 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: jdbassplayer
Date: 2020-02-13 02:54
If so, would you mind measuring some of the toneholes? I’m looking for the dimensions of the low E, Eb, D, Db and C (bell) toneholes. Also I’m curious if there is any flare in the bottom of the lower joint. Thanks I’m in advance!
-Jdbassplayer
Post Edited (2020-02-13 02:54)
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2020-02-13 03:13
The bore is parallel over its entire length - I don't know of any basset horns with a flare in the lower part of the lower joint.
Basset clarinets have the expansion (going by Selmer 10S basset clarinets), but Selmer basset horns, like Buffet and Leblanc, have a purely cylindrical bore.
When I get some time I'll take the keys off and measure the lower joint toneholes. I've moved the thumb low Db and C touches to reduce travel and position them below the RH thumbrest (as on Prestige basses) as I can't get on with them being set off to the left and the excessive travel they had.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: jdbassplayer
Date: 2020-02-13 03:33
Thanks Chris, I though I remember reading a post on here a few years ago where you said your early Selmer basset horn had some flaring in the lower joint near the last few toneholes? The reason I’m asking is because every small bore basset horn I’ve ever fixed has had intonation problems on the 4 lowest notes. It seems to me that the lowest toneholes on most small bore basset horns are too small and positioned too low. I’ve seen some instruments (Buffet) where there is a small flare in the tenon and some (Selmer) where there is just a jump into the 19mm bore of the bell. I have a theory that modern small bore basset horns were based off of instruments with a flare at the bottom of the lower joint, which would explain the position of the toneholes.
This also got me thinking about the size of the toneholes themselves. On the Buffet Prestige bass clarinet I have access too some toneholes are almost the size of the bore itself. I wonder if this is also true on the Prestige basset horn as well. It seems to me that manufactures in the 20th century possibly tried to use smaller toneholes to better mimic the sound of classical instruments, which had tiny toneholes by modern standards. I’m wondering if enlarging the toneholes on some of these older 20th century instruments to almost the size of the bore and possibly adding a flare to the lower joint could make them play better and more in tune.
-Jdbassplayer
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2020-02-13 14:53
"I remember reading a post on here a few years ago where you said your early Selmer basset horn had some flaring in the lower joint near the last few toneholes?"
I forgot about that as it's been a while since I last played my Selmer basset horn as it still doesn't have a working low D key.
Looking at it just now, it does have an expansion in the lower joint bore from below the Eb tonehole (the 2nd tonehole above the tenon - the tonehole where low Eb issues from as opposed to the next higher one operated by the low Eb key). Then there's a further and more pronounced expansion in the area of the tenon similar to that seen on German/Oehler systems.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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