 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Fuzzy
Date: 2016-10-27 00:38
I play (as my primary instrument) an 1898 Conn. The instrument works perfectly for what I need, but it does have a serious flaw...<insert dramatic music here>...or is it the mouthpiece?!
Here's the gist of it: the clarinet plays in tune with itself - with one big exception. When any notes require the full length of the instrument be played (low E, F, etc, or register key B, C, E) - the notes are severely flat. Nearly a quarter tone in fact. Everything else on the clarinet is beautiful.
The problem I've run into is...I've collected many clarinets from the era 1880-1920. Virtually every single clarinet I've collected has this same problem (all simple systems with two right-hand rings). Metal clarinets, hard rubber clarinets, wood clarinets - they all give me the same result.
Over the years, I've been able to hide this deficiency to one extent or another - by grotesque changes in embouchure for those notes, changing to harder reeds, etc. However, his "hiding" only works for loose ensemble and solo work (small jazz ensembles and such) - it isn't sufficient for genteel classical ensembles, where at least one or two people will snap a glare at me as if I had just murdered their dear friend with the rancid note protruding from the bell of my clarinet.
I"m starting to play in a small church ensemble, and by creatively staying on "safe" notes in harmony - it sounds fine, but I'd really like to figure out the problem. (And no, I have never had this problem with any of my boehm systems, so I am doubtful that the problem resides in my personal technical abilities...but am open to whatever possibilities could help cure the problem - including a lack of my own technical abilities).
I've attempted to change mouthpieces from time to time - with the same results. However, I do not have a "vintage" mouthpiece from the era of the instruments. Could this be the problem? If so, does anyone here have a suggestion as to where I might find a modern mouthpiece, made in the older (shorter?) style...or is there a good avenue of finding an old mouthpiece which could be put into good working order in the skilled hands of one of our BBoard resident resurfacers? Or...am I barking up the wrong tree by being suspicious of the mouthpiece?
Any help or ideas would be appreciated (sorry for the long post),
Fuzzy
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Author: MichaelW
Date: 2016-10-27 01:37
Attachment: Plot.jpg (191k)
With "German" system clarinets of standard quality and layout (and I suppose Alberts might not be different in this respect) you always have this problem; upmarket instruments, then mostly with Oehler system, feature a bell key for E- and sometimes F- improvement. As an example I append tuning plots of three Bb- clarinets with German system:
- Yamaha student grade YCL 457-22, new
- Eastman, one of the better China imports, new
- F.A.Uebel, middle class instrument from this renowned workshop, 1955 .
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Author: dubrosa22
Date: 2016-10-27 05:08
A vintage wooden Buffet-Crampon mouthpiece I have was made for simple system/Albert instruments (I believe). Its bore at the tenon measures 14.97mm which is almost as big as my B&H 1010s mouthpieces which have a 15.25mm bore.
Playing a French smaller bore mouthpiece on a larger bore instrument, like the B&H 1010, certainly create some well-known tuning quirks.
Perhaps you can find a older wider bore mouthpiece for your simple system/Albert clarinets? Ed Pillinger makes wonderful 1010 sized bore mouthpieces, perhaps he can make a Albert system bore mouthpiece too?
V
Post Edited (2016-10-27 05:09)
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Author: Wes
Date: 2016-10-27 09:02
Many of those early clarinets were tuned to A435 or so, which makes it difficult to get the bottom end up enough to play at A440, even with shorter barrels.
Many years ago, I had this situation with a pair of fine Buffet clarinets, which had formerly been owned by a player in the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. As I was studying with Mitchell Lurie at that time, he suggested I take them to the late Glen Johnston for retuning, which I did.
Glen agreed that they were too low, so he did several things to them, as follows:
1. He made sure that the bottom pads were high enough over the low end tone holes and may have raised them a tiny bit, by bending keys.
2. The bells were shortened about one ring width, done by Big Mac, also in Hollywood.
3. The bottom tone holes were enlarged a little bit by scraping with his special tool. I assume this included the undercutting.
4. As these were full Boehm clarinets, he felt that there was no need to drill a hole in the bell, but would have if they had not been FB.
5. The inside tapered bore at the bottom end was slightly reamed larger, including the end of the body and the bell entry section.
That is all I remember that was done. The result of his careful work was a pair of A440 well tuned clarinets. Good luck!
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Author: Jeroen
Date: 2016-10-27 12:01
If only the bottom notes are flat, you could indeed try a shorter bell first.
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Author: Fuzzy
Date: 2016-10-27 23:48
Thanks for the responses. It appears the general consensus is that the issue is simply one of clarinet design.
I suppose technology and advancement have their place, right? 
As a side note: removing the bell does produce tones that are nearly in tune.
Wes: thanks for the information about your two instruments, and what it took to bring them to 440! Perhaps I'll try to find someone who is skilled enough to perform such work on my vintage hard rubber and wooden clarinets - unfortunately, my favorites are metal, and so such modification might be made on them...<sigh>
Michael: thanks for the wonderful graph! Surely enough, my old "professional" line of ~1900 era instruments seem to match the pitch representation of your graph.
Looks like I might have to bring my old Boehm system out of storage for classical performances - or continue as I have.
Thanks again for everyone who has responded! (I'm still open to other input if anyone else has experience in this area!)
Fuzzy
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