Klarinet Archive - Posting 000756.txt from 2002/01

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausmann1@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] key/pad adjustment for tone quality
Date: Tue, 29 Jan 2002 06:02:51 -0500

At 08:55 PM 1/28/2002 -0800, Bill Edinger wrote:
>I'm very much enjoying getting familiar with the Eb clarinet in my local
>community band (that is, with playing it), and I'm starting to get some very
>appealing tonal quality from my instrument (and appreciating Walt Grabner's
>mouthpiece more each day, and Glotin reeds). However, I've noticed that
>there is a distinct dullness or muffled quality to both low G and fourth
>line D (xxx xxx), which is quite annoying (never mind the flat bottom E and
>F). I noticed, when playing around with some temporary key cork
>adjustments, that just minimally closing the [normally open] low F pad cup
>(the uppermost open tone hole when playing the G or D) that the tone quality
>was made even worse. Logically, it would seem to me that opening it a bit
>might very well improve the tone to make it closer to the other very nice
>notes around it. The only way I can see to do this would be to lower the
>pad in its cup, which would increase the clearance with the top of the tone
>hole. Is this reasonable thing to try? Am I on the right track?

Insufficient venting of the low F IS a possibility. Unless you are very
comfortable with bending keys on your clarinet (and correcting any other
problems that may create), you might want to enlist the assistance of a
good repair tech.

Bill Hausmann bhausmann1@-----.net
451 Old Orchard Drive
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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