 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: GBK
Date: 2006-06-02 04:49
Overheard by a fellow pro clarinetist at last night's rehearsal:
(I wrote it down so I wouldn't misquote)
"...Playing the clarinet is essentially a game of hope and the marketing execs prey on that emotion. Clarinetists will try anything to gain some tiny perceived advantage. Since it is already a fairly inexpensive endeavor, spending a few hundred dollars on some new piece of equipment seems like a good high percentage gamble. Clarinet players, in general, are a very insecure bunch..."
...GBK
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Author: hartt
Date: 2006-06-02 06:05
Thoughts are but dreams until their effects be tried.
regards
dennis
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2006-06-02 11:30
I went to the enormous expense of buying TWO reeds. Whenever I feel insecure on one, I just switch to the other. ![[tongue]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie6.gif)
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Author: Merlin
Date: 2006-06-02 12:01
I'm getting a pretty good bang for my buck right now. I'm playing on sample reeds from one of my suppliers!
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2006-06-02 13:30
Spot on, GBK.
You won't find me shelling out half a thousand bucks for a Backun bell, though.
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Author: steve s
Date: 2006-06-02 13:42
"...Playing the clarinet is essentially a game of hope..."
true..supply/demand is so out of wack that 200 people who all play at the same phenomenal pro level go after a for service chair that pays 15K...this is a profession?
s.
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Author: Bruno
Date: 2006-06-02 13:42
He's got it right and he's got it wrong. In my experience we ARE always looking to improve the clarinet's tone, ease of blow, resonance, reed, easiest fingering patterns, etc. That doesn't however, make us an "insecure bunch"; that's just nonsense.
It's just that like violin, clarinet is such a difficult instrument to master that in addition to long practice it takes constant intellectial analysis, all of which, to me, makes it the more fascinating a challenge.
Thank God for people like Buddy DeFranco, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Eddie Daniels, and the countless classical artists who enrich all our lives with great music because they were willing to make the sacrifice.
B.
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Author: Tim P
Date: 2006-06-02 13:56
lucky for me ( and my checking account), my level of play is such that the most noticable change can best be achieved by the "musician. Unfortunetley this works as well in the negative direction.
Of course I am still looking for that special reed, which would work better with that special mouthpiece..... but then..... maybe its the barrel AND the mouthpiece.... really, should take a look at that old ligiture, maybe gold plating. Opps, there I go looking for a quick fix again.
Now, back to practice. Did I hear someone say embouchure, tongue position, air support?? where can I buy some of that?
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Author: FrankM
Date: 2006-06-02 14:33
The idea of our equipment being relatively cheap is interesting....if quality violin bows could be bought for around $100 or flute players buy new headjoints for around the same, would they also be afflicted with G.A.S. ?
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Author: pmgoff78
Date: 2006-06-02 14:56
I don't think I'm ever looking to improve the clarinet's tone...I'm looking to improve me. This guy is dead on right.
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Author: clarinet60
Date: 2006-06-02 15:13
I'm sure that when the R13 clarinet was first introduced, many players questioned the need to spend more money for this instrument. However, it soon became the defacto standard. There are still improvements happening today of which some are worthwhile and many are not. If we are able to find the right ones, then they are certainly worth the money, otherwise we would all be playing on 2 keyed instruments made of boxwood. The clarinet world does progress.
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Author: John J. Moses
Date: 2006-06-02 15:33
"Clarinet players, in general, are a very insecure bunch..."
Oh really, what a silly statement. Here in NYC we're known as a bunch of pretty cocky, egotistical, self-promoters. Some actually play well in spite of their equipment. What's a few bucks $$$, when we make millions on all our gigs...! Insecure...I think NOT.
(Joke)
JJM
Légère Artist
Clark W. Fobes Artist
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Author: Gregory Smith ★2017
Date: 2006-06-02 15:40
"Clarinet players, in general, are a very insecure bunch..."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Maybe this particular person is not aware of the key tenets of psychology - the phenomenon known as projection?
Gregory Smith
Post Edited (2006-06-02 15:41)
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Author: GoatTnder
Date: 2006-06-02 16:17
You'd think that because I've studied advertising a bit and am looking to do that as a career I'd be able to see through this type of thing, but alas...
I regularly use more than the entire value of my clarinet in aftermarket products including 4 dang ligatures in the case that I can never choose between for very long.
