Klarinet Archive - Posting 000425.txt from 2005/11

From: Fred Jacobowitz <fbjacobo@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Product Review
Date: Wed, 30 Nov 2005 18:49:07 -0500

Good question. I know there is a trend in the clarinet world to make
the eefer sound more 'refined' but I strongly disagree with that. The
whole reason for an eefer's existence has been it's wonderfully bright
sound quality. To make it into nothing but a high beefer is silly. The
world really doesn't need that. However, composers DO need (and have
proved it) the eefer's traditional sound.
That said, there IS a situation in which you'd want a prettier eefer
sound: doing solo pieces not originally written for eefer, such as
flute/piccolo transcriptions, etc. For that I found a nice mouthpiece.

Fred Jacobowitz

Kol Haruach Klezmer Band
Ebony and Ivory Duo
On Nov 30, 2005, at 5:55 PM, Matthew Lloyd wrote:

> I'm a bit confused.
>
> Why is it good to make an Eb clarinet less like an Eb clarinet?
>
> I'm sure I'm missing something - please fill me in.
>
> Which Buffet by the way?
>
> Matthew
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: KEVIN J FAY [mailto:kevinfay3020@-----.net]
> Sent: 30 November 2005 06:28
> To: klarinet@-----.org
> Subject: [kl] Product Review
>
> 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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