Klarinet Archive - Posting 000282.txt from 2001/12

From: "Doug Sears" <dsears@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Materials
Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2001 14:37:55 -0500

I was astonished to read David Hattner's opinion of Stephen Fox's NX
clarinets. I tried them out at Clarinetfest 2000 in Norman, and liked them
immediately. I ordered a Bb model, and love it. Now I'm trying to convince
myself that I can afford to spring for an A to go with it. I love the
evenness of tone throughout the scale, and especially the low notes, which
come out clear and strong without any tendency to go flat on crescendo. As
Mr. Hattner noted, the craftsmanship is impeccable. A fellow amateur
clarinetist, who complimented me on my tone, picked up my NX and had no
trouble sounding good from the first note, too. Hattner is certainly a far
better player than I am; all I can think of is that he has his technique so
perfectly dialed in to whatever clarinet he plays that he can't easily relax
into the forgiving (but different) nature of the NX.

--Doug
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Doug Sears dsears@-----.net

In three different posts, David Hattner wrote:
---------------------------
1.
Just to amplify Clark's point, I had the opportunity to try a Benade NX
clarinet (made by Stephen Fox). It was easily the worst sounding clarinet I
have ever played. Out of tune, too.
---------------------------
2.
I tried two different clarinets, and tried them with both my own and with
Fox's specially made mouthpiece.

The results were uniformly awful. It sounded like an antique c clarinet with
leaky pads. The intonation was in the same category.

This design may be of interest in a purely research-oriented way, but the
results are completely unacceptable in terms of actual playing. I suspect
that is why so few have been sold.
---------------------------
3.
One last thing, I by no means meant to malign the extrordinary craftsmanship
of Stephen Fox. The instruments of his I was able to observe were of
excellent quality and sound construction.

My criticism was only of Benade's design.

I am informed that the problem is apparently mine and that if I were to
change mouthpieces as well as the way I play the clarinet, the Benade NX
clarinet would be wonderful.
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