Klarinet Archive - Posting 000183.txt from 2003/08

From: "Noel Taylor" <r.n.taylor@-----.uk>
Subj: RE: [kl] E flat sax questions
Date: Fri, 8 Aug 2003 12:10:04 -0400

I think I have seen pages on the web describing the opposite of =
undercutting
holes to make them sharper - thus narrowing the holes by building up =
inside
the edges of the tone holes - I think it said you could experiment with =
tape
- and thus making the corresponding notes flatter. I guess these are
marginal adjustments, though and I've no personal experience of doing =
it.

Noel Taylor

-----Original Message-----
From: Thiel, Mark [mailto:mark.thiel@-----.com]=20
Subject: [kl] E flat sax questions

Nancy Buckman wrote:
>Is it feasible to remake a high and/or low pitch instrument to
>440? Specifically, is it worthwhile?

Remake? Well sure. If it's a clarinet you just fill in all the holes =
with
wood filler and redrill them in the right places. Saxes are a little =
more
difficult.

If you had something a bit less extreme in mind, about the only =
practical
thing (for a high pitch instrument) is reducing the bore somehow. For
clarinets, the classic dodge is to hang string or wire down the bore. =
Sax
bores are vastly larger and conical, so different measures are called =
for. I
have an old high-pitch Buffet tenor. In the bore from the neck socket =
down
to the bend, I insert a piece of wood that tapers from nothing up to =
about a
.75 inch cross section. I put another chunk of lumber in the bell part =
of
the bore and still pull the mouthpiece out pretty far. Does it work? =
Yes.
Well? Not really. I can play in tune with a bit of work; the highest
(palm-key) notes are a bit flat; and the tone is somewhat muffled and
muddied -- but it's better than making a lamp out of it.

Mark Thiel (a former Anne Arundel MD countian)

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