Then again, I've got a reputation for being pretty cocky too.
Andres Cabrera
South Bay Wind Ensemble
sbwe@sbmusic.org
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Author: GBK
Date: 2006-06-02 16:48
In MANY of the groups I've played in, or observed, the clarinetists were usually the first players to arrive, get set up, look for "the" reed, and begin noodling.
Insecure or just punctual?
They are also among the first to wonder about, ask questions pertaining to, and compare the equipment of other players, colleagues, rivals, etc...
Insecure or just curious?
...GBK (who also arrives well before rehearsal begins ![[wink]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie3.gif) )
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Author: Cuisleannach
Date: 2006-06-02 17:55
I'm not sure I look for new equipment to give myself an edge. I look for new stuff because either a) my old one broke or b) I'm interested to see what a new product might do for me in terms of making it more fun to play. Also, we shouldn't forget that it's fun to buy stuff! Now all I have to do is get permission from the house comptroller (my wife) to actually get the new toys.
-Randy
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2006-06-03 00:02
I'm alway early because I love playing my horn and want to get started right now. If I'm late, I've gotta put up with all them inferior sounds of the lesser instruments.
... except for Mandy's fiddle, Larry's horn, Rich's bassoon, ... Hey, guys, lets work the waltz at # 43!
Bob Phillips
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Author: Carol Dutcher
Date: 2006-06-03 02:30
I guess I'm insecure because I always arrive early and if I don't know where a gig is, I may drive there a few days before just to check it out. Thank God I did this a few weeks back, the map was atrocious, and the gig was at a winery, kind of out in the boonies. I've only done this scouting bit twice though. One other time was for a wedding at another winery. Why do they hide those places so well. Right around the corner but you sure can't find it.
But here's good news. My instrument repairman told me, when I brought the clarinet to him for an overhaul, "what do you need that for? It plays beautifully just the way it is. Wait until it sounds like it is stuffed with cotton."
So, I guess I want to spend money to make the horn sound better whether it needs it or not. I have invested in mouthpieces, but so far, no barrels, and have lots of sample reeds to use.
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Author: jack
Date: 2006-06-03 06:54
GBK,
Most of your posts gracefully convey knowlegable nuggets of carefully nuanced information. But imo, your periodic bashing of Backun products does not become you.
People that purchase these products are not some stupid, ignorant hicks that are looking for some onobtainable pie-in-the-sky gimmiky fix that will magically transform their performance. Many, if not most, are, imo, opinion intelligent seekers of musical truth who have taken ample time to try these products out and purchase if they observe tangible and intangible improvements in their instrument's response. How many users of Backun products are out bewailing their purchase? How many Backun products have (as you once predicted would happen) ended up being dumped on ebay?
I purchased a Backun Bell that happily centers every note of my R-13 dead center on the tuning meter. Prior to acquiring said bell, all too many notes were just excruciatingly sharp. The bell makes playing a lot more secure and dare I say it, it looks great too. It was a pretty good horn before, having been reserved by Kalman Bloch, but now it nails every note.
The clarinet players I personally know are seemingly very secure. For the most part, they are fun-loving, helpful and happy. Most seem to enjoy playing music and are not whiny about my Backun Barrell.
For what it's worth, my two-year old "matched" set of American bore Rossi's
look and sound gourgeous, but if I happen to run into any tuning problems with it, you know just I'll do.
Jack
"Every day should be the best day of your life". Emerson
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Author: GBK
Date: 2006-06-03 08:08
jack wrote:
> GBK,
>
> Most of your posts gracefully convey knowlegable nuggets of
> carefully nuanced information. But imo, your periodic bashing
> of Backun products does not become you.
I did not mention ANY manufacturer in this thread.
YOU are the one that perceived an implied reference.
If any specific high dollar piece of equipment (mouthpiece, barrel, bell, ligature, etc...) makes you "a lot more secure" (your words) and enhances your playing, then for you, your money is well spent.
The clarinet will never play itself, nor always play perfectly in tune. For one to play at the highest level, it takes innate talent combined with hours of daily intense dedication. Some want to make the sacrifice - others do not.
For any person to think a specific piece of wood or hard rubber will solve bad playing technique is sadly misguided.
