Klarinet Archive - Posting 000035.txt from 2004/04

From: CBA <clarinet10001@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Followup Re: Baxter-Northrup C Clarinet
Date: Fri, 2 Apr 2004 22:07:01 -0500

Bill,

Speaking of mouthpieces and C clarinets, on my C, I use a Clark
Fobes "San Francisco" Bb mouthpiece, which was the best I had
tried on C clarinets. There were still some minor
inconsistencies in the "break" and with intonation (nothing like
the HUGE problems I had with other makes of Bb mouthpieces on C
clarinets.) I had the tenon on the Fobes mouthpiece shortened
(the black rubber part between the cork and the end of the
mouthpiece) and ALL of the intonation idiosyncracies and notes
that jumped out are in place now. I can't imagine playing on
anything else. You might try whatever Bb mouthpiece you are on
(if you can spare it for *just* C playing) and have the tenon
reduced in size. the shorter mouthpiece fixes what a shorter
barrel couldn't. Any repairman with a lathe should be able to do
the work. Just don't have them take out the rubber all the way
to the cork, because the cork won't stay in the grove anymore if
you do. Leave a little bit of black on the bottom of the cork.

I might also suggest an aftermarket barrel from Clark Fobes (on
this list) or Guy Chadash. I am not sure if Walter Grabner (also
on this list) or Morrie Backun makes a C barrel at this time,
since I don't think there is a lot of demand for them. Walter
makes a specific mouthpiece for C clarinet, although I haven't
tried it. All of the above get great reviews from people on the
list.

Kelly Abraham
Woodwinds - Computer Geek
New York City
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
--- Bill Stivers <stiversb@-----.com> wrote:
> 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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