 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: donald
Date: 2006-02-02 05:01
i have just tried out a Forte clarinet (the only one in NZ) and was reasonably impressed.... (this is a very good option for a student instrument) but then i put the barrel on my R13 and was even more impressed!
i compared this barrel to hand selected Chadash, Buffet stock, Moennig and Muncy (synthetic) barrels and found the intonation to be quite acceptable (12ths a little wider than the Chadash, but much improved on the Buffet) and the tone to have some very fine qualities. Of course, describing these qualities is not easy. Lets say that my Chadash and Muncy barrels are a little brighter than my ideal (but i use them for resistance and intonation reasons- though they're both slightly more resistant than i'd like) and the Moennig i have is very clear and dark but completely lacking in resistance (so exagerates the difference between my Bflat and A clarinets- not a characteristic i'm keen on).
For what it's worth- the Forte barrel seemed to sit in between in terms of resistance and tone. Certainly, i would have no problem using it in a professional gig (although if i was to use it for a solo recital/concerto etc i would want to give it a bit more thorough testing). The tone quality on the left hand notes was a pleasant suprise. Unfortunately the barrel supplied with the Forte clarinet was a 65mm, which make both my R13 and the Forte too sharp in the summer heat we have at the moment (note- for intonation testing i compared the barrel to a Chadash 65mm as well as my 66mm)
if these are, or become, available as a separate item from the clarinet i would recomend them as a cheaper alternative to wooden barrels. Given that there are almost zero opportunities in NZ to hand select barrels, i like to use a synthetic barrel when teaching to extend the life of my wooden barrels. However if i had a 66mm Forte barrel, i suspect i'd find myself tempted to just stick with that!
keep playing the good tunes.
donald
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2006-02-02 12:55
(Disclaimer - I am a Forte' maker)
Donald, thank you for your observations. Due to the Eastern European manufacturing and starting dimensions we had to optimize the Forte' barrel to play in tune at A=440 Hz which necessitated some changes in taper and length of the barrel. I/ we have no plans on making aftermarket barrels for other instruments at this time but have gained some valuable experience in the art form of taper, design, mass considerations, and material physical properties of barrel making. (Disclaimer - not for sale or finished experimentation) I have been investigating a physics concept of barrel design which involves modulated turbulent airflow which may have promise and a next stage evolution in barrel design but it is too early to evaluate results but theory seems to be borne out in prototype models.
L. Omar Henderson
Doctor's Products
Forte' Instrument Group
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Author: GBK
Date: 2006-02-02 13:16
The Forte clarinet barrel is 64.5 mm and I've often used it on my R13 A clarinet when playing in colder locations or when the tuning needed to be slightly higher.
I've always thought it to be a good match with the R13 A clarinet.
Disclaimer - I was solicited as one of the original testers of the prototype Forte Bb and C clarinets. No remuneration or professional consideration was given...GBK
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