Klarinet Archive - Posting 000097.txt from 2006/12

From: "Keith Bowen" <bowenk@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] Stephen Fox
Date: Wed, 20 Dec 2006 18:23:10 -0500

Not much oversimplifying. I had decided to buy a basset horn (a 15-year
ambition) and did a big search of the market. The one that I had played
first (Uebel Boehm) was no longer available. I met Steve at Klarinetfest,
played his instruments (a medium bore BH only was at the show) and liked
both the instruments and the man. I decided to wait and see what Dan thought
about the narrow bore instrument, which Dan had specified and was then on
order. I wrote to introduce myself to Dan and asked his opinion, and he
generously invited me to visit and try it out. So I did so on a business
trip to Silicon Valley, spent a glorious afternoon with Dan playing his horn
and working through the volume of NMA that he edited, and fell totally in
love with it. I don't have Dan's depth of knowledge, but was certain that
that feel, style and beautiful appearance was exactly what I wanted. So I
placed the order, specified how I wanted the keywork (it is a little
different from Dan's, since I have three "basset extension" instruments and
wanted them to match in both thumb and little finger layout) and bit my
nails for about 18 months till it arrived. It has surpassed my expectations
in every way.

It feels very different from a Leblanc etc, and even feels different from
the current Fox model (which has uncovered holes, thinner walls). I think I
prefer our design but it is very hard to say. Steve believes the altissimo
tuning is better on the thinner wall models, but I don't feel a problem with
them. Forest Aten has also spent much time playing mine and the current
model and may have other comments. I think he preferred the one he was
playing at the time. Both designs are incredibly fine.

Both cocobolo and gold add a significant amount to the cost. Like Dan, I
have no regrets. One of my best memories is playing the GP with Dan on our
glorious twins (they are made from the same branch of the same cocobolo
tree).

Keith

> -----Original Message-----
> From: klarinet-return-89523-bowenk=compuserve.com@-----.org
> [mailto:klarinet-return-89523-bowenk=compuserve.com@-----.org] On
> Behalf Of Wayne Thompson
> Sent: 20 December 2006 22:02
> To: klarinet@-----.org
> Subject: [kl] Stephen Fox
>
>
> Dan and Keith,
> Do you care to tell the story of how you learned of
> Stephen Fox and decided to order a Basset Horn from
> him? Dan, did you have a chance to play a basset horn
> that he had made? Ten years ago was early in his
> business, was it not? Keith, I believe I've read that
> you bought yours after playing Dan's; but that's
> probably oversimplifying, yes?
>
> Wayne
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
> Klarinet is a service of Woodwind.Org, Inc. http://www.woodwind.org

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