Klarinet Archive - Posting 000416.txt from 2002/05

From: w7wright@-----.net (William Wright)
Subj: Re: [kl] Mismatched Serial Numbers
Date: Thu, 16 May 2002 17:08:18 -0400

<><> Mark=A0wrote:
why did you buy a clarinet with intonation problems?

I apologize for going over this ground twice in as many months (and I'm
also grateful for a case history that supports my thesis), but.....

We have discussed whether a new clarinet's intonation [or tone,
projection, key action, resistance, or whatever] will change when you
break in a new instrument. Here we have a classic example of why I
disagree with the proposition.

Not only is it (imo) probably not true of a quality instrument, but if
it *is* true, then you wouldn't want to be dealing with the instrument
in the first place. It's true that wood swells and shrinks. We've
all had loose barrels or bells that are tighter (or vice versa) a few
months later. But if this sort of thing makes a substantial difference
in the clarinet's performance --- where "substantial' means that you
can't overcome it unconsciously or nearly without conscious effort ---
then (imo) you don't want the instrument. The purpose of hard woods is
to avoid such extreme and unacceptable problems.

When a manufacturer warns you to expect a change during break-in, he is
(imo) actually asking you to wait until your own embouchure, breath
support, etc become used to and/or adapted to the new instrument.

Cheers,
Bill