Klarinet Archive - Posting 000368.txt from 1999/11

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausman@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] plastic vs wood
Date: Wed, 10 Nov 1999 17:06:39 -0500

At 11:12 PM 11/9/1999 -0600, Dee Hays wrote:
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Bill Hausmann <bhausman@-----.com>
>To: <klarinet@-----.org>
>Sent: Tuesday, November 09, 1999 10:06 PM
>Subject: Re: [kl] plastic vs wood
>
>
>>... Relatively easy ways to test nearly identical instruments exist. Try
>> comparing the Selmer (Bundy) 1401 vs. the Selmer 100. Both have the same
>> bore size and same keywork, and both have undercut tone holes. In theory,
>> they should play very nearly identically. I am not as certain about
>Yamaha
>> YCL-20 vs. YCL-34, or Vito vs. Noblet specifications, but they should be
>close.
>
>Nearly identical isn't nearly good enough for scientific investigation.
>They must be as exactly identical as it is possible to achieve and vary only
>the parameter of interest. Do the Bundy and Signet have identical
>undercutting? Although the bore size may be the same, is the bore shape the
>same as regards taper, etc? Are the tone holes the same size? Is the
>interior surface finish the same (i.e. surface roughness). Are the barrels
>identical in contour?
>
It is my understanding that the designs are identical, only the materials
are different. But note the models carefully. It MUST be the 1401, which
has a .577 bore (not the 1400 (.590) or CL300 .573)) and the Selmer 100
(not the 103 (altered for A@-----. As far as interior finish goes, well,
you can't have everything. That depends upon how highly polished the wood
bore is.

You probably won't find the manufacturers touting the fact that their
plastic clarinet is otherwise identical to the wood model. They would be
shooting themselves in the foot if they did. The margins being higher on
wood clarinets, they'd rather sell you those. They would prefer that you
believe that the wood clarinet is also designed and made differently, to
justify the price increase. According to information I have gotten through
this list, the material price difference between plastic and wood is
relatively small, and does not account for the price difference. Is wood
inherently better? Probably. But how much better? That is the question.
I suspect that the difference is MUCH smaller than is generally believed,
except by Greenline owners.

>I can't find my catalogs right now (a lot of stuff is still in boxes), but I
>believe that the specs for Leblancs Vito and Noblet lines do vary in bore
>size.
>
According to my catalogs, all Noblets and Vitos have a .584 bore.
>

Bill Hausmann bhausman@-----.com
451 Old Orchard Drive http://www.concentric.net/~bhausman
Essexville, MI 48732 http://homepages.go.com/~zoot14/zoot14.html
ICQ UIN 4862265

If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is too loud.

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