 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Amanda Rose
Date: 2000-11-24 16:40
My clarinet is quite flat to my high school band. I can't tune it, because my band plays sharp. Can I get a new R-13 barrell ordered? I will be talking to my teacher, but how much does it cost? I think it would be better than having mine changed, because I am perfectly in tune to myself and A-440. But it's impossible to get in tune with my clarinet or the rest of the woodwind section. (Even though I'm lead, he doesn't tune to me all the time and when he does, it's horrible for the others... dunno)
I want an R-13 barrell. I don't want to get some other barrell, like a couple kids have plastic barrells on their wood clarinets. Yuck!
Amanda Rose
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Author: mark weinstein
Date: 2000-11-24 17:45
If an R-13 wooden barrel is your only your step-up choice you will toi look at Chadash or Moennig, I think. Personally, I think you should be sure that you are "set" in your setup (particularly your mouthpiece) as a change in one component of setup can induce or bring about changes in other areas of your setup. Many people buy mouthpieces & barrels which are tuned to one another. Greg Smith, for example, only sells his mouthpieces with a matched Chadash barrel (thats IMMSMR, you might want to check further)
Its not unusual to consider swapping/changing the barrel that came with your Buffet R-13.
(I'll assume that you don't want to experiment with tuning rings. Buffet does make a set of 3, which sell for approx. $10.00 & can be purchased and/or ordered @ just about any place you might look. (like WW&BW, IMS, Weiner or Muncy Weiner catalogues or a local retailer))
I own quite a few barrels --- Chadash, Moennig, Fobes, Muncy, & some other well-known models made by well-thought of craftsman. However, for me, none of them suits me better than a (plastic) Robert Scott 66a2 which, according to the the (several) Tuners I own, tunes my R-13 better than all of them. I have also tried plastic barrels by Pyne & Springer, and found them to be quite excellent, particularly the Pyne. But, they didn't produce better overall tuning than the Scott. I understand that Robert Spring has, in the past, recommended the Scott to his students in Arizona. many famous teachers throughout the country do the same thing. (this doesn't make selection any more than a **personal preference thing**, yet its nice to know)
The Scott barrels are available from Muncy Winds for $35. They can also be purchased directly from My. Scott. My teacher who is a Principal in a Symphony Orchestra plays a Scott Barrel as well. Personally, I think a nicely crafted plastic barrel looks very nice. I like the Bb so well I recently bought a 41mm Eb barrel from Mr. Scott. IMO, it really enhanced the sound I get from a Bundy plastic Eefer that I own.
From what I have read, one advantage that plastic barrels have over their wooden counterparts is that plastic will NOT change in size/dimensions.
It would be a very good idea to go to a place (retail outlet or clarinet seminar where retailers will have their wares on display). Bring a tuner and find a barrel that best suits your individual needs.
If you can't make arrangements to go to where the barrels are, they can still be sent (in multiple lots) to you to try out.
Much good luck.
mw
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Author: Dee
Date: 2000-11-24 18:23
mark weinstein wrote:
>
> ...(I'll assume that you don't want to experiment with tuning
> rings. Buffet does make a set of 3, which sell for approx.
> $10.00 & can be purchased and/or ordered @ just about any place
> you might look. (like WW&BW, IMS, Weiner or Muncy Weiner
> catalogues or a local retailer))
Tuning rings will not help in this case. They are good if you are the one who is sharp but in this case it is the band not Amanda that is sharp. She'll need a different, probably shorter, barrel.
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Author: Gregory Smith
Date: 2000-11-24 20:58
Mark,
This is absolutely not the case. I sell my mouthpieces both with OR without Buffet-Chadash hand selected barrels.
Perhaps it would be better for all concerned to post when one is more sure of these things rather than posting with a disclaimer.
Thanks.
Gregory Smith
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M. Weinstein wrote:
>>Many people buy mouthpieces & barrels which are tuned to one another. Greg Smith, for example, only sells his mouthpieces with a matched Chadash barrel (thats IMMSMR, you might want to check further) >>
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Author: mark weinstein
Date: 2000-11-24 21:15
The English language is a difficult thing through this electronic medium. I said:
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"Greg Smith, for example, only sells his mouthpieces with a matched Chadash barrel (thats IMMSMR, you might want to check further)
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I meant that you can't buy a Chadash Barrel *ONLY* from Greg. Upon review, I chose my words poorly. Mis-communication. Again, my apologies. mw
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Author: Gregory Smith
Date: 2000-11-24 21:36
Quite alright Mark. I can see how I may have misunderstood you too.
Makes me even more sympathetic to my foreign students' new-found struggle with the language.
Greg Smith
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Author: mark weinstein
Date: 2000-11-25 00:31
No excuse here, except that I find myself writing, rewriting, re-sizing, deleting, changing, then restating ... & then an error is made. Oft times, the person writing is most "out of sync" with discovering the OBVIOUS error. We can spell check, but we can't yet "content check".
All too often, I hear of someone who has changed their mouthpiece and is (then) out of tune, compared to where they "were" previously.
That said, almost universally, everyone says that they (really) like the attributes of their new mouthpiece (projection, easy to tongue, etc) but realize they must solve their new tuning problem. Many immediately go in search of a new barrel. (Is it chicken & egg, or egg & chicken ?)
The thing I didn't state previously (because I thought it might be viewed as prejudicial on my part), is that everyone I have talked to who has made a mouthpiece purchase from Greg, has also acquired a barrel in the transaction. mw
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2000-11-25 14:09
Why not talk to the person in charge and get something done about the tuning. As a multi-instrumentalist I know that a clarinet has nowhere near ythe versatility for adjusting tuning as a sax or flute. Also a flute goes very sharp when it is played loud unless the player learns to compensate. Other instruments possibly do too. A clarinet goes flat, but not by much. Get a tuner and get the players to p[lay LOUD (fff) notes to the unseen tuner to make your point. The director should be getting players to all play in tune, not condoning the out of tune playing. That is detrimental to all the players. Copy this off and hand it to your director.
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Author: Amanda Rose
Date: 2000-11-25 17:00
I have an R-13. I don't want to have anything shaved off of my current barrell. I just think it would be worth it to have another barrell and I figure I want to keep it in the same set.
Anyone know the cost?????????????
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Author: Dee
Date: 2000-11-25 19:24
Call one of the retailers listed on this site such as the Woodwind and Brasswind or International Music Suppliers and simply ask. That will give you the most accurate information. I believe that Buffet barrels can be purchased in different lengths.
Basically the recommendations boil down to this.
1. Different mouthpiece (some are sharper than others)
2. Different barrel
3. Different mouthpiece + different barrel
You might want to look into things more deeply though. Clarinets are generally designed so that they play at A=440 when the room temperature is 68°F and the barrel is pulled out 1 to 2 millimeters. This gives the player some latitude to tune if they have to play in a cool room. If you are in a normal room, you really should be registering slightly sharp on the tuner.
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Author: Anji
Date: 2000-11-27 00:35
Hey Amanda,
Did you get an answer to work with?
It's heresy to suggest this, but the Click! barrel adjusts from 61mm to 67mm.
For around $40 each, you could get the entire clarinet section in tune.
It certainly isn't the best solution, but finding the right wooden barrel is a real challenge.
Good luck on this
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