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Re: Extrememly sharp!

Author: Wes
Date: 2003-03-31 04:17

Hi!

In 1993, I bought a new, old stock R13 Bb clarinet made in 1971. Using the 66mm barrell, it was too low in pitch with my favorite ML M3 mouthpiece that I bought from ML in the late 50's. I had to use a 64 mm barrell to play with a good band. 10 years later, I find that the pitch has raised so that I am comfortable with a 67 mm Moennig barrell with the same group and mouthpiece. I believe that the wood shrank a little, enlarging the bore as I used it.

Aside from using a 67 or 68 mm barrel, I would consider trying a different, lower pitched mouthpiece. From the Zinner blanks, I've faced several mouthpieces and they all have been great but quite low pitch compared to the average mouthpiece. The blanks cost $30 at International. I've also got a Portnoy BPO3 that is low in pitch.

If it got really high, I've seen an instrument which had a bead of epoxy run down the bottom side of the bore to lower the pitch, a desperate measure indeed. Good luck!

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