Klarinet Archive - Posting 000205.txt from 2007/07

From: X-BakerBotts-MailScanner-tom.henson@-----.com
Subj: [kl] Clarinet Manufacture - Differences between French and German - Wood is a "Living" Material
Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2007 16:05:17 -0400

I have talked with a couple of local clarinet professors here in Houston =
on the subject of breaking in a new clarinet and they both told me that =
some professionals they worked with prefer to play on only newer =
clarinets because the older they get, the less resistance they have. I =
don't think it was a question at all of "blow out", a controversial =
subject which has been discussed here before. It was more that they felt =
a clarinet looses some of the resistance that you have when it is new =
and the wood is not yet fully broken in. They actually preferred this =
"new" resistance to a clarinet that was well broken in. This may be what =
Harold Wright had in mind when he made the statement about a clarinet =
only lasting professionally for 10-12 years, but it would be speculation =
on my part to say this is what he meant for sure since he is no longer =
with us.

To me, this is an interesting subject to discuss, but little real =
scientific data may be available to back up any theories. I think it =
would be interesting from a scientific point of view to take a new =
wooden clarinet and measure the bore dimensions. Then, as the clarinet =
is played in over the course of a couple of years, to periodically go =
back and take measurements again. At least this would document how the =
wood changes over time and how this affects the bore dimensions and =
such. I'm not sure how one would scientifically interpret this type of =
data, as I think it would get subjective from that point on as it =
relates to how the sound has or has not changed. At least changes in =
tuning could be documented based upon real measurements.=20

I do think that most people accept that wood is a "living" material in =
that it does change (expand and contract) and move depending on the =
environment it is subjected to. A synthetic material, by nature, should =
not, and thus I have heard it referred to as a "dead" material. It is =
this "elasticity" that natural wood has then that makes it different =
from a synthetic material. Even then, a synthetic material may have some =
elasticity, but it would most likely me much less than wood.

Another benefit of doing this type of testing would be to show how =
different materials react differently over the course of time. It is =
because of these natural properties of wood, as I was told by a leading =
acoustician, that he would not recommend using a clarinet made of a =
synthetic or "greenline" type material as the main clarinet of a =
professional. He did agree that this type of clarinet would be great for =
outdoor use or under harsh conditions, but not as the primary clarinet =
for indoor use. He simply felt, based upon his experience, that wood was =
superior in response and sound. While I did not ask for imperial =
scientific evidence of this, I do respect that this person is in a =
position to have made sound opinions based upon very real, valid =
experience gained actually making clarinets for a living.

I think it is also interesting to see how the manufacturing methods of =
the French makers vs. the German makers differ and why that is relevant =
to this topic of how long a clarinet will last. Let me explain.

I currently play on a set of Wurlitzer Reform-Boehm clarinets, and for =
me, the process of changing to these instruments was much more involved =
that just picking them up and playing on them. Besides the fact that I =
am now using a German mouthpiece with German reeds, the way that most =
German clarinets are made is different than the top 3 French =
manufacturers. Why does that matter and how is it relevant to this =
discussion? Read on.

The German mindset is, I believe, to make products that typically last =
longer or retain their value longer through the way they are designed =
and manufactured, even to the materials used. When I lived in Germany =
back in the mid 1970's, it was not unusual for people to finance a car =
for 7-10 years. It was an accepted fact that most German made cars would =
easily last this long if they were properly cared for. This was not so =
of the American made cars of that time. The mindset was, and still is to =
this day, that the car would last a long time and was not an item that =
you threw away every 3-4 years simply because something new came out. =
This mindset can also be found in the way that the German handmade =
clarinets are manufactured today.

To start with, they age the wood much longer than the French =
manufacturers do. I was told that this is between 12-15 years on =
average. A lot of effort is made by them to insure that the wood used is =
as stable as they can possibly have. They are very patient when it comes =
to the wood since they consider this the single most important element =
in a clarinet. Like most manufacturers, they pre-drill the blanks and =
then age them. I was told that they store the blanks in wooden crates =
that are open on the top and sides so air can circulate and each year =
the wood is rotated to a different place in their shop to make sure that =
they are as acclimatized as best they can be.

