 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: rollercoastermike
Date: 2008-07-12 05:37
I'm looking for a thumbrest but I'm not sure what's out there really. I've seen that two major models are the Ridenour and the student and pro Kooiman.
I would appreciate any quick experiences (was it good or not?) that anyone has had with any models.
Thank you!
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Author: autumnsilence
Date: 2008-07-12 07:03
i have never really had a 'special' thumbrest on the two clarinets that i have owned in the past. Just the plain old ones that do not adjust, (and whithout any padding or anything). I was on a site earlier that does repairs of instruments and it does a bunch of fancy stuff like repolishing the keys in silver,nickel and gold, replacing stuff and oiling wooden instruments. They even ingrave cool designs on there also. They can replace your thumbrest with an adjustable one for 45 bucks, not including shipping. I dont really know much about what your looking for because i have never gone searching for 'custom' ones if they even make them, and i also have no idea of what the price range for thumbrests are, but maybe you will have some luck with this site, i was planning on buying an old, used R13 and getting it totaly overhauled but it turns out someone offered me a good one so i dont need to now, but they do all sorts of repairs and other stuff. They have an e-mail and phone number if you want to ask them something specific. dont know if this is what you were looking for but hope it helps, maybe the site will come in handy if you ever need repairs..
http://www.lowkeymusic.com/low_key_musical_repair_011.htm
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2008-07-12 16:46
Important question: Why do you need a thumbrest?
I have never tried the Kooiman. The most important thing with employing this rest is to make sure that you consult a physical therapist/physician to adjust it properly (once it's attached to the clarinet) or else you will not get your money's worth.
Because of the cost, the trip to the repair shop, and the consultation that the Kooiman requires: I would call Tom and buy his thumbrest first (which I use every day). It is $12.
If the Ridenour doesn't do the job for you, then you can shell out the $$$$$ for the Kooiman.
James
Gnothi Seauton
Post Edited (2008-07-12 16:47)
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Author: C2thew
Date: 2008-07-12 17:28
Some people hate em, some people love em. but the kooiman thumbrest puts the practical into playing. If you enjoy playing for long periods of times without having to brandish your clarinet "thumb" then look into the kooiman thumbrest. How it works is that it displaces the weight closer to your hand, reducing the multiplyer effect when the clarinet is sitting at the tip of your thumb, therefore having to hold more weight while straining your thumb muscles. So by bringing the weight in, your hand is more relaxed and your brain isn't nagging at you to rest your hand every hour or so. you just keep playing!
but you have to remember that clarinet players are really finicky at keeping to the status quo at times. i've let other players try the kooiman and they've all complained that it just "didn't feel right" "couldn't get used to it" "get's in the way" "slows down your hand control" etc etc. and while it may not be the cure for them, it's fabulous for those that enjoy comfort.
Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. they are but improved means to an unimproved end, an end which was already but too easy to arrive as railroads lead to Boston to New York
-Walden; Henry Thoreau
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Author: liam_hockley
Date: 2008-07-12 18:04
I got the cheap model of the Kooiman installed on both my clarinets earlier this year... and I really love it. Before, I was having trouble playing for long periods of time because of hand pain, etc. but this product seems to have solved that. It does take some work to adjust the thumbrest to your own hand... I found that the part that fits over your thumb did not go low enough for my liking. I experimented with a variety of solutions, and settled on cutting a piece of plastic off a tube of pen ink found in a ballpoint pen, and it seems to work. It took a while to get used to the thumbrest (on notes like open G and high C the clarinet feels unbalanced, like it's going to fall out of your hand) but that feeling went away after a week or so. If you're willing to spend a bit of time adjusting the part I think it's probably worth a try because the product is fairly inexpensive and can be installed very quickly by a technician. I don't think it would really be necessary to consult a physical therapist for this thumbrest. Just adjust it until it's comfortable and spend a week or two deciding if you like it. Good luck!
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2008-07-12 21:44
I use the Ridenour thumb saddle and love it. It opens up the right hand a bit, and the cushioning effect is great for the thumb, too. I hate playing without it any more. I guess I'm spoiled. And for 12 bucks, you can't beat it!
My daughter keeps three of them in her cases, one for the Bb, one for the A and one for the eefer, so she doesn't have to switch over during orchestral rehearsals or performances.
Jeff
“Everyone discovers their own way of destroying themselves, and some people choose the clarinet.” Kalman Opperman, 1919-2010
"A drummer is a musician's best friend."
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Author: rollercoastermike
Date: 2008-07-13 20:02
Thanks so much for all the help, guys!
The reason I'm looking into getting a thumbrest is to relieve hand/wrist pain so that I can play longer. I'm going to go with the Ridenour for now just because it's so cheap and I haven't heard of it cracking... yet.
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2008-07-13 20:49
As I mentioned above, my daughter uses them, as do I. We had to replace one of hers, but that was when she was switching it among three horns, and playing hour after hour on a daily basis. For $12 though, it's cheap enough to get an extra one!
Jeff
“Everyone discovers their own way of destroying themselves, and some people choose the clarinet.” Kalman Opperman, 1919-2010
"A drummer is a musician's best friend."
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2008-07-13 22:32
Just a cautious thought, many thumb /hand problems are related to the vertical location of the T R, where the the 1st finger "pinch" action should be considered. In my experience, merely inverting [raising] the "standard" T R relieved my hand strain. One might try simply putting the thumb {briefly} on top of the present T R, to help ascertain the better location of an adjustable T R, if so desired. In one case, a mfgr's location of an Adg. TR was no good for me! Luck, Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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