However, many of the players who tout their new found "success stories" with a recent high dollar accessory, might have been better served with lessons from a great teacher, having their clarinet properly tuned and voiced, learning how to adjust reeds, and spending more time with the horn in their mouth.
There are no shortcuts...GBK
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Author: Katrina
Date: 2006-06-03 13:35
"The clarinet will never play itself, nor always play perfectly in tune. For one to play at the highest level, it takes innate talent combined with hours of daily intense dedication. Some want to make the sacrifice - others do not."
Exactly put, GBK. It's all about the actual playing, not about the axe. I am lazy. I realized this long ago and never went into orchestral playing. I play Balkan folk stuff and occasional classical chamber gigs.
Due to my laziness and the Minnesota climate, I play with Legeres which many people have said they'd NEVER use in a concert or whatever. My audiences can't tell. The people I perform with can't tell. Maybe Greg Smith or Larry Combs could tell, but they're not at my gigs! 
Katrina
Post Edited (2006-06-03 13:37)
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Author: Markael
Date: 2006-06-03 13:58
Of course it is about the playing. Equipment is secondary. Even when money is tight, it is, in a way, easier to shell out the bucks than to do long, sustained hard work.
But equipment does make a difference. To illustrate the relationship:
I just switched from a B45 mouthpiece to an M13, on the recommendation of my instructor. The new mouthpiece improved my tone.
I was confused about the B45. I thought it was the most popular mouthpiece, widely thought to be ideal for classical players. (That’s not why I bought it, by the way. I chose it in a blind test of a handful of Vandorens.)
She explained to me that what I said was true of the B45 forty years ago. Since then there have been innovations in stock mouthpieces.
“Wow!” I answered. “Back in the day the really good players must have been like Babe Ruth.”
“No,” she explained. “The really good players paid to have their mouthpieces refaced.
Post Edited (2006-06-03 13:58)
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Author: Bruno
Date: 2006-06-03 14:45
Mark said,
"I just switched from a B45 mouthpiece to an M13, on the recommendation of my instructor. The new mouthpiece improved my tone."
Mark:
Would you tell me about the M-13 MP? I played a B45 until I discovered my old Buffet C-crown, but like all musicians I'm always looking for the magic formula, eh?
(Villanova? I have a good friend in Devon.)
B.
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Author: Gregory Smith ★2017
Date: 2006-06-03 15:04
This thread reminds me of a famous story, perhaps apocryphal, about Heiftz.
In the green room backstage after one of his recitals at Carnegie Hall, a line of admirers waited to greet and praise Heiftz for his inspiring performance.
The very last young person in line greeted the famous violinist and exclaimed "What beautiful music your violin makes!"...at which point Heiftz slowly walked over to his violin case, opened it, put one ear to his violin, lifted his head and replied with a puzzled look, "That's funny, I don't hear anything."
Gregory Smith
Post Edited (2006-06-03 15:05)
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2006-06-03 19:12
Jack,
I'm really, really skeptical of the fine results you report with your Backun bell.
I tried to raise the pitch of my low F by removing the bell completely. It had no effect --but, hey, it didn't raise the pitch of the long C either.
Bell on or bell off --makes no difference to the pitch of those distant throat tones.
Bob Phillips
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Author: Markael
Date: 2006-06-03 19:53
Bruno,
I'll tell you what I know about the M13, which isn't a whole lot.
Vandoren designed it especially for the Buffet R13, but it works well with my Selmer.
I am told that it might be able to handle a slightly stiffer reed than the B45.
The difference it made for me is that there is more consistency of sound among the registers. It is a marked improvement. Some of my high notes, such as the C above the staff, sounded harsh on the B45.
Perhaps it has made a difference with the low notes as well. Sometimes when I would play a moving line to low G and below, the bottom note would sort of pop out. Maybe that had as much to do with my playing as with the mouthpiece, so I'm not certain if the M13 has helped with that.
In general the tone seems a bit darker and more focused.
I have only been playing on this new mouthpiece for about four days.
