 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Cindyr
Date: 2007-05-14 01:54
In comparing two Buffet B12's, one from 1986 and the other from 2003, I noticed a difference in the size of the barrels. The 1986 has a 66 cm barrel, and the 2003 a 65 cm. Were the specifications changed at some point?
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2007-05-14 02:43
Hello Cindyr,
For Buffet Bb (pro) clarinets the 66mm barrel is the stock barrel.
The B12 is a student model clarinet and clarinet producers (not just Buffet)often attempt to compensate for beginners with low pitch.
The B12 is essentially the E11...and that comes with an even shorter barrel occasionally.
This is a poor trade off as far as I can tell. If you have a young student with proper fundamentals they can play these clarinets quite sharp.
Does anyone know if there is a legitimate difference in the dimensions of the B12/E11 upper joint VS the R13 upper joint? (which might provide another reason for the barrel difference?)
James
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2007-05-14 08:44
In recent years the student Buffet clarinets have all been supplied with the shorter (65mm) barrel - in the Buffet catalogue it says they're tuned to 442Hz with the 65mm and 440Hz with the 66mm! The joint length and tonehole layout is still the same.
But that didn't stop one local teacher shortening them even further - to a ridiculous 58mm as he complained that 'all my students' clarinets play flat' - yeah, well they will if you play clarinet with your slack sax embouchure!
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2007-05-14 10:50
Although the B10 and B12 have the 65mm barrel, the E10 and E11 (and E12 - not sure just HOW different this is from the E11) all have 64.5mm barrels.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: donald
Date: 2007-05-14 11:30
Hey Chris P
a teacher here in NZ actually went so far as to find an engineer who would produce alluminium barrels (similar to DEG but unpainted) in various lengths (ie 63 or 62mm) to help beginner students who were flat. No research etc was put into barrel bore dimensions.
As in the case you mention, this particular teacher could have put time and effort into improving embochure and tone production. The concept of high tongue position was foreign, as was such simple advice as "lips against teeth" (ie- not pushed forward in a pout) and "teeth on the top of the mouthpiece". These two simple directives improve tone/pitch in 4 out of five students, without needing to resort to shorter barrel lengths
donald
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2007-05-14 15:46
I had a wooden student Artley clarinet that compensated in another (bad) way: The upper joint it self was 1-2 mm short.
The throat tones were stratospheric!
The instrument has since evolved into a very successful lamp!
James
Gnothi Seauton
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