Klarinet Archive - Posting 000951.txt from 1998/10
From: "Kevin Fay (LCA)" <kevinfay@-----.com> Subj: [kl] R-13s Date: Wed, 21 Oct 1998 18:45:11 -0400
Dee wrote:
<<<A woman who sits next to me in the community band happens to have an
R-13. Now while the R-13 is certainly a fine horn, it does not seem to suit
her. Here's why. From various reports and a very limited number of personal
trials, the R-13 is slightly harder blowing than some other pro horns
especially in the altissimo register.>>>
This added resistance is not a "problem" at all, but in fact a reason why
the horn is the defacto professional standard. One benefit to the R-13 is
that the resistance is fairly even across all registers of the
instrument--consequently, wide intervals can be played with relative ease.
I have had the opportunity to play a number of "new" R-13s over the years.
The ones that are untouched by human hands (after Mr. Kloc and his
factory-mates) are extremely consistent, and generally excellent. Certain
stores "set them up"--some add extra finishing touches that are nice, others
add touches that (unfortunately) deteriorate the performance of the
instrument. For example--the WW&BW states that they lower the rings. (Good
God, why?--unlike a saxophone, clarinet pads are not intended to be tone
resonators).
The biggest culprit, though, is "shop wear." That's what happens when a
succession of 14-year-olds insist on trying out every horn in the store.
After a few of these "tryouts," who knows if the pads won't seat anymore.
This is perhaps a worse problem for mail order houses, that ship the same
instrument to different customers to try out again and again.
Fortunately, most of this is not a "real" problem. The "differences"
between the clarinets of the same model/design are generally matters of
minor adjustment--the manufacturing tolerances for the body (tone holes,
etc.) are remarkably fine. After you play on it for a couple of years, have
the top joint repadded with cork, put on a different barrel to match with
your mouthpiece etc., the "factory adjustment" really won't matter anymore.
kjf
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