Klarinet Archive - Posting 000369.txt from 2000/08

From: Roger Shilcock <roger.shilcock@-----.uk>
Subj: Re: [kl] Opposite register vent
Date: Tue, 15 Aug 2000 04:23:01 -0400

It follows that, if a maker wanted to use *really* cheaply made cast keys,
then the simpler underneath version would be much more congenial.
Roger S.

On Mon, 14 Aug 2000, Dee D. Hays wrote:

> Date: Mon, 14 Aug 2000 20:48:27 -0400
> From: Dee D. Hays <deehays@-----.net>
> Reply-To: klarinet@-----.org
> To: klarinet@-----.org
> Subject: Re: [kl] Opposite register vent
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "William Wright" <Bilwright@-----.net>
> To: <klarinet@-----.org>
> Sent: Monday, August 14, 2000 7:30 PM
> Subject: [kl] Opposite register vent
>
>
> > Today a clarinetist/technician showed me his collection of vintage
> > instruments, some of them going back to the mid-1800's. One of them (I
> > don't remember the date) was mostly Boehm, but it had the register vent
> > on top of the joint instead of below, and then a key twisted around to
> > the bottom of the joint, near to the thumb hole.
> > My friend told me that this makes more sense because water doesn't
> > accumulate in the register vent if it's on top. When the vent is on the
> > bottom, then you need to add a tube inside the joint in order to divert
> > water, and this tube contributes to the alto and altissimo intonation
> > and tone color probelms.
> > I asked him why clarinet manufacturers abandoned this, and he said
> > that he didn't know the reason, except perhaps that the keywork was too
> > complicated. But it looked fairly simple to me. It's just that the
> > pivot rod for the key was 90 degrees to the normal position.
> >
> > So I'm curious: Is there more to the story than what I've
> > recounted?
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Bill
>
> >From watching the auctions on eBay, it would appear that this arrangement
> started sometime after 1900 and ceased sometime in the 1930s. This is based
> on those cases where the instruments offered for auction could be dated from
> their serial numbers. It's not absolutely definitive of course as some
> instruments could not be dated due to lack of serial number or no
> manufacturer/model data. The number of observations is thus limited.
>
> In watching the the auctions, I have seen the wrap around register key on
> both Albert system horns and Boehm system horns.
>
> Here is another limited observation. If a key was broken, it was most often
> a wrap around register key. This perhaps makes sense from a mechanics
> standpoint. The arm from the pivot rod to the cup is long in proportion to
> its thickness (note here that I am refering to the ratio here as there are
> other long arms on these keys but they are also thicker). This makes it a
> relatively weak key and more subject to breakage. While this is a deduction
> from basic principles, if one had access to the analytical tools (which do
> exist), one could calculate the relative strengths of the two different
> register keys. Of course a person could measure it but most people would
> not want to do the destructive testing required on their treasures.
>
>
> Dee Hays
>
>
>
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