Mark
Post Edited (2006-06-03 20:02)
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Author: donald
Date: 2006-06-03 22:40
one thing worth keeping in mind....
there are many pro players using clarinets/mouthpieces/barrels that actually aren't particuarly special (particuarly outside the US, where the concept of "choosing" a barrel etc from a large selection is often unheard of)
for those players a hand made mouthpiece, a Backun/Moennig/Chadash/Fobes/Muncy barrel/mouthpiece/bell may indeed be a HUGE HUGE HUGE improvement on what they have been using. (it may also be such a big change that they'll reject the new).
there is a difference between these people, and those who already have 10 Kaspars, a dozen barrels and three pairs of clarinets at home in the cupboard.
donald
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2006-06-03 23:04
for those [pro] players a <snip vendors> barrel/mouthpiece/bell may indeed be a HUGE HUGE HUGE improvement on what they have been using.
Pro players are a special breed (not meant in a derogatory sense).
But why on earth would (does?) a manufacturer ship eg a mouthpiece that isn't on par with the instrument? Everyone's telling "ditch the stock mouthpiece, buy an xyz". Hey! Are we (the players) underestimating the stock mpc, or are the manufacturers misjudging the market? I can't imagine either.
Duh, GBK must be right. What a fragile marketplace!
<makes mental notice to open-mindedly test-drive that Zinner mpc that came with the clarinet>
--
Ben
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Author: Vytas
Date: 2006-06-03 23:26
*****I purchased a Backun Bell that happily centers every note of my R-13 dead center on the tuning meter.*****
That's pure BS! The bell acts as a tone hole for the E/B. It also affects somewhat the notes/tones on the bottom of the Lower-Joint. Please remove your bell from your clarinet and play it. Besides the above mentioned tones the bell makes no difference at all.
Vytas Krass
Professional clarinet technician
Custom clarinet mouthpiece maker
Former professional clarinet player
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Author: jack
Date: 2006-06-04 02:13
To Bob Phillips and Vytas,
Sorry guys, wherever I typed bell, I should have typed barrell. And I reafirm my statement: The Backun barrell (picked from among many) has happily dead centered the tuning meter on every note. Of course, notes above C over the staff need their appropriate fingering. Oh yeah, I do have a Backun Bell as well. The bell just makes playing the horn easier in every range. By easier I mean that the degree of difficulty in achieving the end result of dynamics and articulation is lowered. Therefore I can articulate and play better and more reliably. I doubt if you could hear much, if any difference in a-b comparison, but I can feel it. The only difference I have ever heard in one sopano bell to another is that a thicker heavier bell will, in the only way that I can describe it, tone down any sense of thinness in the sound giving the sound more "weight", "body" and "darkness". I am not sure if that is good or bad. Both the Rossi and the Backun custom order Bass Clarinet Bells on the other hand, to my ears, add a huge extra layer of quality sound, seemingly swelling the sound and jelling all the overtones together to a create a much more sumptious sound.
Jack
To err is human, to lie about it is even more human.
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Author: Cuisleannach
Date: 2006-06-04 04:07
tictactux said,
<<But why on earth would (does?) a manufacturer ship eg a mouthpiece that isn't on par with the instrument? Everyone's telling "ditch the stock mouthpiece, buy an xyz". >>
From what I understand (and certainly true in my case) most players at an advanced level (i.e. some serious playing in college) will have their own favorite mp that they picked for themselves or their teachers helped them pick out. Thus, a good mp with the new clarinet will in most cases be superfluous.
Now a question....I have heard the rumour that Buffet at least (I haven't heard about other companies) only ships the top and bottom keyed joints as a set, and that barrels and bells (and mouthpieces) are just basically thrown in at random.....any truth to this?
-Randy
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Author: Gregory Smith ★2017
Date: 2006-06-04 04:13
Correct. The two joints don't necessarily come from the same billet of wood either...not that it matters.
Gregory Smith
Post Edited (2006-06-04 04:34)
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2006-06-04 11:34
The direction this thread has taken pretty well illustrates GBK's original point....
I think it's no great mystery why the folks who came up with the TV character of obsessive-compulsive detective Adrian Monk made him a clarinet player. As an amateur, I do get a lot of bang for the buck because I bought all of my clarinets used (except the childhood clarinet I've kept out of sentiment because my dad bought it for me), though I do draw the line at using the former owners' used reeds--big yuck-factor trumps stinginess! Yes, I've probably thrown away many dollars' worth of perfectly good, slightly used or maybe even unused reeds, just because...uh-oh, this is not a good line of thought.... ;-)
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2006-06-04 15:53
Jack,
Thanks for the clarification.
As labored in an earlier thread, my jury is still out on barrels. I've had little enough success with barrels to put further esperimention on hold.
