Klarinet Archive - Posting 000674.txt from 2001/01

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausmann1@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Re: klarinet Digest 11 Jan 2001 09:15:01 -0000 Issue
Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2001 09:50:08 -0500

At 08:27 AM 1/11/2001 -1000, Sherry Mayrent wrote:

>When I was purchasing a new instrument, about 11 years ago, to start my
>professional career as a musician, I asked my clarinet guy (Albert Alphin)
>exactly this question, since silver keys were one of the differences
>between the R-13 and the Prestige Elite. He said that the metal vibrates
>differently and some people prefer the sound with silver. While I always
>think that those kinds of differences are too subtle to notice, whenever I
>actually get down to choosing things, I do notice differences! I liked
>the sound of the silver better than the nickel just as I prefer the silver
>Luyben ligature to the gold.

These sorts of statements tend to make my BS detector go off. Like all the
talk of wood vibration, it suggests that any vibration of the keys, which
should be minimal in a properly adjusted instrument anyway, actually
contribute audibly to the overall sound. It strikes me about the same way
as saying a car painted red will go faster or handle better than one
painted black. And maybe it actually WOULD, due to a different coefficient
of friction or different total paint weight, but the difference would be
insignificant, even if measurable by sophisticated instruments. The
primary difference between the nickel and the silver is price. There may
also be a slight difference in FEEL, since the silver plating is considered
to be a bit less slippery. If it is worth the money to you, you pay the
extra price. Or, you may have skin reactions to silver plating, in which
case the nickel would be the better choice for you (or vice-versa). As for
the ligatures, If you lined up a bunch of them and tried them blindfolded,
I wonder what the results would be?

Bill Hausmann bhausmann1@-----.com
451 Old Orchard Drive http://homepages.go.com/~zoot14/zoot14.html
Essexville, MI 48732 ICQ UIN 4862265

If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is TOO LOUD!

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