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 Grunting A on "A" clarinet
Author: AAAClarinet 
Date:   2014-05-08 03:58

I am borrowing an A clarinet for Capriccio Espagnol. The clarion A and G undertone when I play them. I have tried different barrels and have cleaned the octave vent with no improvement. I did not have this problem on a different A clarinet that I have played. Any advise would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

AAAClarinet

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 Re: Grunting A on "A" clarinet
Author: Wes 
Date:   2014-05-08 10:55

This occurred on my 1998 Buffet A when I bought it new. Muncy Winds sold me a replacement register tube which fixed it!

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 Re: Grunting A on "A" clarinet
Author: clarnibass 
Date:   2014-05-08 12:27

What model is this A clarinet?

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 Re: Grunting A on "A" clarinet
Author: AAAClarinet 
Date:   2014-05-08 12:36

Buffet r13. Was played by a performance major at UCLA for several years.

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 Re: Grunting A on "A" clarinet
Author: Dibbs 
Date:   2014-05-08 12:52

It could be too much venting of the speaker key. Try only half opening it. If that improves it you can add cork under the touchpiece but be careful it doesn't make middle Bb too flat.

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 Re: Grunting A on "A" clarinet
Author: clarnibass 
Date:   2014-05-08 13:08

OK, the grunt can vary depending on player and mouthpiece.
The most recent one had a very bad grunt, but when I played the clarinet I had almost no problem at all. Another player was somewhere in the middle. I also had a clarinet where it was just the opposite, I could feel an issue, but another player barely had any problem at all.

I've found all sorts of solutions that work or don't work, with better or worse compromises, depending on the player. With any option it's important to

1) The needle spring in the pad. This is a needle spring that is especially easy to "install" (if you can even call it that) if there's a cork pad. It should stick a bit into the register tube hole when the key is open. TBH I've never found this to help at all... but some people on the internet claimed it helped them.

2) Flat spring in the register tube. Find a thin piece from a flat spring (or similar) and stick it inside the register tube hole. It should basically split it into half. You can check different lengths and thicknesses but especially check throat Bb because it can really make it stuffy if it's blocking the hole too much. I've seen solve the problem completely, but depending on player, some required so much "blocking" that the throat Bb was too much of a compromise.

3) Tie a pantyhose or anything similar to form a small net over the register hole. You can move it to vary the size of the holes. Try a small net or even just or two sqaures over the hole. This sometimes helps or solves the problem, but it can make the pad leak. There is a way to make this permanent if it helps.

4) According to an excellent repairer who also worked at Buffet, the best solution (i.e. best overall compromise, since any solution is a differetn compromise really), is to use a Buffet RC Bb clarinet register tube, ream it to 2.8mm and flare it to 3.0mm at the outside end. To quote them: "It's
not perfect, but works better than a stock tube or R-13 Bb tube in most cases."
I agree that it can be a good solution.

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 Re: Grunting A on "A" clarinet
Author: AAAClarinet 
Date:   2014-05-08 14:21

Thank you very much for your suggestions. I'll let you know how it turns out.

AAAClarinet

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 Re: Grunting A on "A" clarinet
Author: DavidBlumberg 
Date:   2014-05-08 14:47

Register tube for sure is the issue (too long).

When they were made, I was the exclusive distributor of the Galper Register Tube/Key. Was for Buffet Clarinets, and it eliminated the grunt.

http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com


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 Re: Grunting A on "A" clarinet
Author: cyclopathic 
Date:   2014-05-08 15:24

pinocchio?

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 Re: Grunting A on "A" clarinet
Author: Steven Ocone 
Date:   2014-05-08 16:20

I used to shortened the tube Now I replace with Bb RC tube. I'm told that the problem is the volume of the tube. A needle spring that sticks into the tube when it is open reduces the volume.

Steve Ocone


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