Klarinet Archive - Posting 000991.txt from 2000/08

From: Richard Bush <rbushidioglot@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Stubbins Clarinet?
Date: Tue, 29 Aug 2000 18:18:48 -0400

Dr. Stubbins worked with LeBlanc on his improvement. The mechanism was called
the "S-K" mechanism (Stubbins-Kasper). Don't know which Kasper it was, but I
think it may have been Frank.

Basically, it was an additional vent or tone hole that opened with the
Bb/register key to produce a better throat tone Bb. The thumb ring key canceled
it out so that when playing in the second register, only the Bb/register key
opened. The Bb/register key was also moved higher and the hole was made smaller
so as to be an acoustically better vent. In other words, it was not compromised
to also function as a tone hole for Bb.

This mechanism was offered on certain models. It was even available in a
plastic clarinet. Don't know exactly what models this feature was offered on,
nor how long they offered them.

I've never played one but would like to, just out of curiosity. I recall
someone telling me that they didn't go over because the supplemental Bb key
sometimes stuck and would hesitate before opening or not open at all. (Kind of
the same problem sax players sometimes have with the articulated G# key.)

Selmer had one many, many years ago on a clarinet they called "The Omega." This
mechanism looked like a scaled down Bundy bass clarinet mechanism. The single
vent for Bb was acoustically correct like the trill key.

Still later, Mazzeo sold Selmer on still another version. On this one, the side
Bb trill key was articulated and would open when any ring key on top was closed
while the throat tone A key was open. There are many reasons why this one
didn't catch on. Probably the biggest reason was that no resonance fingerings
could be used.

Don Yungkurth wrote:

> I recall that Stubbins was a well regarded teacher and vaguely remember that
> he worked with an instrument manufacturer (Selmer?) on an improved clarinet.
> Can someone give me any details of a clarinet bearing the name "Stubbins"
> and how these instruments are regarded?
>
> Thanks
>
> Don Yungkurth (clarinet@-----.net)
>
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