 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Liquorice
Date: 2004-03-29 17:10
On my A clarinet the F5 and F#5 are quite flat. Any ideas for bringing the pitch of these two notes up? The B4 and B-flat 4 are in tune in the lower octave!
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2004-03-29 17:22
Liquorice -
The usual adjustment involves fraising the underside of the right middle finger hole. By tilting the reamer "upstream" or "downstream" (and I forget which), the upper register can be raised without affecting the lower.
It may also be possible to make a bore adjustment, either separately or in combination with fraising.
My Bb and A have both had this kind of work done, but the one who did it (Kalmen Opperman) is semi-retired, and he says that his knowledge is specific to the Buffet R-13.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Liquorice
Date: 2004-03-29 18:02
Ken- thanks for your speedy reply.
I had thought that fraising the middle RH hole. But won't that only affect the F? For the F# which hole do think is best to fraise? If I do the RH first finger hole, I guess that will also affect the G, which isn't flat at all. Or the 3rd finger hole, which will perhaps raise the F#, but will probably make the E too high! What to do??? At the moment I sometimes use the RH Ab/Eb key to raise the pitch, especially when I have to play in unsion with the flte, which tends to be sharp on these notes. But it's pretty awkward.
When you say the "underside" do you mean the side closest to the bell, or the bottom of the tone hole near the bore? I'd heard that it's possible to undercut in a way that affects the upper register but not the lower. Does anybody know the general rule to this?
Thanks a lot!
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Author: Wes
Date: 2004-03-30 07:32
These notes are not easy to raise without affecting the low register 12th notes because undercutting them would raise mostly the low register. By opening the top side of the tonehole, there could be an effect on both register notes. It may be best to find someone who has done this on your kind of clarinet.
A Moennig barrel or reverse tapered barrell appears to lower the low register RH notes some in my experience so trying different barrells may lead to something better(or worse).
For raising the pitches of the upper end F and F# of the low register, one can undercut the appropriate venting hole. One can make a fraising tool to do this, go to a expert in this, or use a very fine round file carefully. Undercutting these holes does not raise the pitch of the second register 12th note hardly. The R13 is noted for having low pitches in this area.
Mr. Fobes is an expert on tuning affairs and may be able to help. Good luck!
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2004-03-30 14:17
Liquorice -
I don't think I said "underside," but fraising almost always is done at the bottom of the hole, producing a cone shape with the wide end at the bore. Sometimes the technician tilts the fraising bit toward the mouthpiece or toward the bell -- "upstream" or "downstream." Also, slight fraising is occasionally done at the top of a hole. Fraising is extremely delicate work -- as much art as science -- and what's done varies from brand to brand, model to model within brands, and instrument to instrument. You really need to go to a specialist.
A string from a couple of years ago revealed that Buffets usually have the lower tenon on the top joint shorter than the lower joint socket, leaving a gap. See http://test.woodwind.org/Databases/Logs/2001/10/000093.txt
http://www.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=114385&t=114263
The enlargement of the bore above the F and F# holes could produce the flatness you describe. Filling in the gap with a tuning ring or a cork shim might be all you need.
Another possibility is that deposits have built up inside one or more tone holes, or that there have been dimensional changes in the wood. See
http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=70217&t=70204 and
http://www.naylors-woodwind-repair.com/
Let us know what works.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Alphie
Date: 2004-03-30 18:21
Liquorice, is your instrument very new? I can't remember if this problem is common on new Buffets but my Chadash Bb had this problem in the beginning. I found it quite comfortable since my usual problem up to that point had always been that at least F#5 had been on the high side as on most clarinets.
The proplem disappeared as the instrument broke in nicely, I think or I just got used to it. I don't consider this being a broblem at the moment.
Liquorice, can you mail me privately?
Alphie
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Author: Liquorice
Date: 2004-03-31 05:29
Thanks for your replies.
Ken- I tried your suggestion about the tuning ring. It turns out that my lower tenon on the top joint is very slightly shorter than the lower joint socket. This leaves a tiny gap, of less than 1mm. I got quite excited that I might have found the problem so I filed down a tuning ring to see if it helped. It didn't :-(
Alphie, my instument is about 2 years old. These notes were flat when I bought it. I was also pleased that the F# wasn't sharp, as it had been on my older instrument. I played several passages in D major, with the lower 3rd, and felt quite happy about it. But now after two years, I'm getting more fed-up with it, especially when playing in unison with other instruments. I sometimes have to use the Ab/Eb key, or the RH third finger instead of the second. And the F natural is really quite flat.
I've made an appointment with a technician for the middle of April, so we'll see what happens. I'll post again once it's fixed (or ruined??!)
Thanks for your help and suggestions.
Post Edited (2004-03-31 05:31)
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