 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Tony F
Date: 2017-04-09 15:04
I've just finished resuscitating an old Rudolph Eubel Bb soprano. It has some slightly different keywork on the lower joint, which is why I decided to resuscitate it. The pads and tone holes on this instrument are much smaller than I've ever seen on a clarinet before and the keywork has a sort of industrial look. It plays better than I thought it would and sounds great, particularly in the chalameau register. The crows foot adjustments are by means of some very small and almost inaccessible set screws which I found work loose given the slightest opportunity. I've removed them and set up the crows foot by conventional methods, which works much better.
The only remaining problem I have with it is a very stuffy A and Bb just below the break. I've tried increasing the venting here, but while it improved the situation it didn't really fix it. Can anyone suggest what I might do to improve this? While they are stuffy, they are in tune. The instrument is quite resistant with various mouthpieces. Given that it didn't cost me a lot I'm prepared to be a bit adventurous here.
Tony F.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: MichaelW
Date: 2017-04-10 19:33
Attachment: GRUe.jpg (316k)
"Rudolph Eubel": might it be that the name was scrambled? G.Rudolf Uebel, Wohlhausen was a well- known workshop till about 1980, then- as a GDR state factory, fusioned with F.A. Uebel. In later GDR years they really seem to have made a much simplified, easier to produce, and indeed looking "technical", keywork. See photo.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2017-04-10 19:46
You can slightly (and carefully!) enlarge the appropriate toneholes to improve the sound of those notes without affecting intonation. Or, if they're not already undercut, try undercutting them first. Not sure what you've already tried, so apologies if you've done these things.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Tony F
Date: 2017-04-15 14:25
MichaelW,
You're right, on closer examination it was indeed made by G. Rudolph Eubel. Mine is somewhat different to yours in that it has conventional pad cups rather than the sheet metal arrangement on your picture, but the cups are of massive construction and are much smaller than are usually found, as are the tone holes.
David,
There does appear to be evidence of undercutting on some of the tone holes. I'm going to try slightly opening up the A tone hole. Do you think the register vent diameter could be a part of the problem here?
Thanks to you both.
Tony F.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
