Klarinet Archive - Posting 000644.txt from 2002/11

From: "Dee D. Flint" <deehays@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] GreenLine clarinets
Date: Mon, 25 Nov 2002 23:57:52 -0500

----- Original Message -----
From: "Deidre Calarco" <dleigh@-----.org>
Subject: Re: [kl] GreenLine clarinets

> On 11/14/02 3:54 PM, "Dee D. Flint" <deehays@-----.net> wrote:
>
> > Might want to be a little bit more careful to make sure that we know
which
> > Dee you are talking to. Many list members might have taken it to be me
> > since I have been around longer. Personally I am in the "material makes
no
> > difference camp."
>
> Hum...I'm not really in either camp. I don't know if it makes a
difference
> or not. You're the experts on that. I just brought it up as a
possibility,
> based on my knowledge of materials (which is related to engineering, not
to
> instrument design). But, although I could believe that engineered wood
> sounds just as good as or better than natural wood, I'd be surprised if
the
> same were true of plastic. Or, maybe the plastic clarinets I've heard
have
> just been poor-quality instruments?
>
> Are there people who think that material (wood vs. plastic vs. metal)
> doesn't make any difference at all? I've got an old metal clarinet that
was
> given to me by my grandfather, and boy does it ever have a bright sound -
> almost like a soprano sax!

It's all in the design choices. The plastic clarinets are aimed at the
student market. They are built to be inexpensive, durable and easy to play.
These design criteria result in a compromised sound. Also many of the
people playing such instruments are playing junk for mouthpieces as they are
unaware that the quality of mouthpiece can radically affect the sound.
Mouthpieces that are supplied with clarinets (even pro instruments) are
often very poor as clarinet makers are experts in clarinet design not
mouthpiece design. Finally the majority of student clarinets are being
played by beginners so they will sound poorer than they need to. By the
time the student gets a better instrument he/she has improved so they sound
better.

If you take a well maintained student instrument by one of the big four
(Leblanc, Selmer, Yamaha, or Buffet), put on a high quality mouthpiece and
put it in the hands of a skilled player, the listener will not be able to
tell the difference. The player will generally notice it in that he/she may
have to work harder to control the quality of sound.

As far as metal clarinets go, again it is in the design, mouthpiece and
player. I have an old metal Noblet that sounds find. It is not bright or
harsh.

Dee Flint

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