Klarinet Archive - Posting 000625.txt from 1999/05

From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.edu>
Subj: RE: [kl] re: blow out
Date: Fri, 14 May 1999 18:41:32 -0400

> From: MX%"klarinet@-----.45
> Subj: RE: [kl] re: blow out

> On Fri, 14 May 1999, Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.edu wrote:
>
> > I have an opinion too. Blow out is a phenomenon suggested to exist by
> > musical instrument manufacturers for the purpose of selling
> > instruments; i.e., it is a sales tool which has come to be accepted by
> > the clarinet-playing community as a whole.
>
> My goodness, Dan! You certainly are have your cynic's hat on today! ;-)
>
> Well, I have an opinion, too. It is that blowout does exist. However, I
> have never been told this by an instrument manufacturer or salesman. I
> have two sources of information on which I base that opinion. The first
> is my own observation, based on playing some grenadilla instruments, very
> old, but in very good mechanical condition, and then comparing them with
> some newer ones, also in good condition. The second is from technically-
> oriented people in the field of materials science, who know about and have
> described the phenomenon known as "depolymerization," and who have
> observed its effects under the microscope.

And I am delighted to hear and learn from that opinion. But it is, in the
final analysis, only that. It has no weight of evidence. There is nothing
scientific or reproducible from you or I stating an opinion. And if there
are technically oriented people in the field of materials science who
know about this phenoment and can observe its effects under a microscope,
then why have those who claim to have a blown out instrument simply take
their clarinet into such a depolymerization specialist who will advise them
to spend or not spend $3000 to replace it. All those who claim to have
a blown out instrument do so on the basis of how it feels to them. Maybe
a collection of testing sites (like car lubrication stores) can establish
exactly how much blowoutedness exists on any horn.

>
> > The evidence for the non-existence of this problem is copious.
>
Ever hear of a bass clarinet getting blown out? How about a wooden
flute or a wooden piccolo? English horns? I heard that there was
an oboist who claimed that his horn blew out in about 12-24 months
but except for this suggestion, you don't hear about blow out from
many instrumentalists other than clarinetists. You are a bassoonist
Ed. What about contrabassoons. Is it that the most expensive
instruments don't blow out?

> What is that evidence?
>
> > The evidence for its existence falls in the realm of urban legends.
>
Where is the scientific description of this phenomenon? What
causes it. There are at least 6 different theories including vibration,
modification of bore dimensions, swabbing, moisture saturation of the
wood, and plantary motion around the sun.

> I have a hard time regarding the knowledge and experience of the entire
> field of materials science as "urban legend."
>
There is not any broad body of knowledge in this area. It is all
word of mouth advertising. Please point me to the scientific and
technical papers that describe, measure, explain, discuss, and
understand it. I'll read them all.

> > And the last way to win a technical argument is to suggest that "xxx
> > says so!"
>
> Then, you will be pleased to learn that, while I remain willing to be
> convinced that blow-out is only an urban legend, I won't make that
> intellectual and philosophical jump based on the fact that you say it
> doesn't exist.

I don't suggest that you do. I'm simply stating another opinion, which
in this arena is all that is given to state the contrary.

And while we are on opinions, let me add that one respected (but somewhat
crazy) repairman in NY, Harold Bennet, whose reputation was as big
as Fobes', Hite's, etc. said that he could cure any instrument that
supposedly suffered this disablement by a process known as
"homogonizing." Lot's of people thought he was a nut case, but a
lot swore by him.

I'm not suggesting that he was right or wrong. Rather that this entire
phenomenon is discussed as if its existence was a proven and unarguable
fact. Show me the data that support that assertion, please. To me
it is about at the level of scientific accuracy as the view that
witches did not float in water. Everybody knew that to be true, of course.

>
> Ed Lacy
> el2@-----.edu
>
>
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=======================================
Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
leeson@-----.edu
=======================================

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