Klarinet Archive - Posting 000005.txt from 2003/10

From: "Matthew Lloyd" <Matthew@-----.uk>
Subj: RE: [kl] Clarinet Overhaul Hell: Thomas Ohme - The Woodwind Shop
Date: Wed, 1 Oct 2003 05:33:08 -0400

It isn't widely used in England - of the four groups I play in only one
has a player - but I really think from what I have gathered that it has
its true home in North America.

Social death of course, anywhere - it is a bit neither here nor there -
it doesn't have the qualities of the bass or the bright fluency of the
Bb.

Matthew Lloyd

-----Original Message-----
From: Georg K=FChner [mailto:Georg.Kuehner@-----.de]=20
Subject: Re: [kl] Clarinet Overhaul Hell: Thomas Ohme - The Woodwind
Shop

Hello Dan Hello Hans,

I telephoned some days ago with Mister Zinner and asked for an alto
mouthpiece oehler system. He told that I have to wait because he as none
of
them at the time but it is possible for him to make some. I think the
problem with the alto clarinet especially is that it is not played in
concert band regularly. As far as I know the alto clarinet is used in
Great
Britain and the US extensively compared to Germany.
I asked some days ago about this subject but there was only one reply.
It
interesting for me what are the difference between alto reeds and
bassetthorn reeds because there are no alto reeds available in Germany
for
Oelr system.

Best Georg

Am 01.10.2003 9:15 Uhr schrieb "H. de Nijs" unter
<h.denijs@-----.nl>:

> Dan,
>=20
> Probably we are meaning the same. In Germany, Austria( and also
Holland) the
> term Bassethorn mouthpieces is "commonly" used(in any case for the
German
> brands). I don't know if the dimensions of a socalled alto mouthpiece
is the
> same in comparance with the bassethorn mouthpiece. See also e.g the
Zinner,
> AW-reeds or Herbert Wurlitzer Web sites: only "bassethorn mouthpiece"
are
> offered. Alto mouthpieces are not mentioned at all.
> The same for the fitting reeds, used term in german:
"Bassetthornblatt", see
> www.reeds.de (also english pages). To my knowledge all present and
former
> german brands bassethorns (e.g. M=FCller, H=FCying, Leitner&Kraus, =
Dietz,
H.
> Wurlitzer, P=FCchner, Mack, Reidel, Schwenk&Seggelke, Uebel and former
> Mollenhauer, Fritz Wurlitzer....) are only playable with the
bassethorn
> mouthpiece.
> By the way i'm playing the Oehler system as well as the Reform-b=F6hm
system,
> same bore, same mouthpiece.
>=20
> Hans
>=20
>=20
> Hans, I don't understand your use of terminology. When you say that
> your Wurlitzer bassethorn is only playable with a bassethorn
mouthpiece,
> what are you saying? Do you mean that it requires and alto clarinet
> mouthiece or a soprano clarinet mouthpiece. To clarify, let me state
> that both of my Selmer basset horns, and my new Fox basset horn as
well
> as Steve's all use a soprano clarinet mouthpiece. The LeBlanc, new
> Buffet, and Uebel use an alto clarinet mouthpiece.
>=20
> The fact is that the phrase "basset horn mouthpiece" is ambiguous,
which
> is the reason I don't understand your use of temrinology here. Please
> clarify.
>=20
> Dan
>=20
> P.S. Is your Wurlitzer a German or a French system?
>=20
>=20
> H. de Nijs wrote:
>> It is good news to hear that the excellent german book about
bassethorns
>> (authors: Thomas Grass and Dietrich Demus) will be translated soon
into
>> English, because of it gives a very good insight in history of this
>> wonderfull instrument and a nice overview about the numerous small
makers
> of
>> bassethorns in Germany (and Austria) as well as the b=F6hm system
brands.
> I'm
>> playing a fantastic Fritz Wurlitzer Bassethorn (diameter 16,95 mm)
from
> his
>> latest period (1974), completely handforged keywork and a dream of a
> sound,
>> of course only playable with a bassethorn mouthpiece (with basethorn
> reeds),
>> which gives in my opinion the optimal resistance for a characteristic
>> bassethorn sound.
>>=20
>> Hans
>>=20
>> Thank you Dan for your summary of basset horns in all their breeds.
>> The bore of my Uebel at the middle joint is 17 mms*.
>> The tone is now good, I am satisfied with it.
>> I will not defend my dexterity or lack thereof.
>> This Uebel cannot be played with an alto mouthpiece
>> (which I have). One is not supposed to admit to owning
>> an alto clarinet, but I do. It is rather old, and made by
>> Alexandre, Paris, possibly getting on for 80-100 years ago
>> and has a crumpled metal horn. I am looking for a orphaned
>> alto clarinet horn to graft on, if anyone knows of such a thing.
>> The bore in 18 mms. I lack the latest Langwill, but an Alexandre,
>> Paris is in Langwill VI (1980, of which I see as few as 1000
>> copies were printed) dating from 1839-1850 and making
>> brass instruments.
>> =20
>> *John Newhill, in his book on the basset horn, of which
>> I happen to have a copy of the smarter new edition,
>> (available from Gary) suggests the following bore sizes:
>> 16 mms or less as narrow (Buffet before 1990, Fox,
>> Selmer, Ripamonti)
>> 16-17.2 mms as medium (All German/Austrian makers,
>> Fox, Buffet after 1990) and
>> 18 mms and over as large (Leblanc)
>>=20
>> After the publication of the German book on the basset horn, which
>> has a repertoire catalogue of over 90 pages, several specialists
>> have offered a further 140 works, for inclusion in the second
edition.
>> The second edition will form the basis of an English edition, now
>> being translated in Germany. A small group of enthusiasts and
>> professionals in Britain have been 'rounded up' by the authors
>> to proof-read the translation.
>>=20
>> MB
>>=20
>> Dan Leeson wrote on Tuesday, September 30, 2003 2:40 PM
>> Subject: Re: [kl] Clarinet Overhaul Hell: Thomas Ohme - The Woodwind
Shop
>>=20
>>=20
>>> The German basset horns made in the French system were problematic
in
>>> that they all had wide bores, and I was not satisfied with the
character
>>> of sound produced. It was invariable stuffy and hard to play, what
with
>>> that alto clarinet mouthpiece, which I hated.
>>=20

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