Klarinet Archive - Posting 000733.txt from 1999/02

From: Keith <100012.1302@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] klarinet Digest 5 Feb 1999 18:29:58 -0000 Issue 1030
Date: Thu, 18 Feb 1999 13:10:16 -0500

>posted by Roger Garrett
There was a post a year or so ago that discussed a person who works on
plastic bass clarinets to undercut tone holes and, generally, improve the=

instrument to the same playing quality as a wood instrument. (note - thi=
s
is not another thread on wood vs. anything else!!) - I'll bet there are
people who, for a nominal charge, could undercut a plasic clarinet to
improve intonation etc.......then a really good hard rubber mouthpiece an=
d
a good reed/ligature setup would be great!
<

I did this also some years ago, with a Boosey and Hawkes cheap student
bass, which I had to use for a big part in Britten's Albert Herring
(including a long, highly exposed entreacte duet with alto flute). First
reaction on trying the part on this bass was PANIC! but after working on
rounding/undercutting the tone holes, and roughening the chrome key
surfaces so that fingers didn't slip, the result was magic. The clarinet
became quite playable. I wouldn't swap it for the Buffet Prestige I now
have, though!

Albert Herring has a wonderful clarinet part, recommended if anyone gets =
a
chance at it. Not for the nervous ... a few bars after the end of the lon=
g
bass solo, you come in on the soprano clarinet on an extreme B!

Keith Bowen

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