 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Ebclarinet1
Date: 2007-03-26 12:30
Was perusing "that infamous marketing web site" yesterday and noticed they have what appears to be a standing offer on alto clarinet stands. Has anyone bought one and if so what do they think? The price certainly seems OK, although I hate dealing with ANYTHING on that web site!
Am considering buying a new alto. Have a LeBlanc right now but would be interested on others' opinions on this matter. My bassett horn is also a LeBlanc and I do like it although all my other clarinets are Buffet's.
Thanks!
Eefer guy
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2007-03-26 13:05
TKS for the info, Eefer, I regularly need the availability of both my alto and bass cls [Selmers] since our associate [C B] conductor now plays bass [part time] and juggling 2 good-sized insts [with glass mps] is no great fun. I'll look up the stand, hopefully its large enough for either. Several of our B Cl players, and I, prefer either Selmers or Buffets to other makes. Luck, Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2007-03-27 03:38
I'd recommend a K&M bass clarinet/bassoon stand for alto clarinet (and also contra-alto) -- it's a very versatile stand, reasonably portable, reasonably secure, and not too expensive.
As for instruments, I really don't like the Leblanc/Noblet/Vito altos (they're all essentially the same instrument) -- I'd take just about any other brand over them. They're rugged and reliable, but play stuffy and out of tune almost universally.
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2007-03-27 12:23
I like the K&M "bass clarinet and bassoon" stand because it's both sturdy and completely collapsible, unlike some other stands. However, for my alto clarinet, I modified a tenor sax stand, so that I could switch off during the same practice session between the alto and the contra-alto occupying its K&M stand. Down at the bottom of the sax stand, I added the business end of a black rubber toilet plunger, cup side up. Works fine. Looks pretty much like the K&M stand. Best part: I got the tenor sax stand at a flea market for $5.
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: Don Berger
Date: 2007-03-27 13:21
Many TKS, long-time cl f[r]iends, Lelia and Dave, will get my [alternating] bass cl'ist to get a K&M for me, he also runs a fine [The] Music Store, rite So. of here in River City, OK. In the interim, I may try a sax stand "conversion" as L suggests, possibly an engineering challenge? I did ask the "stand-maker" if his Bass stand could hold an alto safely, alternatively. No reply as yet. Again, thanx. Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: Ebclarinet1
Date: 2007-03-27 17:18
Thanks for your opinions on the horns. I'm so happy with my Buffet prestige bass that I was thinking in that direction, although I don't know if Buffet has put the same sort of effort in design into their new altos. My old Selmer bass was a warhorse in terms of sound. BIG AND PRETTY so i could se that being an attractive alternative for alto too.
Oddly I've not tried the K&M bass clarinet stand with my alto. it is a great stand as you say, but i thought it might be too long to hold the alto in there correctly. It seems I did use it on the bassett horn once or twice, but that is a bigger horn, for sure.
Have to go home and check the sizes now!
EEfer guy
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Author: LonDear
Date: 2007-03-27 17:44
Two of us in our ensemble play mid-70's Selmer Paris altos and they play wonderfully and sound great. We both settled on Grabners.
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2007-03-28 12:04
I do think the K&M "bass clarinet and bassoon" stand is too big for an alto clarinet. It'll work, but the clarinet is a bit loose in there. The engineering I did on the tenor sax stand was minimal, just a matter of drilling a few holes. I drilled holes lower down on the main brace than the original upper bracket, and moved the bracket down to a spot where it would support the clarinet without touching any keys. I also bent the padded bracket "arms" inwards, because the clarinet is thinner than a sax and I didn't want it flopping around sideways. On the toilet plunger, I left the stick in the rubber, cut the stick off short and drilled through it, then drilled the stand, so that I could put a bolt through stand and stick to support the curved bell without any metal or wood touching the clarinet. I painted the remaining bit of the stick black, to match the rubber and make the origin of the cup a bit less obvious. The result doesn't look as bub-fudge as it may sound!
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: Don Berger
Date: 2007-03-28 14:09
TKS for your description of your "engineering", Lelia, impressive to a Chem Eng ! I tried for several hours yesterday, unsuccessfully, to convert my old Ray Robinson sax stand to a Bass Cl stand, so will prob. go for a K&M and see if it can hold my Selmer alto OK, alternatively. Having "lost" my sales brochures, can someone give an approximate cost, please. FUN??, Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: rsholmes
Date: 2007-03-28 15:06
Lelia,
To go with your stand, you might want this clarinet (or chalumeau?) spotted last summer at the Bate Collection in Oxford:
http://rsholmes.smugmug.com/photos/85534155-M.jpg
Post Edited (2007-03-28 15:07)
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Author: Ebclarinet1
Date: 2007-03-28 17:04
Lelia,
I tried the bassett horn in the K&M stand last night and it fits, although as you noted, a bit of a wobble. This might work in a performance where I'm doing both although I think I might want them each in their own stand rather than having to move in and one out, I can see disasters happening otherwise! The bassett horn is a bit bigger than the alto because of the extension to low C so I'll try the alto in it tonight.
After taking the bassett horn out to test it I ran through some pieces. This piece by Backofen, Variations on German Folk Songs (English translation) is a really clever and fun piece. It uses the bassett notes quite liberally too.
Your engineering is marvelous! My dad was an engineer but i fear I have little of his talents. I'm a cell biologistby day, musician by night!
Eefer guy
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Author: kenabbott
Date: 2007-03-29 19:27
I bought an old Leblanc alto on that website and was quite happy with both the price and the quality.
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