Klarinet Archive - Posting 000148.txt from 2000/01

From: Shouryu Nohe <jnohe@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] Re: Clarinet maker
Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 06:08:59 -0500

On Fri, 7 Jan 2000, chi chan wrote:

> Hi,
> Would anyone please tell me what is the highest grade of Selmer B flat
> Clarinet? The one I am having is a Series 10. Morely, I have seen one
> trumpet is made of 14K gold, it sounds great. Is there any company will
> make a gold-filled clarinet?

Hi - our trumpet prof and DOB plays a gold trumpet. He says that there
really isn't a significant difference in sound. He has told me, however,
that silver and gold trumpets are typically higher quality, which is
probably the reason why they sound better, and many players use silver
plate because its less expensive and lighter than gold. His reason for
choosing gold, however was to avoid having the instrument refinished.
Just as silver keys do not have to be refinished as soon as nickel keys,
gold does not have be refinished as soon as silver; he believes he will
probably never have to refinish his trumpet.

So, to be honest, filling a clarinet with gold will probably do but two
things: make it heavier and more expensive. Gold plated keys, I'm told,
are slightly heavier, and have to be replated less often, but wouldn't
affect the sound (or so one would think).

J. Shouryu Nohe
http://web.nmsu.edu/~jnohe
Professor of SCSM102, New Mexico State Univ.
"If I wanted a 'job,' I'd have gone music ED, thank you very much!"

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