Klarinet Archive - Posting 000893.txt from 1999/10

From: "Tim Roberts" <timr@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Any Barrels made of Hard Rubber?
Date: Fri, 29 Oct 1999 03:45:27 -0400

On Fri, 29 Oct 1999 15:45:02 +0800, chi chan <lokshing@-----.com> wrote:
>
>In early 1950 when I was in high school , I had palyed a clarinet made by
>plastic. Just because the material is different, it effect is different, a
>plastic clarinet gives cooler and harder tone. mouth piece and the other
>parts of a clarinet is a different story. You can not get the gentle and
>lovely tone as the wooden one.

Oh, Wayne, you don't realize what a can of worms you've opened here.

Research has shown that, all other things being equal, the material from which
a clarinet is made makes absolutely no difference to the tone. The body of a
wood or plastic clarinet is too thick to vibrate enough to affect the sound,
and that's the only way the material could matter.

It also needs to be stated that many professional players do not subscribe to
this view. The fact is, all other things are NOT equal. Because of either
history or prejudice, plastic clarinets do not get the same care in
manufacturing as wood (Buffet Greenlines being an exception); tone holes in
plastic clarinets are rarely undercut, and the finish work is not as careful.
In my opinion, THESE are the kinds of attributes which given plastic clarinets
their bad reputations.

The tone I get from my plastic Vito is as "gentle and lovely" as any of the
wood clarinets in my band.

--
- Tim Roberts, timr@-----.com
Providenza & Boekelheide, Inc.
This signature is Y2K compliant.

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