Klarinet Archive - Posting 000971.txt from 2000/08

From: alevin@-----. Levin)
Subj: Re: [kl] Plastic vs. Wood
Date: Tue, 29 Aug 2000 13:10:11 -0400

Francois:

My wife owns an Estey spinet piano (made in the early 1970's in Shamokin,
Pennsylvania). Several Baldwin acoustical engineers started the company
with the idea that the piano case is not as important as the mechanism. No
expense was spared on the mechanism; but the entire case and keys are made
of plastic. After 25 years it still plays well and sounds beautiful. She
has been offered many times the original price of the instrument. It
sounds better than any comparable spinet or "baby" grand. Sadly, the
increase in oil prices in 73-74 drove the company out of business when the
price of plastic exceeded the price of wood.

Remember that the piano case is not the same as its mechanism. The
clarinet body is an integral part of its mechanism.

Allen Levin

At 08:29 AM 8/23/00 -0500, you wrote:
>There is insufficient evidence to believe that the sound character of a
>clarinet is seriously influenced by the material of which the clarinet
>is made. The only significant advantage of wood is that it is an
>aesthetically beautiful material in the eyes of some. But if the amount
>of effort made in constructing a clarinet of wood were spent in
>constructing it of glass, plastic, metal, or any of a variety of media,
>there is little doubt that you could not tell the difference between the
>instruments in a blind test.
>
>What you believe is one thing, but what the facts are appear to be at
>odds with what you believe. There is a social pressure to play on
>wooden clarinets, but the source of that pressure is simply the same
>kind of thinking that says "Corn flakes bought on Rodeo Drive in Los
>Angeles are much better than corn flakes bought in Kearney, Nebraska."
>
>Hi Everyone,
>
>I have been reading the posts on wood Vs plastic. I think we will never
>come to an end on this topic just because both sides have strong
>arguments to try to convince the other side. Let talk about the players
>for a change. I have worked with several different players over the
>years and still do, from different schools, with different ideas
>etc...Everyone talked about the feel of the instrument, what they want
>to get sound wise, the tone color, the projection.... Maybe you are
>right players use wood because it looks better, personally I don't think
>it is the reason why for so many years players around the world choose
>to play on wood made instruments. I am not only talking about clarinets
>but also oboes, bassoons, violins, viola, piano, guitars and even some
>players come back to the wooden flutes I see more and more of those when
>I travel and go meet with Symphony players and Professors. Lets take the
>Piano for example the table in made out of wood I don't think it is just
>because it is pretty I think it is because it vibrate I never saw a
>table for Piano made out of plastic maybe there is some but I haven't
>seen one yet. Several oboe players have instrument made out of different
>wood because they have a tendency to think that they will blend better
>with the flute or the rest of the section if they have a different wood
>are they wrong I don't think so again it is based on the way the player
>feel and play the instrument if he likes better the rosewood and he
>sound good on it well it is his choice, if he thinks he sound better on
>other material fine. I don't see a lot of metal clarinets in Symphony
>orchestras if the material doesn't do anything to the tone color why
>players are still choosing wood that cracks and change instead of metal?
>To me plastic doesn't have "life" like wood has, it is my personal
>opinion and I maybe totally wrong but I look around me and listen to the
>players and they prove me maybe I am not that wrong. Players are
>different, taste are different, many players choose to play on
>instruments made out of wood it doesn't make the ones who plays on
>instruments made out of Green Line or other material better or worse I
>think it is just a question of what the musicians choose as a tool to
>express their music. Also the instrument makers come out with instrument
>that are design with musicians we spend a lot of time and money to have
>professional musician test and collaborate in the design of an
>instrument before we decide that it can be produce and presented to
>everybody we don't decide what the market want we make what the players
>ask us to make.
>
>I do think their is a difference between materials. Even if their is
>insufficient evidence to prove it.
>
>
>Musically Yours,
>
>Francois Kloc
>Manager of Woodwinds North America
>Boosey & Hawkes Musical Instruments Inc.
>
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