Author: Low_Reed
Date: 2005-02-10 23:43
The deep, dark, delicious sound of a bass clarinet makes me swoon with musical pleasure! I've got a Yamaha YCL-221 student model BC to low Eb, a sweet-sounding instrument that treats me well...
But I'm periodically tempted to explore even lower reaches, given my affinity for the chalumeau register. So the extended-to-low-C bass clarinet has intrigued me (as have contra-altos and contra-basses, but that's another story!). But those low C jobs are expensive, and I've already got a great horn at a great price, so why sweat just three lousy half-tones?
Well, how about an aftermarket extension? Walter Grabner, who makes terrific mouthpieces (http://www.clarinetxpress.com/bass.html), used to make low C extensions, but gave it up because they took so long to build (and had to be custom-made for each BC). Stephen Fox has a spot for them on his web site, which now says he's too busy to make them (http://www.sfoxclarinets.com/Bass_Cl_Ext.html).
Some Internet surfing led me today to the site of Pete Worrell, who's got some photos of a couple of extensions he built (http://www.btinternet.com/~peteworrell/gallery/booseybasscltextension.htm). Does anyone have experience with his work, or know about his prices?
Have any of you had experience with an aftermarket extension? Do you know of any other folks who make them?
(Or you could talk me into a good used Leblanc Paris 350 or 352 Eb contra-alto...)
Or, I could step away from this seductive keyboard, screen, and portal to the world, and spend more time exploring the BC that's right here in the room with me!
Any thoughts?
-- Bruce
**Music is the river of the world!**
-- inspired by Tom Waits and a world full of music makers
|
|
The Clarinet BBoard
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
