joint
Date: Fri, 25 Sep 1998 19:49:02 -0400

Thanks for the info Tony. (He responded to my question :
"Is it possible to buy just the lower joint of a basset clarinet?"
He said "There is a firm in London (Lowes) that specialises in
extending the lower joint of an A clarinet and adding 4 RH thumb keys,
or 3 RH thumb keys and one little finger key, with excellent results.")

>Whether Buffet Crampon would sell you just the bottom joint of a basset
>clarinet, I don't know.

I saw Francois Kloc just yesterday and asked him this and he said
that it wasn't possible to but just the lower joint of a basset clarinet
from Buffet.

>Someone bought just a lower joint of a normal A clarinet from Buffet
>Crampon to have this done, so the answer to your question is that the
>process is at least possible, in two stages. Free-blowing instruments tend
>to become more focused when 'bassetized',
>so finding a good second-hand instrument with that sort of character
>might reduce the cost even further.

That is just what I'm thinking. Given that a lower joint is arguably
less important to the pitch and focus than an upper joint (no I don't
have any empirical proof of that) perhaps any second-hand R-13 A joint
would do (especially in light of the fact that its acoustical properties
would change anyway after the operation).

>And surely there is someone in the US who has the knowledge and
>expertise to do the job, too.

If anyone knows of someone in America who transforms lower A joints into
basset clarinet lower joints please let me know.

Thanks again for your input Tony.

Regards, Simon

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Simon Aldrich

Principal Clarinet - l'Orchestre de l'Opera de Montreal
Principal Clarinet - l'Orchestre Metropolitain de Montreal
Nouvel Ensemble Moderne
Quintet Pentaedre
Les Vents de Montreal

tel: (514) 843-7550
simona@-----.org

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