Klarinet Archive - Posting 000682.txt from 2000/08

From: Richard Bush <rbushidioglot@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Plastic vs. Wood
Date: Wed, 23 Aug 2000 11:06:36 -0400

I tend to agree with Francois Kloc---but:

As a bassoon player, I can tell consistent differences between bocals
made of/or plated with different materials. Fox offers bassoons made of
different maples, even though many of these offerings have the same
plastic or rod rubber linings. Are all of the bassoon players of the
world kidding themselves and each other? I don't think so.

Here's the "but:" Until someone goes to the effort to make a clarinet to
the highest possible specs out of plastic, and make it as close to
identical as their wooden models, we, the clarinet playing community,
will never really know what those differences might be and how drastic
or subtle those differences might be. Doing so would sure help settle
this debate.

I can only speculate as to why no one has done this. Some peoples'
personal taste and tonal concepts might actually gravitate toward such a
high grade plastic instrument. For sure, plastic doesn't crack, doesn't
swell or shrink with changing weather and player/moisture conditions and
will not degrade because of years and years of being attacked by
moisture and the chemistry of these juices. Such stability is laudable,
though not singularly a good enough reason to opt for plastic over wood.

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