If anyone has a really, terrible Buffet barrel and would like to loan it to me to prove a point, I'll pay shipping for the privelige of experiencing it.
Bob Phillips
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Author: Alseg
Date: 2006-06-04 16:36
Adrian Monk uses a Portnoy Ligature.
Adrian Monk's sound is, well, somewhat "spread."
Portnoy's sound was exemplary.
Must not be the ligature.
Former creator of CUSTOM CLARINET TUNING BARRELS by DR. ALLAN SEGAL
-Where the Sound Matters Most(tm)-
Post Edited (2006-06-04 16:37)
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Author: Markael
Date: 2006-06-04 19:31
Lelia said, "The direction this thread has taken pretty well illustrates GBK's original point..."
What direction? This thread, and others like it, is a series of "sub-threads."
Did I just coin a phrase?
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Author: Cuisleannach
Date: 2006-06-04 23:24
<<I think it's no great mystery why the folks who came up with the TV character of obsessive-compulsive detective Adrian Monk made him a clarinet player.>>
And let's not forget Squidward (sp?) from SpongeBob....though I can't really imagine immersing MY Buffet in salt water..........
-Randy
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2006-06-04 23:39
though I can't really imagine immersing MY Buffet in salt water..........
...let alone use it as a plunger.
--
Ben
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Author: CPW
Date: 2006-06-05 04:16
Hmm Pickled Clarinet. Just add spices.
No, GBK did not mention any particular manufacturer of aftermarket goodies, although he once touted a particular barrel NOT of the assumed Canadian origin.
Then again, he uses a crystal mouthpiece.
Hey, that's it!!
Lets get Waterford to make mouthpieces.
Then Baccarat and Sworoski (sp??)
Against the windmills of my mind
The jousting pole splinters
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Author: allencole
Date: 2006-06-05 14:44
In terms of equipment, I feel like I'm getting good bang for my buck with stock equipment, though carefully selected. R13 not Tosca, Portnoy mpc not Pyne, Zonda reeds not Vandoren, etc.
But...I'm not auditioning for symphony seats. When I was studying in the late 70's and early 80's, hardly anyone was even mentioning asymmetrical mouthpieces or custom barrels at my college. Now these things are being pushed for local high school kids. Even 6th graders MUST have Vandoren reeds. My middle school band director played in a professional symphony orchestra, but never pushed anything but entry-level Selmer or Vandoren mouthpieces...yet his 8th graders were playing the same level music as many better-equipped high schools do today.
A lot of equipment issues--particularly with younger players--really miss the point.
With professionals, the ante seems to be getting raised all the time. Between reeds, repairs and mouthpieces, coupled with gasoline of course, I can hardly afford to play as it is. I guess I'll just have to hope that my chops can pull me through.
Allen Cole
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Author: Markael
Date: 2006-06-05 16:41
As usual, Allen Cole gets right to the heart of the matter.
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Author: Vytas
Date: 2006-06-05 19:32
Products like Backun barrel/bell, B. Behn mouthpiece blanks or B. Brannen repair etc. is undeniable achievement in the clarinet field. For some people these are luxury items, for some; just a tool.
Just like a Ferrari will not make you a better driver a Beckun Bell will not make you a better player. Stick to your own guns if you CAN'T afford it, but I don't see any reason why you shouldn't get one if you CAN.
Vytas Krass
Professional clarinet technician
Custom clarinet mouthpiece maker
Former professional clarinet player
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Author: diz
Date: 2006-06-07 00:34
Amazing, another thread showing how people are obsessed with all things NOT musical when it comes to clarinet playing. Go figure!!
Without music, the world would be grey, very grey.
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Author: joeyscl
Date: 2006-06-10 03:16
"Now, back to practice. Did I hear someone say embouchure, tongue position, air support?? where can I buy some of that?"
No short cuts; That's the sad truth isn't it? :'(
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2006-06-10 12:24
Interesting - a recent article in Business Week magazine (just the gist, not the content) warns us purveyors of woodwind products - not us in particular, but all companies not to use certain words in advertising because they have become actually anti-productive advertising tools. The words include: Quality, Value, Service, Caring, and Integrity. So, I guess that I have spent years building up a customer base that is now turned off by what I consider to be core values. Perhaps these words are only hackneyed to soap powder users and not clarinet players?
