Klarinet Archive - Posting 000461.txt from 2003/10

From: GrabnerWG@-----.com
Subj: Re: [kl] "Grade" frustrations, et al.
Date: Thu, 16 Oct 2003 14:36:22 -0400

Ken -

As a "barrel-maker" and a repair person, I will tell you right now that there is no standardization in tenon size or tenon socket size between makers. OR even between different models by the same maker. OR within the same model from different eras.

There is no ill will going on here. There is just no way to make a barrel that will fit every clarinet ever made.

It sounds to me like the tenon on your Noblet is just slightly oversized. It's a simple matter to turn it down a bit on a lathe or grinder.

It really isn't the fault of the person who sold you the barrel, or the person who made the barrel.

There's only fault if the original barrel didn't fit the clarinet.

BTW - it has nothing to do with the "grade" of the instrument, just the manufacturers specs. My original Selmer 10G barrels will NOT fit on a Buffet R-13, and R-13 barrels wobble unsatisfactorily on the Selmer. Who's at fault? Nobody, really.

The upper tenon socket on MOST barrels is more uniform, since the clarinet world has long since insisted on third-party mouthpieces. Maybe enough pressure could be put on the manufacturers to make the lower tenon size uniform.

Just my $.02 worth!~

Walter Grabner
www.clarinetXpress.com
world class clarinet and bass clarinet mouthpieces

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