 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Ebclarinet1
Date: 2015-10-12 23:47
Hi!
I bought a used LeBlanc BBb straight contrabass to low Eb and with the Fobes San Francisco mouthpiece I get great sound all the way to the A above the staff (written) but above that the notes begin to break. Right now I'm using #2 VanDoren reeds and a BG ligature.
Anyway suggestions are appreciated! At first I thought it was a leak but nothing is obvious there. Could it be the height that the octave key is lifted? Considering how infrequently the higher notes are required in concert band pieces, I could probably just live with it. However, I do have some more exotic compositions that require higher notes that I would like to use.
Eefer guy
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2015-10-13 01:01
Due to the length of the instrument, the widespread layout of the toneholes and the remote mechanism to make the main action all within easy reach of your fingers, you haven't got the perforated fingerplate for LH1 as you do on larger clarinets (eg. basset horn, alto and bass clarinets), so the altissimo register notes that require diminished venting on LH1 (as opposed to lifting LH1 off completely) will be wayward.
Some notes in the lower altissimo can be helped by opening the throat G# key (altissimo E and F) but others will require the tonehole that's covered by the pad linked to the LH1 fingerplate to be opened very slightly instead of fully. But most contras due to the distance between the toneholes places the LH1 fingerplate a fair distance from its respective pad cup and tonehole.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Ebclarinet1
Date: 2015-10-13 04:42
Chris,
Thanks for your comments. Yeah I do use those fingerings on my Selmer series 9 contra alto. On the contrabass , it's more the A, Bb,B and C just above the staff. They are buzzy at best and want to drop the 12th down.
There is only one octave key opening on this horn. The Vito version has TWO, so I'm wondering if that could be the issue.
Eefer guy
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2015-10-13 09:52
The lack of the extra speaker vent is most likely the problem if the Vito has two and works better as they're basically the same design, only the Vito is a plastic version of the Leblanc.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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