Klarinet Archive - Posting 000461.txt from 2000/12

From: GrabnerWG@-----.com
Subj: Re: [kl] Tuning
Date: Fri, 8 Dec 2000 14:11:13 -0500

Josh Gardner writes:
Does anybody know the allowable spread ratio when tuning the twelfths of an R-13 clarinet. It seem that the E and B are pretty in tune (+5 cents), F to
C is a bit worse (about +10 cents), the F# to C# is close and G to D is close. G# to D# is about +10 cents as well. Any suggestions? The clarion G
is a bit high too. Any suggestions on how to fix any of these problems (or if they are even problems).
I play on a Buffet R-13 with a Vandoren M-13 mouthpiece with V-12 #4 reeds, and a 66 mm Chadash barrel.>>

Josh-

This is an area that I am becoming more and more interested in as a craftsman.

Personally, I would wish that there is no such thing as an "allowable" intonation discrepancy.

However, I would guess that any spread in twelfths of more than 5 or 6 cents, plus or minus, is going to cause intonation adjustment problems.

If you read through "Clarinet Acoustics" by O. Lee Gibson (I had to read through it about five times before I started to put things together), you will get an explanation of why these out of tune twelfths appear, and how different manufacturers have tried to cope with them.

There was a thread, on theis list, just a few weeks ago, about what could be done to remedy the large spread on "A" clarinets, where the clarion (left hand) B and C are often so sharp.

If you can follow that thread there were several good approaches suggested, some of which I followed.

My success in taming some oversized twelfths included:

Using a barrel with a narrower bore with a reversed conical bore.

Adjusting the cork on the register key to not allow it to open more than it needed to.

Adjusting the upper stack ring keys so that the pads did not open too far

I was partially successful in bringing down unacceptably sharp left hand B and C, without flattening the corresponding throat E and F.

I would recommend that you have a professional CLARINET technician look at your clarinet, including barrel and mouthpiece, to see what can be done.

Walter Grabner

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