Klarinet Archive - Posting 000148.txt from 2003/03

From: "Thiel, Mark" <mark.thiel@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Bass Clarinet
Date: Tue, 4 Mar 2003 09:35:37 -0500

re Buffet neck angle: If you actually prefer the more saxophonish
angle, it's quite easy to achieve any angle less vertical than that
which Buffet provides by twisting the neck out of plane at the
tuning slide. Of course, this will shift the body of the horn
to the side a little and may upset your sense of symmetry, but
may also have the positive effect of improving your sight lines
to the music.

re being a runty bass clarinetist ( I have experience here): I
have made a 4-sided (i.e. backless, bottomless) box that fits
(and velcros) over the end of the case to provide a couple inches
elevation for those venues where the chairs don't stack.
At home I use a height-adjustable office chair or a stool.

Mark Thiel

<<I wonder if any of you have a suggestion for a height-challenged Bass
>clarinetist. I lower the pad on my new Buffet low-C as low as it goes...>>
Jeff,

Unfortunately, IMNSHO, in their infinite marketing wisdom Buffet actually
believed Charlie Bay's ads and thought that they were doing the world of
bass
clarinet players a huge favor by making the vertical angle of the neck more
like a soprano clarinet than the "traditional" angle of Selmer, LeBlanc,
Yamaha, et. al. Basically, you're screwed. As you've read, now you can
either stack chairs, buy several telephone books, invest in cushions, or
find
someone who has a medieval rack to stretch you a bit.

I only wish Buffet would offer a "traditional" angled neck as an option with

their marvelous new bass clarinets. Until then, I'll stick with my Selmer
Model 37.

Don Gross

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