Klarinet Archive - Posting 000878.txt from 2004/01

From: "Keith" <100012.1302@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Amati clarinets
Date: Fri, 30 Jan 2004 09:54:28 -0500

Being in Prague this week, after reading this thread, I decided to check =
out
the Amati C at a central music store. And ended up buying it at the
Christmas discount price of about $400! It's a very nice little thing, =
plays
easily and freely with a good tone. Will for sure do while I save up for =
a
Steve Fox. This model was nickel plate, quite decent workmanship. The
regular price of the silver plated version is about $550 here.

Comments on Jesse's comments, which may show some improvement recently:

> > Hi Erik, I just received an Amati C yesterday from WW&BW.=20
> Right out of the box I noticed a couple things, the G# adjustment =
screw=20
> appears to have been silver plated onto the key, it won't turn at all. =

This seems OK though stiff. Not upside down.

> Also, there are wood chips remaining in the sockets of the barrel=20
> (attached to the bore), there is no splintering or chipping but the =
barrel

> doesn't seem to have been bored cleanly. =20

None of this in mine, and a very clean, smooth bore.

> The wood in the main joints looks pretty good, the exterior shows some
open grain, the bore looks=20
> good, smooth, polished and no visible grain.

Close grain on the outside on mine - in the store lighting I thought it =
was
resonite at first!

> > I played it for about 15 minutes yesterday and used a tuner,it blows
> > freely and I like the sound. I haven't had time to graph the tuning =
but
> > there are some definate wowsers. The throat A is very sharp, B one =
step
> > above that is flat and the thumb F is very sharp.

I used the shop tuner after getting used to it. The above problems were
completely absent. The ones I noted were

> the sliver key Bb/Eb was flatter than the RH side key. Just a matter =
of
balancing the venting, which their tech did on the spot. He also tweaked =
the
LH4 C key so I could reach it with my short little finger.

> The lowF/clarion C are quite a bit sharp. The sound is clear though, =
and I
am sure I will be able to tune this with bit of cork, as the twelfth was
good.

All in all a good buy. I'll bring it to Santa Fe in a couple of weeks =
and
Forest Aten and Joe Fasel can compare it with theirs. Then we can play =
the
basset horn trios on C clarinets, just to annoy Dan :-)

Keith Bowen

> ------------------------------
>=20
> Date: Thu, 29 Jan 2004 20:13:00 -0800
> To: <klarinet@-----.org>
> From: "Avi Rostov" <avi@-----.com>
> Subject: Re: [kl] Amati clarinets
> Message-ID: <002c01c3e6e7$5b239bc0$9342a6d1@rostov>
>=20
> The student model is especially well suited for students with=20
> small hands.
> I've had 2 5th graders who absolutely could not cover the=20
> holes on any other
> brand and are doing well on their Amatis.
>=20
> ----- Original Message -----=20
> From: "Erik Tkal" <bbtkal@-----.net>
> To: <klarinet@-----.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, January 28, 2004 10:32 AM
> Subject: [kl] Amati clarinets
>=20
> > Does anyone here have any experience playing Amati=20
> clarinets? I notice
> that their professional model A horn is a full Boehm and not=20
> very expensive.
> I was once told to stay away from anything of theirs older=20
> than the past
> couple of years, but that their quality has improved=20
> significantly as of
> late. Any comments?
> >
> > Erik
> >

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