Klarinet Archive - Posting 000204.txt from 2006/10

From: "dnleeson" <dnleeson@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] Fobes Eb Extensions
Date: Tue, 17 Oct 2006 10:07:28 -0400

Clark, from the story below, which you posted last evening, can I
assume that the overhaul you did 15 years ago on a pair of full
system Boehm clarinets represented my instruments that you
overhauled for me?? And also, was David's C clarinet the one I
sold him? I hope that in both cases, the instruments were mine
so as to have given you the idea for your extension.

Dan Leeson
DNLeeson@-----.net

-----Original Message-----
From: Clark W Fobes [mailto:claroneman@-----.net]
Sent: Monday, October 16, 2006 8:02 PM
To: klarinet@-----.org
Subject: [kl] Fobes Eb Extensions

My Eb extension was an idea that had been fomenting for several
years, but
initially as an addition for Bb clarinets. The concept came from
working on
a pair of full system Boehm clarinets about 15 years ago and
noticing how
beautifully the B naturals spoke and tuned on those instruments.
But like
most of my good ideas it sat in some neurological way station
until David
Niethammer presented an interesting problem to me.

David owned a very old Buffet C clarinet that had a modern
bell. This
bell was obviously too short and the instrument was unusable due
to the
extremely sharp Bell tones. David wanted me to make a bell, but I
don't have
the proper set up. I proposed that I make an extension instead. I
believe it
took two versions, but the 2nd worked so well that I decided to
experiment
with a similar extension for Eb

Originally the idea was to improve the drastic timber change
when
crossing from the throat tones to the bell tones. This it does
quite well,
because the tone is coming out of a tone hole rather than the
bell. The
interesting phenomenon that I did not expect was how much more
even the
entire range of the instrument played and particularly how the
extension
stabilized the altissimo register..

I first showed that extensions at the Clarfest in Utah. They
were a big
hit. I believe I sold 6 of the 8 I brought

I had never seen this concept used on any clarinet as an
extension and I
thought I had an original idea. However, upon showing it with
pride to the
Buffet guys at the Utah conference they told me that at one time
they had
made something like that for the Elite clarinets!

My newest extensions are made of Cocobolo which produces an
even warmer
sound - plus I really like the look of the dark red wood against
the black.

Clark W Fobes

.

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