 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: jonathan.wallaceadams
Date: 2017-10-06 22:33
Would raising the register key to "free up the sound" ruin my intonation? Thanks.
Just an aspiring student.
Buffet Tradition
Mpc.: Hawkins "G", Barrel: Moba, Reeds: Reserve 3.5+
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Author: kdk
Date: 2017-10-06 22:48
Clarify what you mean. Do you want to have the key open farther, or are you considering moving the speaker hole higher on the clarinet?
Karl
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2017-10-07 04:05
The register key has two somewhat incompatible function -
1. A tonehole for the Bb
2. and a speaker vent
For 1. the key needs to be quite open but for 2. only cracked open a bit.
So it's a compromise, and generally one adjusts it just far enough open to give a clear Bb, but every clarinet is a little bit different and it may need tweaking one way or the other to get the optimum result.
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Author: jonathan.wallaceadams
Date: 2017-10-07 20:58
To open the key farther.
My instructor told me that this will "free up my sound," in regards to not just my Bb but my clarion and above.
Does that make sense? Will it affect my intonation (not jus the Bb) or will it just open up my sound
Just an aspiring student.
Buffet Tradition
Mpc.: Hawkins "G", Barrel: Moba, Reeds: Reserve 3.5+
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Author: gatto
Date: 2017-10-07 22:03
On my A clarinet I notice the following behaviour: if the register key is as open as possible (so in the "normal" position pressing the register key) then sometimes (in the LH clarion) I have undertones or venting noises coming from the register tube, which can be diminished by letting the register key closer (half-way or so) to the register hole. But the side-effect is that then the throat B-flat is getting dull, or even breaks. So I plan to let my repairs man finding the best "middle" position as a compromise (besides shortening the register tube).
What I wanted to say: be careful that for you making the register key more open does not result in such an undertone side-effect as I have.
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Author: Steven Ocone
Date: 2017-10-08 01:34
There are different opinions on the key opening.
First, I use a cork pad and bevel it towards the pad seat. This can improve the sound of the middle B.
I have used 3mm as a standard opening, but others use less. Lowering the register key opening may bring down the pitch of the upper clarion. You have to decide what works best.
Steve Ocone
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2017-10-08 11:39
There are surely different schools of thought. The Master repairman Hans Moennig often wanted the cork pad to just clear the key hole, but not by much. Then he would file the pad inwards to allow air to escape freely. This is the method I use. It's based on the sound quality. The goal was when you articulate in the upper register if would be cleaner, meaning the notes would pop out and you won't feel the delay when the tongue hits the reed. At the same time with the A tube some repairmen are cutting this tube down, but they must be careful with regards to that articulation release. So on Buffet clarinets the size pad would be 9mm's but after filing it I would guess it to be around 6 or 7mm's and open just enough where the notes aren't stuffy sounding. As I recall the Selmer clarinets were 10mm pads, such as the Selmer 10 series. As for the newer horns the Yamaha pro lines are 9mm's. I've replaced the leather pads with cork on the octave keys.
Guy Chadash actually lowers this key for better tuning. He feels the Buffet R13's, maybe other models as well, this octave key is to too far forward; to far up towards the barrel. I've played some of his horns that have been fixed, lowered, and I have to agree with him. It is actually pretty amazing. At first I thought he was nuts! No he's not. A very smart adjustment. I have no idea how he figured this out. It was brilliant.
Great question.
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
Post Edited (2017-10-08 11:47)
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Author: TomS
Date: 2017-10-08 18:26
Is it the Buffet Festival that has a higher (by a couple of mm) register vent? That is, it's closer to the barrel ... interesting ... a design mistake?
Ditto on the cork pads ... I have my register vent pad, the LH C#/G# pad and the little pad under the throat A key beveled on my R13. Cork is great if you have a clarinet with clean tone holes.
It seems that the vent pad height is a compromise between clarity on the throat B-flat (and to some extent the bell B) and undertones on the clarion A. I use the throat A on the bell B to decrease the stuffiness ...
Tom
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2017-10-09 10:39
Hi Tom, I never played on the Festival. It was during the time when Buffet suddenly started making all sorts of new pro line horns! I really just wanted a GREAT R13, but they are gone for good. Yes the C#/G# is a great key to put a cork pad on, as well as beveled.
Some people, myself included, used a Bb bell on the A clarinet. But you had to do some work to the bell, sand the inside of the bell to open it up. Hans Moennig reamed out a lot of the A clarinet bells for tuning and for response. He looked for light weight bells too. I found it easier to use a Bb bell in most cases and sand out the inside a shade. Then polish it. Hans was a master so he had the wood lathe and the right tooling to fix the A barrels. Usually he tuned the R13 horns with HIS Moennig reverse tapered 67 barrel. Now 65mm barrels play flat. The bores are so screwed up.
Here I have to refer people to Guy. He is making the R13's like they were back in the 1960's for about $5500. Folks they are worth a try. If I didn't play on the Yamaha's I'd probably be playing on Guy's horns. I'm kinda dedicated, tied to Yamaha at the moment. I am using one of Guy's barrels on the Yamaha.
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
Post Edited (2017-10-09 10:42)
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2017-10-10 02:17
Ref the post by TomS
I have just compared an older (1960s) R13 and a more recent (1990s) RC and the speaker tube on the RC is positioned 3 mm higher on the RC.
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2017-10-10 02:26
Wow! Too high! Good research Caroline. Why would Buffet do this? Silly company.
Guy Chadash is hard to talk with. But he does seem to know what he is talking about.
Are the new R13's higher too?
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
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Author: Johan H Nilsson
Date: 2017-10-10 11:21
Caroline, the register tube placement is one aspect that defines the R13 in relation to the Tosca/Festival/RC/Divine/etc. It is a deliberate design difference that exists on today's instruments, just as it existed 30 years ago between the R13 and RC/Festival.
Post Edited (2017-10-10 11:34)
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Author: TomS
Date: 2017-10-10 20:52
Had a conversation with Guy Cadash about greenline barrels, many years ago. Very friendly fellow and a nice talk with him!
He might be so busy nowadays ... overwhelmed with projects. Talking with him might be more difficult now ...
Tom
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