Klarinet Archive - Posting 000030.txt from 2004/04
From: Bill Stivers <stiversb@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Followup Re: Baxter-Northrup C Clarinet
Date: Fri, 2 Apr 2004 18:30:01 -0500
I appreciate the informational pointers list members have thrown my
way; I actually tried out the horn yesterday and purchased it, and
will follow up with the museums cited to try to get more instrumental
history. Searching the Klarinet archives, Clark Fobes tracked down
information to the effect that Horst Moennig, Hans Moennig's brother,
either made, or set up, horns for Baxter-Northup (no second r, after
all) until his death in, I believe 1956. This gives me at least an
approximate age for this badboy.
Initial impressions? Well, good enough to actually buy it, unusually.
Good wood, though there was a minor chip here or there that can be
filled later, and no cracks, a big bonus. Undercut tone holes and
professional-feeling nickel-silver keywork that felt good under my
fingers. Intonation was consistently flat when I tried it in the
store, as if it might've been a low pitch instrument, around A=436 or
so, but was absolutely consistent on my tuner, which to my mind was a
pretty amazing feat for a C clarinet, low pitch or no.
I took the horn home and pored over it in a little more detail, and
made some minor adjustments to keywork- the bridge key assembly looked
as if it had been the victim of a student at one point- not so bad to
prevent my purchasing, but bad enough it needed to be teased back into
alignment.. and some screws here and there had to be tightened, but
nothing so bad that it will require professional attention in the
immediate future. I tried a harder reed, and that in combination with
better embouchure support brought tuning right up to where it needs to
be. It had been overhauled in 2000, and was still drum-tight. Best
part is, from my point of view, was that it was less expensive than a
new Amati C.
It requires a bit more "lip" than either my Buffet Bb or Leblanc A, in
terms of making sure everything sits just right, but overall I'm
extremely pleased. Again, it's consistent... if my embouchure slips,
every note seems to slip as much flat as every other.. I've never
played a C as in tune with itself as this one is.
All that being said: the one thing about the horn that worries me is
the mouthpiece. It's of an odd size, haven't broken out my calipers
yet, but it definitely seems to be a uniquely "C" clarinet mouthpiece,
even though it takes Bb reeds just fine. Anybody ever run into this
phenomenon, or have anything to say about the vagaries of C clarinets
from the first half of the 20th century?
--Bill
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