Klarinet Archive - Posting 000145.txt from 2010/12

From: K S <krsmav@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] barrel question - Matching Barrel to Clarinet
Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2010 09:13:16 -0500

Kurt Heisig says:

> The claim is that the better companies match the barrel to the clarinet. <

Certainly a new Buffet gets played briefly at the factory, to make
sure it works. I'm sure the same happens with Selmer, Leblanc and
Yamaha. However, I doubt that much matching is done. I don't doubt
that matching is done by custom makers such as Rossi, Chadash or
Wurlitzer. Buffets imported to the U.S. at least used get "Platinum
Service" by Fran=E7ois Kloc's team, when an obviously mismatched barrel
could be replaced. See
http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=3D1&i=3D45591&t=3D4543=
8.

In a video on grenadilla that is occasionally repeated, a well-known
player (I forget whom) is shown working on a Buffet Elite. He rotated
the bell to find the most resonant position, and the trademark was
stamped so that it faced up, the bell was in that position.

Kalmen Opperman did the same for his hand-made barrels and inset a
small mother of pearl dot to show the correct position. You sat with
him while he set up a semi-finished barrel to fit your particular
clarinet and playing style. The rotation and marking was only one
step in a complex process. He also advised rotating and testing the
bell. I find that barrel rotation makes a significant difference and
that bell rotation makes a small but noticeable difference.

Ken Shaw
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