Klarinet Archive - Posting 000805.txt from 1999/08

From: "Kevin Fay (LCA)" <kevinfay@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] Metal Clarinets
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1999 19:51:17 -0400

Dan Leeson asked:

<<<Kevin, can I assume from the style of your note that you assume the metal
clarinet to be of little value, at least when contrasted
with wooden clarinets? If I have read the subtlty of your remarks
correctly, would you pleases share with us the reason for your negative
perspective on metal clarinets?>>>

I've had the opportunity to play a couple that had been overhauled to the
point where I feel I can make a reasoned judgment as to how they play.
IMHO, badly. Of course, 2 clarinets is not a statistically significant
sample--but I have physically examined bunches more, and haven't seen one
that appeared to be of higher quality.

But I'm pretty sure that, other than the Haynes double wall that I've never
seen and couldn't afford, none of Buffet/Selmer/Leblanc/Yamaha have made an
artist-level metal clarinet within my father's lifetime. Consequently, my
educated guess is that the likelihood of finding a decently performing metal
clarinet ain't much, and that the money spent in restoring one could be
better spent elsewhere.

But hey, I golf--so who am I to complain about wasting money? If someone
wants to shine one up "just because," have at it. I wouldn't start a
student on one, though. If a band parent asked if they should spend a
couple hundred bucks to overhaul one, or go buy a reasonably good condition
Bundy or Vito, the metal thing would be a lamp.

I suppose that one of the makers could have made a well-designed clarinet
out of metal--as I've posted before, I don't believe that the material has a
huge effect on the instrument's tone. OTOH, I have never heard of a metal
clarinet (other than the Haynes) that was described as other than a piece of
garbage. Most of them were the Bundy Resonites of their day--and student
clarinets are better today than 50 years ago.

kjf

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