Klarinet Archive - Posting 000627.txt from 2003/02

From: GrabnerWG@-----.com
Subj: Re: [kl] Impingo Wood Supply for Clarinets
Date: Fri, 21 Feb 2003 20:17:37 -0500

In a message dated 2/21/2003 3:24:44 PM Eastern Standard Time, forestaten@-----.com writes:

> I'll bet that the difference in sound between the Greenline R13 and a wooden R13 is not any different than when comparing the difference in the sound of one wooden R13 clarinet to any other wooden R13 clarinet. If in the blind test...if a person can't tell the difference between material I'd say Dan made his point?>>

This entire debate about whether material matters or not never seems to take into account the SURFACE of the material where it interacts with the air stream.

Grenadilla, or Mpingo, or what ever you call it can take a very high polish. Even when it does, however, there is still observable grains and the resulting pits and indentations in the surface of the bore.

In my VERY LIMITED understanding, the surface creates turbulence in the air stream which affects the sound. It's very possible that plastic clarinets sound so "plastic-y" is that the surface is TOO smooth.

Walter

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