Klarinet Archive - Posting 001049.txt from 1998/09
From: Note Staff Unlimited <notestaff@-----.ch>
Subj: [kl] vibration of clarinet body
Date: Sun, 27 Sep 1998 14:33:23 -0400
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A few days ago, it was a thread on the list, whether or not and how much
the body of a clarinet (wood, plastic or metal) vibrates. At the time, I
reckoned I had no time to write a comment but I did have time to read
the messages. Now I'd like to take up the thread again and I'm very
curious as to any reactions which might occur as a responce to what I
have to say here.
The vibration not only of the air column but also of the clarinet body
(and other musical instruments) plays a very important roll in the tone
production. I'm only a clarinettist and not an instrument maker,
accoustician (is that a word?), etc. but I have had the unique
opportunity to participate in experiments with the patent owner of
Resonance Spectal Tuning, Mr. Georg Ignatius of Malsburg, Germany.
Through changes made to my clarinets, we have seen that the form of the
outside of the clarinet body can have dramatic effects on the playing
qualities. Clarinet makers will tell you - and I would have thought so
myself before - that the outside form has little or no influence on the
tone. Now I have learned otherwise.
I know some of you may flip out or shake your heads (resp. reactions of
the people from Vandoren and Püchner) and I look forward to some
controversial disscussion on this. Of course trying it out is the only
way to know. By the way, the firm Buffet Crampon tried to patent
something in a similar veign recently and didn't recieve their patent
because of Georg's patent. If I remember correctly, it was something to
do with the 10th overtone. Maybe Mr. Klok knows??
I'll tell you as briefly as possible how it came about:
Georg is a violist (I can hear the comments: "so he had time to invent
things..".) who taught all three of his children the violin. (two of
them went on to study at conservatories here in Germany). Now, small
sized violins are not exactly famous for their tone quality. So Georg
started experimenting with the kid's fiddles and one thing led to the
next. After much tinkering, he hit upon the simple "secret" of
strengthening the nodes and so impoved the little violins' tone. His
"secret" is to work out mathematically exactly where the nodes are.
He then moved on to other instruments. He's done pianos, flutes,
recorders, trumpets, stringed instruments and also walls for studios,
concert halls, etc. (at the moment, he's doing the walls in the
Konzerthaus in Freiburg for the Southwest German Radio Orchestra) and on
to loudspeakers and even skis - all based on the same (or similar)
principle.
A couple of years ago, Georg aked me if I didn't have a cheap clarinet
which he could try this out on. I did. It was an old Uebel student
model (from GDR production) which I only used for playing outside. He
did one thing at a time to it, carving away wood here and there (CRINGE
!) and each time I told him to go on and do more. I took off all the
keys so he could carve rings all around the clarinet and all up and down
it. (didn't take out the posts or springs so Georg learned a few new
cuss-words!)
The improvement in tone and attack was dramatic. Unfortunately, this
priciple does not refute other principles of instrument building so that
the clarinet still has other weaknesses. (awful keywork, intonation
problems which just won't be fixed...) But it sounds better than my
expensive Wurlitzer! This was brought about solely by changing the
dimensions of the outside of the instrument.
Unfortunately, Georg is not willing to take the risk of working on my
Wurlitzers (German Boehms) but I did buy extra barrels and bells for
them which he then did, so that the Wurlitzers are also sounding darned
good. (Bob Spring told me I have a "great sounding horn".) Eddy
Vanoosthuyse (Leblanc clinician) said about the changes we made, "This
is the beginning of a new generation! [of instruments]". Bob and Eddy,
please forgive me for not asking permission to quote you!
Thanks to these changable parts (barrels and bells) it is possible to
demonstrate the difference between Resonance Spectral Tuned and untuned
clarinets. Comparing apples to apples! This is actually also an offer:
if anyone finds themselves lost in the Black Forest (nr. Basle /
Freiburg), give me a call and I'll be happy to demonstrate and let you
try it.
David
David Glenn, A.R.C.M.
D-79400 Kandern
Germany
tel. +49 7626 971609
fax:+49 7626 971611
cell. +49 172 7626399
email: notestaff@-----.ch
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