 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Garth Libre
Date: 2013-06-24 12:49
I use Muncy brand tuning rings, the kind that are gold with the logo on one side and black on the other side. They come only in .05 size so one may have to use two of them.
For a while I couldn't get the tuning ring to release from the bottom of the barrel, and it would take me sometimes five minutes of tinkering with it to get it to release. I tried pulling it up with tape, tapping, trying to lift it with the tip of my finger etc.. I never wanted to use a sharp implement for fear of scratching the barrel. Finally, I figured that if I put the gold side toward the barrel, that maybe it had some kind of teflon release agent. That worked. Now when I dry the instrument to put it away most of the time the tuning ring just falls out when I separate the parts. Other times the ring is just sitting on the upper tenon and I slide it off.
Garth, 305-981-4705. garthlibre@yahoo.com
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Author: William
Date: 2013-06-24 15:31
I was told that the gap left by pulling the barrel joint has no acoustical effect on the tone production of the clarinet. So the use of tuning rings to fill the space is not needed. If you find the need to always pull the barrel joint a specific length, get a longer barrel or simply eye-ball it--with your ear as the ultimate guide, that is.
If you need for tuning rings is to add stability, then I would say your corks need repair. Pulling the barrel a little should not cause any wobble to occure if the seal in adequate.
Bottom line: I think tuning rings are a waste of money and cause nothing but angst as they are stuck or lost.
For me, I have two barrels that I use, one that is tuned to A=442 and the other to 440 (after warm-up). And rarely, I find the need to pull slightly to maintain good intonation within the ensemble. 440 is only a starting point, it's really up to the ear after that..........but no "ringing", lol.
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Author: rtmyth
Date: 2013-06-24 17:28
Or, use a slip-joint barrel, as were on some clarinets many years ago. ( I had one on my A)
richard smith
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2013-06-24 19:19
I've used tuning rings at times in the past. I never really worried about their getting stuck in the barrel socket - I was going to need the same ring the next time I took the clarinet out. Sooner or later the ring would come loose and drop out on its own.
I have to agree with William, though, that tuning rings are not really needed. Unless the ring gives you the exact amount of extra length you need, it's either largely useless or an impediment:
(1) If you still need to pull out, you still have a gap, but now you also have a loose body in the socket that can vibrate and maybe "sing."
(2) If the ring adds slightly too much length, there's nothing to do but remove it. If a thinner one is available, you can use it but you then go back to step (1).
(3) A ring is only perhaps useful if it's exactly the right thickness. But then, after playing for a few minutes things change and what was perfect is now either too thick or too thin - repeat steps (1) and (2).
If you can't get up to the prevailing pitch, use a shorter barrel. If you need more than a millimeter of additional length to get down to the prevailing pitch, use a longer barrel. If you're generally "in tune" with the barrel set between all the way in and <1 mm, just pull out as needed.
Karl
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Author: Garth Libre
Date: 2013-06-24 22:01
Lots of people say the gap is harmful not because it can cause a wobble but because it allows moisture to collect in the barrel juncture. Also, the gap is supposed to create a different effect on sound production because the bore doesn't just get longer but there is now a ring of air that has separate and unexpected effects. Also pulling the barrel creates a doubling of pitch lowering because there is extra air in the length and now an almost equal amount of air in the gap. I find that one .5 ring is all I need to to get in tune and two is a small enough change that one could need. This would effectively make a 65 mm barrel a 65.5 or at most a 66.
Garth, 305-981-4705. garthlibre@yahoo.com
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Author: JamesOrlandoGarcia
Date: 2013-06-24 22:07
Garth, I have never heard anyone say that before. And of all the professional clarinetists I know, I've never heard of anyone using a tuning ring in their barrel.
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2013-06-24 23:58
Garth Libre wrote:
> Also, the gap is supposed to create a
> different effect on sound production because the bore doesn't
> just get longer but there is now a ring of air that has
> separate and unexpected effects.
In theory the gap causes turbulence that affects the sound and response. In practice I've never detected a noticeable effect. (Which is why I tried using tuning rings and eventually gave up the idea - the negative trade-offs for me outweighed any possible slight difference in response.)
> Also pulling the barrel
> creates a doubling of pitch lowering because there is extra air
> in the length and now an almost equal amount of air in the gap.
The effect on the pitch of pulling the barrel out is whatever it is, whether that effect comes from added length or added air volume equal to the combination of the length and the gap.
> I find that one .5 ring is all I need to to get in tune and two
> is a small enough change that one could need. This would
> effectively make a 65 mm barrel a 65.5 or at most a 66.
>
If I need 66 mm, I'm more likely to change barrels. If I need 65.3, a .5 ring is too much. If that's the thinnest I have (I don't remember what the dimensions are - the rings come in sets) then all I can do is take out the ring and leave the gap. If I need 65.7 and all I have are .5 rings, I need to leave a gap even with the ring.
If you find that your clarinet responds and tunes better with the rings, by all means use them. I'm only suggesting that there's an important sacrifice of flexibility involved.
Karl
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2013-06-28 16:24
"... Lots of people say the gap is harmful not because it can cause a wobble but because it allows moisture to collect in the barrel juncture... "
I've made rings for the tenon on quite a few different clarinets. Part of this job is making sure there is room for the metal thickness between the end of the tenon and the bottom of the socket.
Almost always, there is at least 0.3 mm of gap there.
So I conclude that most clarinets collect water in that area anyway - perhaps more so, bearing in mind that capillary action is increased with smaller gaps.
Admittedly, most of these tenons I worked on were the centre tenon.
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