Each year, the wood that is ready to be used is brought down to the shop =
floor. The wood is then tap tested for resonance qualities and then =
sorted by grade. The wood with the highest sound resonance is set aside =
for making only the top of the line clarinets and I have seen the crates =
marked as such. The entire supply of wood for the year is in that batch =
and when they run out, they stop making clarinets for that year. I am =
sure that they have projections based upon previous years of how many =
clarinets they expect to make, but it would be a fraction of what Buffet =
makes in a single month I would guess.

During the manufacture process, they use a time table as to how fast the =
wood is worked. The wooden blanks go through different stages of =
manufacture and then are "rested" for a few days until the next step is =
performed. They claim that this helps relieve the stress of working the =
wood and allows the wood time to go back to it's natural shape before =
working it again. All machining and drilling steps are performed when =
the wood is at the relaxed state, like a rubber band that is at rest. =
They do not want to work the wood when it is under stress or stretched =
out like a rubber band, as the wood once you finish working it, will =
want to go back to it's relaxed state. Your exact dimensions you just =
machined will then change and be off to some degree.=20

This is certainly not how the top 3 French manufacturers make a =
clarinet, as they are much more mass produced. Once a clarinet is put =
into production, they do not stop working it until the clarinet is =
finished a few days (or hours) later. The clarinet may then sit on a =
shelf somewhere for a few weeks or months before it is sold. This would =
explain, in my opinion, why you can play many French clarinets side by =
side and each one is different to some degree. In this age of CNC =
machinery and keywork that is very consistent from one key to the next, =
it is the wood that is the deciding factor why one clarinet plays =
differently than another. Assuming, of course, that the clarinet was not =
made using dull machine tools and/or had poor assembly.=20

German clarinets are much more consistent as a finished product, but =
they still each have a personality all their own. No two pieces of wood =
are the same and no two pieces of wood will machine/react in the exact =
same way either. In some respects, I think that the French makers will =
acknowledge this statement as a positive thing. With so many small =
differences in the way their clarinets play, there is always something =
that is just right for everyone, assuming that you try enough to find =
the "right" one for you. With German clarinets, you place the order, =
wait until it is made, and then accept it as the best that they can make =
and go from there. It is you who then must adjust to the clarinet and =
not the other way around. Another basic difference between the French =
and German way of making a clarinet in my opinion. It's like the mother =
who buys clothes for the growing child and it doesn't fit at first. The =
mother tells the child that they will "grow" into it. This is so very =
true of a German clarinet.

After Wurlitzer has finished working the wooden blanks, and before the =
clarinet goes through the final set up and tuning, they coat the entire =
inside bore, including all tone holes and their facings, along with all =
the end grain of the joints with lacquer. Basically, they coat any part =
that has been machined or drilled. Any surface that has been touched and =
changed and thus has exposed grain. The outside of the body is stained =
and then hand polished to a mirror finish which seals the grain as well. =
The wood at this point is fairly waterproof.

The break-in process for a Wurlitzer clarinet can take up to 3 years, =
depending on how much you play on it. Once the lacquer in the bore is =
worn down to the point of the natural wood being exposed and the grain =
starting to raise, you are supposed to send it back to the factory where =
they rebore it with the final dimensions and then re-tune it. Because =
all the tone hole chimneys are synthetic delrin plugs that are glued =
into the body, they even replace them if necessary for perfect tuning. =
The bore is also polished to a mirror finish at this time to seal the =
wood. It is because of this effort that they go to that a Wurlitzer =
clarinet, or most of the high end German clarinets, should last a =
lifetime or more. It is unheard of to change clarinets every 10 years or =
so in Germany because of this. They see the way a French clarinet is =
manufactured as being "not finished" and not just the way the keywork is =
setup, but the way the wood is processed. It is no wonder that they are =
so expensive, but if you only have to buy one set of clarinets during =
your lifetime the cost is not so bad.

