Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2004-06-02 16:01
What we’ve defined here as a "double" mechanism always has a single register vent located at the top of the body and a throat Bb vent located at about the top of the throat A pad. It has no rod assembly running from the right ring finger mechanism to the register mechanism.
The "triple" mechanism always has a register vent on the metal neck, a second register vent located 1" or 2" below the top of the body, and a Bb vent located as on the double mechanism. It also has a rod assembly connecting the right ring finger and register mechanisms, and, on instruments with a 2-piece body, a bridge key. (For completeness, older basses had two separate register keys, both operated by the left thumb.)
The plastic Buffet BC 1180 has a double mechanism. http://www.musicgroup.com/Instruments/Database/FrameInstrumentList.htm, screen 4. The granadilla BC 1183 and BC 1193 have a triple mechanism.
For many years (as I recall, up to the late 1960s, Leblanc made only double mechanism basses. The Vito 7166 http://www.gleblanc.com/instruments/query.cfm?model=7166 and 7168 http://www.gleblanc.com/instruments/query.cfm?model=7168, the Noblet 60 http://www.gleblanc.com/instruments/query.cfm?model=60 and Leblanc 160S http://www.gleblanc.com/instruments/query.cfm?model=160S, 325S http://www.gleblanc.com/instruments/query.cfm?model=325S, 330S http://www.gleblanc.com/instruments/query.cfm?model=330S and 400 http://www.gleblanc.com/instruments/query.cfm?model=400 are double.
The 425S http://www.gleblanc.com/instruments/query.cfm?model=425S and 430S http://www.gleblanc.com/instruments/query.cfm?model=430S are triple.
The Selmer (USA) plastic 1430P http://www.selmer.com/woodwind/usacl/1430p.html appears to be double. The register vent is on a metal stub pipe at the top of the body, which is higher than usual for a double design, but lower than usual for triple. The clinching factor for double is that there’s no rod assembly from the right ring finger mechanism to the register mechanism. This is clearly visible when you go to the enlarged picture at http://www.selmer.com/woodwind/usacl/images/1430P_large.jpg.
The Selmer (Paris) 35 and 37 http://www.selmer.com/woodwind/pariscl/alto_bass.html are triple.
The plastic Yamaha YCL-21 is double http://www.yamaha.com/yamahavgn/CDA/ContentDetail/ModelSeriesDetail/0,6373,CNTID%253D2403%2526CTID%253D239400,00.html.
The granadilla YCL-621 http://www.yamaha.com/yamahavgn/CDA/ContentDetail/ModelSeriesDetail/0,6373,CNTID%253D581%2526CTID%253D239400%2526CNTYP%253DPRODUCT,00.html and YCL-622 http://www.yamaha.com/yamahavgn/CDA/ContentDetail/ModelSeriesDetail/0,6373,CNTID%253D582%2526CTID%253D239400%2526CNTYP%253DPRODUCT,00.html are triple.
After looking at the enlarged pictures of all the above models, I think the Ridenour BC 147 http://www.brookmays.com/prod_disp.asp?itemnum=BC147 is a stencil of the Selmer (USA) 1430P. The other possibility is the Leblanc 400, but that has a wood body. Also, since Tom has broken with Leblanc and has endorsed the Selmer Signature, he would probably turn to Selmer for his source.
I’m not sure about the "Ridenite" body. Tom has used flowery language in his promotional material, for both Leblanc and Selmer, and continues to do so in the material for his own instruments. The claim of a "newly developed" material could be simply the standard Bundy Resonite material, perhaps with a matte finish applied.
What is certainly possible, though, is that Tom has made acoustical improvements, such as undercutting the tone holes or slightly rounding the intersections between the tone holes and the bore.
The only true test will be how the instrument plays.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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The Clarinet BBoard
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