Klarinet Archive - Posting 000131.txt from 2001/12

From: Daniel Leeson <leeson0@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Material...was: Clarinet Bores - not me - the internal
Date: Fri, 7 Dec 2001 13:14:47 -0500

Bill, I am sorry to be in a position of total opposition to what you
have said about the value of the medium in the production of tone, but
you have nothing but your intuition to support your beliefs.

I have read what you wrote looking for some germ of scientific evidence
and all I get is a collection of statements invented to justify your
predetermined belief. In almost every case, you say that the various
media produced different sound characters but you fail to explain how
you determined this to be the case. Further, the terms you use to
describe the materials that you happen not to like ("blah" was one such
term, "nice" was another, "a bit less 'complex'" was a third, though I
am not sure what the difference is between complex and "complex") are
simply expressions of your personal taste, not a scientific description
the the tonal characteristics.

While there are some limitations on the instrument's medium (I suspect
that balsa wood would not be suitable, though I'm not sure why), in
general the sound produced on almost any medium (glass, wood, metal,
etc.) will be unaffected by the medium.

I add also that intuition is sometimes the fastest road to being
inaccurate, and your opening statement about what "we clarinetists" is
very much a case in point.

Dan

GrabnerWG@-----.com wrote:
>
> << 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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** Dan Leeson **
** leeson0@-----.net **
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