Klarinet Archive - Posting 000597.txt from 1999/09

From: Ken Wolman <Ken.Wolman@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Re: Bass Clarinet Stuffiness
Date: Mon, 20 Sep 1999 10:51:02 -0400

Spiegelthal.Dave@-----.COM wrote:
>
> Sherry Katz asked about Vito bass clarinets, among other things. I have a
> two-year-old plastic VIto bass which plays very well, no stuffiness anywhere
> except a slight bit on the middle B-natural and the chalumeau (lowest) E-flat,
> which seems to be typical of Leblanc products in general. Otherwise, my $900
> special plays as well, or better than, nearly all of the $4000+ wooden
> instruments I've tried.
> Dave Spiegelthal
> Calverton, VA

I have mentioned this before, I think, but my Selmer-Bundy, also
plastic, has a certain degree of stuffiness in the middle register that
requires some carefully focused harder blowing: that is where the
difference between the bass and soprano horns strikes me most
noticeably. Different mouthpiece/reed combinations yield different
results and the most pleasing I've found yet is a Pomarico #1 facing
with a #3 reed. I have to do some adjusting with more open facings and
softer reeds to get a decent sound; and even so, the notes seem thinner
than those above and--certainly--below. The lower register particularly
is a joy: the horn just thunders down low.

Actually, I still wonder whether it's an inherent issue with bass
clarinets in general or whether it's me. I've played on a used $4000
(used) Selmer pro horn and had the same middle register problem.

Ken
--
Ken Wolman dbtrader Deutsche Bank, N.A.
1251 Sixth Avenue, New York, NY 10019 212-469-6494
Teach someone to fish and you have helped them survive another day.
Teach them to surf the Net and they won't bother you for weeks.

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