Klarinet Archive - Posting 000109.txt from 2009/12

From: Gary Van Cott <gary@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Any New Developments in Bass Clarinets?
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 2009 12:53:42 -0500

We are about a month from the NAMM show in Anaheim. I am curious if
anyone is aware of any new developments in bass clarinets I should be on
the lookout for.

The show is good for looking at what the Chinese manufacturers are doing
as they (or their distributors) bring instruments looking for placement
in the US and world markets. So far the best of these instruments are
along the line of what I tried at Kessler's a year ago, a low C bass
that played decently but had an awkward mechanism for the extended notes
and a very sharp low C#.

You would think that they would want to get their hands on top of the
line instruments and try to copy them exactly. If they produced
something that worked well, I think they could sell it in the
$3,000-5,000 range.

I am curious if anyone has tried the Buffet Greenline Low C Bass
Clarinet. I see it is for sale at the same price as the regular model.
It must weigh a ton. One of the big problems with bass clarinets is
keeping the mechanism working in changing temperatures and humidity and
I would think the composite material they are made of would be less
susceptible to expansion and contraction.

(Please pardon the double posting for those on both the klarinet and
bass clarinet lists.)

Gary
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