L. Omar Henderson
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Author: Ralph Katz
Date: 2006-06-10 12:30
It is not lost on me that my three clarinets (C, Bb, and A ) are insured for less than my wife's flute, even including extra barrels, mouthpieces, triple case, reedmaking tools, etc.
Yes I have a dozen barrels in a drawer, all bought with good intentions, used for a while, then put away. I know people with much larger collections of barrels, plus the $150+ mouthpieces, used for a while and then prematurely retired. Moennig, Accubore, Chadash, etc. Wait 10 years and see how many people have Backuns put away.
Using Steve Fox's paper from the 1998 ICA convention as a starting point, there are a lot of acoustical compromises involved in making a clarinet. This makes it more difficult for the player to produce consistent tone and intonation, but at the same time gives us great potential power and flexibility.
You would think that the results of the clarinet's acoustic tradeoffs would be predictable. A Darwinian process of elimination (all instruments have this) weeds out people who can't cope, leaving an interesting lot, posessed by cockiness, neuroses, equipment obsession, and etc. Nobody has really compared the emotional requirements of playing instruments based on their acoustical limits. This is great fodder for a couple of PHD theses.
This is not to say that the flutists, oboists and trumpeters that I know are any better off than the clarinetists. Their instruments just manifest themselves with different personality issues. We are, after all, musicians! Hah!
An instrument tech friend complained about one of his clients making him crazy. This is a really fine clarinetist, who is engaged in a continuous quest for the Holy Grail mouthpiece/barrel/reed/ligature combination that will improve his already very admirable sound. Go figure.
This is one of the more interesting posts lately. Thanks, GBK!
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2006-06-10 21:16
The words include: Quality, Value, Service, Caring, and Integrity. So, I guess that I have spent years building up a customer base that is now turned off by what I consider to be core values.
Hmm. Dilbert predicted that years ago.
--
Ben
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Author: allencole
Date: 2006-06-11 04:52
Some VERY interesting items, Ralph. I think that it is the compromises involved with the instrument that make our eyes bigger than our stomachs. We tend to be enthusiastic about the latest, greatest thing, but then reexamining the benefits when some other facet of the instrument is compromised.
I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with all these things. But I do tend to moan and groan about the amount of overhead they can add to what's already the world's least profitable profession.
Allen Cole
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Author: Ralph Katz
Date: 2006-06-11 14:38
Oh, maybe not the LEAST profitable. I manage to sink a certain amount of clarinet playing money into ham radio equipment every year. Talk about a hobby for gadget freaks!
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2006-06-11 15:39
Talk about a hobby for gadget freaks!
Let's face it - we men never really grow up.
--
Ben
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Author: David Peacham
Date: 2006-06-11 21:25
Maybe Ben has found the heart of the matter.
We need a survey; do female clarinet players buy more or less equipment than male?
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If there are so many people on this board unwilling or unable to have a civil and balanced discussion about important issues, then I shan't bother to post here any more.
To the great relief of many of you, no doubt.
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Author: Markael
Date: 2006-06-12 00:03
"do female clarinet players buy more or less equipment than male?"
I don't want to know!
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Author: allencole
Date: 2006-06-12 04:29
Interesting Ralph. I'm a ham radio operator also, and have similar woes, although most of my main equipment dates to the mid-1980's. The unprofitable nature of playing music has caused me to hold the line in that area as well. And frankly, many of the advances in the radio hobby have a similar effect to some of the advances in clarinet technology. I find myself wanting to go into facets of both these pursuits that involve more simplicity and flexibility, in hopes of protecting myself from that Mr. Hyde that you so aptly describe as a gadget freak.
But you are right. The longings and the temptations for the latest and greatest really can come at you from a lot of different directions. Every new dollar in the paycheck brings a new set of them!
I guess that contentment will never be a word in the musicians' vocabulary.
73/Allen (N4JRI)
Allen Cole
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Author: Contra
Date: 2006-06-12 10:28
Be a college student not majoring in music and you'll be secure about it all.
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2006-06-12 11:19
>>We need a survey; do female clarinet players buy more or less equipment than male?
