Klarinet Archive - Posting 000876.txt from 2000/09

From: GrabnerWG@-----.com
Subj: Re: [kl] Those little things....
Date: Wed, 27 Sep 2000 12:46:47 -0400

In a message dated 9/27/00 8:44:53 AM Central Daylight Time,
JMarioneau@-----.com writes:

<< n high school (back in the 60's) my band director and clarinet teacher
told
me that I should line up the insignias on my clarinet. At the time, I
played
a Selmer Series 9* which I still have and use as a backup instrument. He
never told me why. I always jassumed that the barrel and bell were randomly
stamped and could not understand why he would say to line the insignias up.
Now I know why he said to do this. >>

The theory was that a craftsman made the entire clarinet from one piece of
wood, and took care that the grain of the wood "lined up" along the entire
body of the clarinet. By lining up the insignias, and therefore lining up the
grain of the wood, it was assumed that the clarinet would mysteriously play
better.

These days, with the currnet shortage of wood, the longer pieces are most
likely saved for the longer instruments, and soprano clarinet bells and
barrels are made from short pieces left over.

In my experience, there often IS a "sweet spot" for both barrel and bell, but
it is a random chance that this would be at the point where the trademarks
line up.

Walter Grabner

........who is happily making mouthpieces again
www.clarinetxpress.com

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