Klarinet Archive - Posting 000128.txt from 2001/12

From: GrabnerWG@-----.com
Subj: [kl] Material...was: Clarinet Bores - not me - the internal dimension kind.
Date: Fri, 7 Dec 2001 11:38:39 -0500

<< The assumption that material has little or no effect on tone ......>>

I am going to dispute this assumption, and dispute it vigorously.

Material DOES make a difference, and we as clarinetists know that instinctively.

Now stop, and read the rest, before you react!

Within the above assumption, lies an unspoken one; namely, that anything other than Grenadilla (African Blackwwod) makes an INFERIOR tone. I do not believe this is true at all.

Over the past several years, I have made barrels of several different materials. I have made them of molded urethane, and machined and hand reamed delrin, cocobolo, and grenadilla.

Each material has its own unique sound, even given the fact that I have used the same tooling and the same general set of measurements.

I do not particularly like the Urethane. It is rather blah, and too "light". (Although one of these, can significally improve a plastic student horn.)

The Delrin makes a very nice sound, if a bit less "complex" than the wood. It does make a barrel that projects extremely well.

The Cocobolo makes a very "warm" and unified sound throughout the various registers of the clarinet.

Grenadilla, we all know.

Of the above materials, I currently prefer the Cocobolo, although I want to try cocus wood and rosewood as well. I prefer my cocobolo barrel (made for myself) to my Buffet-Moennig or Chadash barrels.

What is it then, that makes the difference in sound?

I believe that "vibration" of, or within, the material, if there is any at all, makes little if any difference.

I do believe, however, that the INNER SURFACE of the material makes a great difference. I believe one of the reasons that we like wood, is the fact that it has a grain and irregularities in the surface. If you look closely at any piece of polished wood, you can see that it still has a unique surface and slight indentations that you cannot polish out.

I believe that this irregular surface causes,somehow (I am not a physicist), a richness and complexity in the tone. I think, for example, that Delrin makes a nice barrel in that it cannot be polished totally smooth - like plastic can - it still retains some texture.

This, to me, is the reason that the Greenline clarinets work as well, there is enough "graininess" left in the material, due to the grenadilla wood dust, to create a proper surface texture.

Please let me know....I know you all WILL.....what you think of my hypothesis.

Walter Grabner
www.clarinetxpress.com

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