>>
I'd be curious to see a survey that distinguished between new off-the-shelf equipment, new custom-made equipment and used equipment. I'm a gadget junkie in the worst way, but I feed my habit relatively cheaply at yard sales and flea markets. Looking and touching is a very big part of the equipment mania for me--one reason why I've never bought anything on eBay. I like to see what I'm getting. Knowing I've only got myself to blame if I buy something with damage I can't fix or qualities that make it not right for my personal use is oddly comforting: no need to take things back, get mad, threaten to sue, etc.--much easier on the nerves to buy things I know need some TLC, then come away from the work bench with the thought that, with any luck, I haven't done any harm and have salvaged a formerly-unplayable instrument someone had dumped into the "get rid of it" market.
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
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Author: Ralph Katz
Date: 2006-06-12 23:56
N4JRI de KB8ZOY:
My QSL card has a photo of me with clarinet.
Are you on Echolink or IRLP?
73,
Ralph
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Author: DougR
Date: 2006-06-13 13:28
I realized a long time ago that reed players (at least, the ones I know) are inveterate gearheads. I don't see it as a matter of security vs insecurity, though. I think it's partly personality type, and here's my Exhibit A.
For a long time I had a steady big-band gig, and shared a ride with three other guys, a fellow reed player and two brass players. I drove, and the other reed player sat up front; the two brass guys sat in the back.
On the way back from every gig, without fail, me and the other reed player talked about the section, our reeds, the mouthpieces we'd sold, some new piece of equipment, some upgraded piece of equipment, some mistakenly acquired piece of equipment, some coveted piece of equipment someone at some time had on some gig or other, and on and on.
In the back seat, invariably and without fail, the brass players talked about...the ballgame.
I rest my case.
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Author: Francois Kloc
Date: 2006-06-20 12:22
Randy Said "Now a question....I have heard the rumour that Buffet at least (I haven't heard about other companies) only ships the top and bottom keyed joints as a set, and that barrels and bells (and mouthpieces) are just basically thrown in at random.....any truth to this?"
Dear Randy,
This is not true for Buffet Crampon clarinets. We have professional
testers including Michel Arrignon, Pascal Moragues and oters as well as clarinetist in the Mantes la Ville factory who are trying the production
and fine tune the instruments .
The barrel is put on the upper joint and the last reaming is done with the two pieces together which is the reason why I always recommend to try the original barrel before trying a custom made one to make sure that you have a point of reference in terms of tuning and overall response.
The Bell is put at the end and play tested to fit the particular instrument as well. Each clarinets are put together and play tested at the French factory none are shipped and assembled elsewhere. We have always done so.
Please let me know if you have any other questions concnerning Buffet Crampon
Musically Yours,
Francois Kloc
President & CEO
Buffet Crampon USA, Inc.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2006-06-21 05:27
Another two questions:
1. Buffet recommends not oiling the bore of 'new' clarinets. At what age does Buffet recommend commencing oiling, if at all. What is Buffet's recommended oiling regime, what oil does Buffet REALLY recommend? BTW, is the Buffet branded bore oil mineral or vegetable based?
2. Buffet now produces plastic clarinets with plastic "reinforcing rings" on the tenon receivers. These break quite easily, and would seem to have almost zero reinforcing effect. The area would presumably be stronger if made from SOLID plastic. What is the rationale behind this approach? Surely, traditional metal rings (imported from China) must cost very little.
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Author: Francois Kloc
Date: 2006-06-23 15:05
Another two questions:
1. Buffet recommends not oiling the bore of 'new' clarinets. At what age does Buffet recommend commencing oiling, if at all. What is Buffet's recommended oiling regime, what oil does Buffet REALLY recommend? BTW, is the Buffet branded bore oil mineral or vegetable based?
2. Buffet now produces plastic clarinets with plastic "reinforcing rings" on the tenon receivers. These break quite easily, and would seem to have almost zero reinforcing effect. The area would presumably be stronger if made from SOLID plastic. What is the rationale behind this approach? Surely, traditional metal rings (imported from China) must cost very little.
Hello,
1. I do not recommend using bore oil on new instruments just because they do not need any. The M'Pingo wood is one of the oilest wood you can find and we do use oil when we make the instruments. The main thing you want to achieve with any wood instruments is for it to be stable. Using wood is not going to help. I personaly never oiled my instruments and I never had problems with it.
2.On our B12 clarinets (Plastic) we now use metal rings.
Thanks,
Francois Kloc
President & CEO
Buffet Crampon USA, Inc.
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The Clarinet Pages
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