Klarinet Archive - Posting 000498.txt from 2005/06

From: "Keith" <100012.1302@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] RE: klarinet Digest 25 Jun 2005 09:01:01 -0000 Issue 6072
Date: Sat, 25 Jun 2005 05:43:13 -0400

I've played many of Forest's clarinets and I agree - his Greenline is a
great instrument. My only problem is that I find it a little heavy.

I used to own a metal clarinet, the first I owned in fact, and it was good.
I agree that it is the design and standard of manufacture that is the most
important thing. Far more good makers are familiar with wood of course.
Buffet had to do a major retool for working the composite grenadilla/resin
material, and it is probably inappropriate for custom makers, just as they
cannot do forged keywork.

It's also the case (see Benade) that the surface friction and the coupling
of the resonances of the air column and the material are slightly different
in different materials (at least for thin-walled instruments). This means
that instruments made in identical shapes out of two different materials
will sound and behave slightly differently. But once a maker is familiar
with making instruments out of a (suitable) material s/he can make a superb
instrument out of it, whether it be plastic, wood or metal.

Keith Bowen

> Date: Sat, 25 Jun 2005 00:51:46 -0500
> To: <klarinet@-----.org>
> From: "Forest Aten" <forestaten@-----.net>
> Subject: RE: [kl] beginner's clarinet
>
> It's the standard of manufacture
> > that determines the quality of the instrument, and not the material
> > alone. As we've discussed here before, the Buffet Greenline is,
> > strictly speaking, a "plastic" (composite material)
> clarinet. Not that
> > Buffet admits this in public.
> >
> > David B. Niethamer
> > dnietham@-----.edu
> > http://members.aol.com/dbnclar1/index.html
> >
> >
>
> David,
>
> My Buffet Greenline Bb is the best clarinet I own...and I own
> a lot of good clarinets.
>
> Forest Aten
>

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