Klarinet Archive - Posting 000423.txt from 2005/11

From: "KEVIN J FAY" <kevinfay3020@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Product Review
Date: Wed, 30 Nov 2005 01:30:22 -0500

I bought one of those Clark Fobes Eb extensions.

First of all, I have to say that Clark was exceptionally easy to deal with.
He sent three extensions to try, with the expectation that I'd send two
back. He doesn't know me from a hole in the floor, but trusted me with
several hundred bucks of his handiwork. Impressive.

I couldn't tell much of a difference between the long B with or without the
extension - I guess my Buffet bell is better than most. The low E didn't
sound much different either. Two notes that don't sound very different
isn't a good reason to spend a pile of money. There were other
ramifications, though - more below.

At my wind ensemble rehearsal, though, things got interesting. In my wind
ensemble, I happen to sit next to the 1st oboe player. She has big ears,
and no hesitation to tell me how I sound. (Since I'm married to her, she
seems to have no hesitation to tell me lots of things!)

I didn't tell her that I was using Clark's extension. At the end of
rehearsal, chatting whilst putting the grenedilla kids in their case, she
asked what I did differently - better blend, less edge.

For reasons not fathomable to my poor pea brain, Clark's extensions help the
Eb play like a "larger" clarinet. Takes a bit of the edge off, perhaps. In
any event, made it easier to play with flutes & oboes and not have them
scowl so much.

My orchestra has played a number of new pieces by Greg Short (a composer
here in the Pacific NW). One featured the Eb. His observation was that an
eepher came with two settings - "stun" and "kill." (He wanted "kill.")
Clark's extensions move your "kill" to "stun" - and "stun" to something that
even flute players might want to play along with.

I like it, and will keep it. If you play a lot of Eb, you may want to try
one too.

kjf

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