Klarinet Archive - Posting 000823.txt from 1998/11

From: Brian Catchlove <bcatch@-----.au>
Subj: RE: [kl] Two specific questions on reeds
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 1998 16:53:48 -0500

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Charles West in an article in the Australian Clarinet and Saxophone =
Magazine suggests that the cane fibres are more dense towards the outer =
edge of the tube. So a thin blank will have a harder tip formed from a =
denser fibre structure and conversely a thicker blank will have a softer =
tip.
Brian Catchlove

-----Original Message-----
From: GrabnerWG@-----.com]
Subject: Re: [kl] Two specific questions on reeds

Presumably the resulting change of contour is the significant thing, =
rather than the actual thickness.
Roger Shilcock
<<<< Roger...thicker blank equals more rounded contour, which equals =
more
"heart" or central core to the reed. Then it's whatever your mouthpiece =
and
embouchure do with it.>>>>>
On Fri, 20 Nov 1998, Hiroshi Nagatsuma wrote:
> Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1998 09:34:47 +0900
> From: Hiroshi Nagatsuma <hiroshi@-----.jp>
> Reply-To: klarinet@-----.org
> To: klarinet@-----.org
> Subject: [kl] Two specific questions on reeds
>=20
> I have a specific question about reeds:reed-heel thickness.
> French clarinettiste Guy Danguin saids in his book that standard reed =
heel
> thickness is 2.8 mm(0.1102") but that if its thickness bemes =
3mm(0.1181")
> the tones become more rounder. Dit anyone experience this phenomena
> actually? Do anyone know any commercialy available reeds which have =
heel
> thickness larger than 2.8mm? >>
=20
<<<<<< I got out the trusty old micrometer and measured batches of four
brands of reeds. Results
Vandoren V-12......all over 3.0
Zonda...................all over 3.0
Oliveri...................VERY over 3.0 (scientific, eh?)
Mitchel Lurie..........most around 2.5

This is why the ML's come out of the box playing, but never get better. =
They die first, due to "spinelessness". I view ML's like disposable =
razors....handy to have around, but ultimately unsatisfactory.
BTW....please don view this as a condemnation of ML's. I have used them =
with fine results, when my carefully prepared VanDoren went south at the =
last moment. Many years ago now, the Toledo Symphony was taping a new =
composition for a PBS special. After the taping, the composer (I cant =
remember who anymore) came up and said he had had several performances =
of the piece but had never heard the clarinet solo played with such =
"Soul-stirring" tone.
I had slapped a Mitchel Lurie, right out of the box, on the mouthpiece =
before the pre-taping rehearsal. It played so well I never took it off. =
Threw it out the next day...I had played it to death!=20

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