Klarinet Archive - Posting 000203.txt from 2002/04
From: "Lacy, Edwin" <el2@-----.edu> Subj: RE: [kl] Stubbins SK Mechanism - and McIntyre system clarinets Date: Thu, 4 Apr 2002 15:08:17 -0500
> There have been a number of mechanisms to improve the throat
> Bb. They fall into two groups:
>
> (1) separate holes for Bb and the register vent; and
>
> (2) an extra hole that opens along with the register vent.
No one has mentioned the McIntyre system. I don't recall now which of the
above arrangements for the throat Bb were employed on it. I once had a
student who played on this type of instrument. I thought that the mechanism
was ingenious. The main problem was that the new key work had been applied
to a clarinet which was only a moderate-quality one. I think it might have
been a mid-line Leblanc body, probably a Normandie.
The McIntyre system instruments became relatively popular in New England and
the Northeast US in the late 1950's and '60's. It solved quite a few
problems of both technique and tone production in the throat register. I'm
rather sorry that its development was not pursued. I would like to have
known what the response would have been if it had been applied to a
top-@-----.
Ed Lacy
University of Evansville
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