Klarinet Archive - Posting 000306.txt from 2003/02

From: Richard Bush <rbushidioglot@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Bundy 577 as second clarinet
Date: Mon, 10 Feb 2003 11:51:52 -0500

Virtually every student model clarinet plays sharp. The one brand that
is closest to a correct pitch is Yamaha. Actually, the instruments
aren't built sharp, they are just shortened at the top of the upper,
main section. This causes extreme sharpness at the top end of the second
register (notes that already have an acoustical tendency to go sharp)
and often the throat tones of F#, open G, G# and A. Some makers,
Leblanc's Vito clarinets come to mind, are set up with the top ring key
pad and the G# and A key combination set at a lower open position to
compensate for the shortness of the upper joint.

Ed, you didn't mention the length or the bore course of the DEG barrel.
What exactly do you have? The Bundy 577 is a smaller bored instrument
than the 1400 model Bundy. The Bundy 577 has a bore that is .577
thousandths of an inch, hence the name.

To improve the tuning, you will want a barrel that is at least 66 mm
long, or even 67 mm. You will also need a set of tuning rings. Pull the
barrel and insert rings until the first finger fingering for first space
F# is in tune with an A=440 pitch setting. (Make sure that the thumb
hole is perfectly clean. If it has crud and accumulated finger grease in
it, that will cause flatness.) A "ball park" stack of tuning rings
should be around 1.5 mm worth of rings. From there, the top ring key
height should be established for the tuning of open G. Next, establish a
pad height for the G# and A keys. (This might be best done by a
repairman who knows how to bend keys with the proper pliers without
breaking them. Last, but not least, check the height of the Bb/register
key. This should open less than the thickness of a dime. A register key
that opens too far will drive up the pitch at both ends of the second
register. Using feeler gauges, determine how far it is opening by
stacking them in different combinations under the thumb-touch end of the
key and until they represent a snug fit. A correct height will be
somewhere between .260" and .290". Play around with the height and get
it as low as possible without causing the B natural, right over the
register break, to loose its clearness of sound.

Back to the barrel. If the DEG barrel is a C course barrel, it will be
too large to match the bore of your Bundy. This will cause sharpness.
The C course has a bore of .597 at the mouthpiece end and reduces to
.593 at the instrument end. Bill Hausmann's suggestion of going back to
the stock barrel for your 577 is well worth considering.

I have no experience as to how the Hite mouthpiece works on a Bundy 577.
There is always the possibility that this mouthpiece could be adding to
the problem. Try some other mouthpieces, as well. The Clark Fobes Debut
would be a good one to toot on.

I do believe it is possible to get a much better tuning on your Bundy
than what you've described.

Good luck.

Ed Stuart wrote:

>Hi,
>
>I currently playing on a Bundy 577 with a Hite mouthpiece and a DEG barrel.
>This is my only instrument. My instructor eventually wants me to purchase
>an R13 at some point in the future when she feels that my current clarinet
>is holding back my development as a player. I had high hopes of using my
>577 as my second clarinet, once I purchase an R13, but I've found that the
>upper joint open hole notes are approximately a quarter step sharp. This is
>really killing any work that I do trying to play in tune and I don't want
>the sould of those notes being so sharp "in my head". I realize that all
>clarinets are going to intonation problems that I will have to compensate
>for, but I feel that these tones are just too far out of tune. Is there any
>chance that this problem with the Bundy can be alleviated? Could a change
>in the barrel or mouth piece possibly alleviate this problem, will I need to
>take my horn into the repair shop or am I out of luck?
>
>Thanks,
>Ed Stuart
>
>
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