Klarinet Archive - Posting 000023.txt from 2007/08

From: X-BakerBotts-MailScanner-tom.henson@-----.com
Subj: RE: [kl] Re: Clarinet Manufacture - Differences between French and German - Wood is a "Living" Material
Date: Fri, 03 Aug 2007 14:57:04 -0400

Hi Keith,

Another thing you will find about the Wurlitzer's is their uncanny
ability to effortlessly play large interval jumps. I attribute this to
the double tone hole venting and the very stable nodal locking which
results in excellent note to note intonation & register to register. The
sound timbre when jumping from one register to another remains in
character and thus does not seem to stand out or add a perceived break
in the sound.

The bore of my upper joint is larger at the top and tapers down to a
standard size French bore at the bottom (or middle of the clarinet). I
was told that the upper joint is of a conical design, while the lower
joint has the very long parallel walls with a short flare just before
the bell. The lower joint design is typical even of the German system
clarinets and is what gives the Reform-Boehm the sound character like
that of the full German system clarinets. When you go down low the
resonance is so pronounced that it is reminiscent of a bass clarinet in
that it has a full, reedy vibration, but still having that tight,
focused sound which does not spread down low unlike a French clarinet.
This is even more pronounced on my A clarinet down low and I think it
would make an outstanding Basset Clarinet given the sound quality of the
lower register. I was told that they could make me just the lower basset
joint and that it would play every bit as well as regular basset
clarinet.

I also have the French barrels and completely agree with your statement
about them sounding like a Buffet. I also tried to play on them in the
beginning, but a good friend of mine told me to put them in the draw and
play on a German mouthpiece and reed. I have to admit that it took me
the better part of a year to find the right mouthpiece and reed
combination that worked well with me, but I did find it. I currently
play on a P+4 on a rubber Zinner blank. The new plastic mouthpieces that
Wurlitzer makes are good, but they have a different bore design and
utilize a 4 degree angled wall vs. the Zinner which has an 8 degree
angle. When using this combination, the sound and playability becomes
very much what they advertise, the flexibility of a French bore, but
with the sound character and tuning of a German clarinet.

I also have no problem playing Rhapsody in Blue, although it may be more
difficult on an Ohler system. In side by side play testing with a
clarinet section made up mainly of Buffet R-13's and a few Selmer
Signatures, I had absolutely no problems either blending or playing in
tune with them. As a matter of fact, I found that they tended to
gravitate toward my intonation more than the other way around because
the tuning is so solid and they said they could hear the pitch better.

Tom Henson

Keith Bowan said: << I have changed to Wurlitzer Schmidt Reform also
(and will be selling my Leblanc Concertos soon) and absolutely agree
about the tone and sound, ease of playing, intonation, uniformity,
clarion and altissimo etc. I now don't know why people use French
clarinets. >>

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