 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: ben
Date: 2001-09-14 22:47
I am wondering if there is any good reason why the spring tension on a Bass must be much stronger than a soprano clarinet (ie. use of leather, saxophone like pads).
So, can the springs be lightened/evened so the mechanism is more similar to a correctly adjusted soprano clarinet without negative side effects?
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Dee
Date: 2001-09-14 23:47
While there may be some latitude for reducing the tension, don't expect it to be as low as that on a soprano clarinet. The levers, rods, etc are larger and heavier and it takes a stronger spring to move them.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Bob Arney
Date: 2001-09-15 01:02
Ben, we had a thread on this not too long ago. It had to do with the strength necessay to prevent certain keys from being blown open by the air stream. Dave Spiegelthal gave a good rationalization for how he sets up Bass's (mine was one). Check the "search" on this one.
Bob A
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Bob Arney
Date: 2001-09-15 01:39
Ben, I got to thinking you might not find it under "springs" or some such on a search. So here it is. I nicked it off an earlier thread. Would Mark mind?
Bob A
RE: "New Bass Clarinet" Redux
Author: Dave Spiegelthal (---.orbital.com)
Date: 06-04-01 10:45
Bob and Steve,
Thanks to both of you for the good words. About the keywork: I do have a tendency (which I'll try to correct) to set up bass clarinet mechanisms rather on the stiff side, mainly because it's what I'm used to playing. Compared to most players, I probably use more finger pressure and more jaw pressure on the mouthpiece, so, for better or worse, that's how I tend to set up my bass clarinets. I realize now that this is not everyone's cup of tea, so I'll attempt to be more perceptive of the desires of my customers and set up their instruments accordingly (although in Steve's case, I actually set up the bass clarinet for my own use, and only months later decided to sell it).
Part of the problem with bass clarinets is that, if the lower stack is not sprung fairly stiff, it is possible to actually blow open the r.h. pinky low Ab/clarion Eb key, causing a nasty vibration (that sounds rather like a Bronx cheer). And if this key is set up stiff to prevent that undesirable opening, the other three r.h. pinky keys should probably be set fairly stiff also, to make their feel more consistent with the Ab/Eb key. An imbalance of tensions feels bad and makes it hard to play smoothly.
Another problem (which I've found at least with the Kohlert basses with their doubled toneholes for the low E/clarion C) is that the common key operating these two pads is quite heavy (in weight) and therefore needs to be stiffly spring to ensure that it opens when released.er thread:
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2001-09-15 01:49
Mark would <b>much</b> rather you just cut & paste a link to the posting. Now there's yet another posting with duplicate info when you <i>do</i> search.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Robert Small
Date: 2001-09-16 19:41
"Bronx cheer" is a good description of the sound you get when the Eb/Ab and maybe C#/F# pads blow open when playing the bottom of the register. Very nasty sound. I had this problem on my Selmer 37 when I first got it. My repairman stiffened the spring tension some and problem solved.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
