Klarinet Archive - Posting 000149.txt from 2006/12

From: "Ann Satterfield" <annhsatt@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Basset horn vs alto clarinet
Date: Wed, 27 Dec 2006 11:05:27 -0500

I am glad this discussion is continuing. And thanks to those who =

responded directly.

I now have experience to compare the Selmer 9 alto clarinet to the =

Selmer =

basset horn (no number on body of instrument but dates from 70's. =

has plateau keys). I have also played on Selmer 9 bass clarinet. =

(And 70's Selmer A clarinets--both of us in orchestra were VERY =

motivated to get own A's quickly).

The alto clarinet (when I got a custom mouthpiece) is a joy to play =

for tone and tuning, once I adjusted to voicing and not overblowing. =

But the hand spacing is awkward and becomes uncomfortable after more =

than few minutes. This instrument played very well until a student =

left it in the trunk of car in Florida in July for 2 weeks. School =

isn't willing to pay for repad/overhaul. Interesting feature, the =

alto clarinet has tuning slide adjustment in the neck, similar to =

bass clarinets. The basset horn doesn't, comes with two different =

length necks. =

The community college also has a series 9 bass =

clarinet that has been played to death. A pretty decent instrument =

in pitch and fairly even in timbre when fresh adjusted, but doesn't =

have the sound capabilities of recent Buffet and Selmer basses.

The U has two 70's Selmer bassets, with plateau keys. They haven't =

been played much--not surprising. #2 has better tone, but is worse in =

pitch. #1 is fuzzy sounding, so isn't as disturbing to have to go to =

beyond centered pitch to play low register in tune when clarion =

sounds good. The hand spacing is more comfortable than alto clar, but =

seems to be at the expense of pitch and timbre. The tech replaced two =

pads that had lost skin and I have tinkered with adjustments, but it =

still is a dog.

Got recording of opera from library, Archiv, conducted by John Eliot =

Gardiner. The basset horn low register has similar pitch problems in =

this recording.

Good thing about this weird basset horn experience, I appreciate my =

nice bass!

Ann Stanfield
MM student, U of South Florida

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