Because of all the lacquer in the bore and tone holes, breaking in a =
German clarinet is not only more time consuming, it plays with more =
resistance until that first overhaul is performed and the clarinet is =
rebored. Not something for the weak of breath. It takes more patience =
and thus why a person transitioning from a French clarinet may get =
frustrated with the process. I was once told by a clarinet professor who =
has played on both French and German clarinets that a French clarinet is =
designed and manufactured to play it's best when your first take it out =
of the case. He claimed that most French clarinets actually degrade =
sound wise as they continually break in over the course of many years as =
opposed to a German made clarinet which is designed to take years of =
breaking in before it plays at it's best. While I am not trying to =
validate that statement, I can understand why they would say something =
like that given the fundamentally different ways that the French and =
Germans approach manufacturing clarinets, and woodwinds for that matter. =
Heckle bassoons also come to mind as having a very similar type of =
manufacturing process and mindset. I did have the pleasure of visiting =
their workshop some years back, but they refused to take anyone onto the =
shop floor and said it was because of trade secrets that they did not =
allow anyone back there.

Now, getting back to Harold Wright and his comment that his playing was =
a combination of French and German playing. Playing style not =
withstanding, keep in mind that he played on Moennig Buffet clarinets. =
This would have meant that his clarinets were anything than what was =
produced by the Buffet factory. Moennig only used the Buffet R-13 as a =
starting point and made many extensive modifications. Some of which have =
been documented in the Klarinet archives and is very interesting to =
read. Also keep in mind that Hans Moennig was trained as a woodwind =
maker in Germany. I have a feeling that Herr Moennig put more German =
design into those French Buffet's than people give him credit for.=20

No wonder Robert Marcellus also swore by his Moennig clarinets. I have a =
close friend that studied under Marcellus back in the 60's at the =
Cleveland Institute during a time when Marcellus was still playing =
professionally. He told me that his conversations with Marcellus would =
invariable come back to the same discussion. Marcellus had heard a =
recording of a German clarinetist whom he did not know, but whom he =
described as having a very dark sound, and that he was so haunted with =
that sound that it drove him to frustration. He claimed it was because =
of his quest to reproduce this sound that it lead him to Moennig and =
Kaspar. Moennig also created his famous barrel because of Marcellus' =
desire for something more from his French Buffet's. Even then, my friend =
said that he confided that he still felt somewhat frustrated in that he =
pushed the boundaries sound wise and yet still felt limited. It was this =
frustration that always lead him back to Moennig and why he and Moennig =
did so much experimenting on the R-13. The last piece of the puzzle for =
Marcellus was the Morre reeds. They had a thicker blank and were cut =
more in the tradition of a German reed than a French one at that time. =
You can also thank Marcellus, as well as a few others, who when Morre =
stopped making reeds, went to Vandoren to ask them to produce something =
similar.

Tom Henson

=20

-----Original Message-----
From: Juan Francisco Vicente Becerro [mailto:juanfran2@-----.com]=20
Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2007 10:10 AM
To: klarinet@-----.org
Subject: Re: [kl] Harold Wright Radio Interview

I remember Dudley Moore interviewing Richard Stoltzman. I can't remember
it in detail, and it was dubbed (Spanish), so maybe I'm loosing =
something in the translation, but after some question like "What can you =
do with a clarinet after some years" -can't remember the number of =
years, but I think it was quite less than 10-, Stoltzman answered "A =
lamp base".

Juanfran

Tom.Henson@-----.com escribi=F3:
> Some of his comments, like the one about a clarinet only lasting =
about
> 10-12 years before it looses it sound, I found quite interesting. He=20
> claims that he changed clarinets every 10 years.
>=20
>=20

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