 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: bill28099
Date: 2008-02-15 18:30
Does anyone out there own one of these instruments? I would be interested in your comments.
A great teacher gives you answers to questions
you don't even know you should ask.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: cigleris
Date: 2008-02-15 18:56
Who makes them? As far as i'm aware Selmer, Leblanc and Buffet make full bassets in A. Howarths in London make basset joints as does Stephen Fox in Canada.
Peter Cigleris
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: jcfasanar
Date: 2008-02-15 19:07
I ordered one to Tom. I believe that will receive it in March
Tom Ridenour has 3 options for the basset:
-Lyrique A soprano with extra basset lower joint
-Only basset lower joint, to use with your A
-Full basset A
I ordered the Full.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2008-02-16 01:15
No, like his other Lyrique upper level clarinets, it's hard rubber. Check his site (referenced above) for details on construction.
Jeff
“Everyone discovers their own way of destroying themselves, and some people choose the clarinet.” Kalman Opperman, 1919-2010
"A drummer is a musician's best friend."
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: tristan
Date: 2008-02-17 12:43
I've ordered one of these that should arrive in late Feb/early March - I'll try and post a review then.
Tristan Marshall
Amateur
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: asweenie
Date: 2008-03-20 16:29
Has anyone recieved their basset yet? I am keen to hear what you think about it.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: bill28099
Date: 2008-04-01 22:35
Am I still the only person on this BB who owns one?
A great teacher gives you answers to questions
you don't even know you should ask.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: CocoboloKid
Date: 2008-04-02 01:25
Then perhaps you wouldn't mind giving us YOUR impressions of the instrument, as an owner of one. I, personally, would be very interested in hearing it, as I am sorely tempted to buy one.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: cigleris
Date: 2008-04-02 11:07
I own a basset clarinet, it's a selmer. I however don't own a Lyrique. So Bill28099 your not the ony peson on the BB who owns a basset.
Peter Cigleris
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Tobin
Date: 2008-04-02 11:23
Peter,
I think there's some contextual confusion. I'm pretty certain that Bill28099 was speaking specifically of owning a Lyrique basset clarinet.
At the same time I can see the confusion...they started this thread, and they haven't confirmed that they own one or what they think of it!
James
Gnothi Seauton
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Chris P
Date: 2008-04-02 13:11
Shame the Lyrique keywork is based on the Leblanc - so there's only a low C thumb touch and no LH Ab/Eb lever.
The Selmer basset clarinet has low D and C thumb touches, LH Ab/Eb lever and LH low Eb lever, and the LH F/C lever also operates the low C pad cup. But on Selmers, the RH low Eb touch is next to (south of) the F/C and the low Db is where the low Eb is normally placed (as on low Eb instruments) - next to the RH E/B touch.
I think Buffets have the best keywork layout, that's if their basset clarinets are set out as their basset horns and low C basses are.
Aren't the Leblanc basset clarinets built with a one-piece body?
Even so, the price of the Lyrique basset clarinet is very attractive. Wonder if a Lyrique basset horn is in the pipeline? Although a basset horn is still a niche product, but not nearly as a niche a product as a basset clarinet.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: cigleris
Date: 2008-04-03 00:39
Tobin, i was using English Humour. Chris my basset as you may well know is not the standard layout you find on the instruments produced today. I don't know who overhauled it a few years back, it might have been John. Mine has the Eb key like a full boehm and the three other keys for D, C# and C fo the thumb. For me this is fime playing Mozart and Sussmayer. It my be a bit tricky for the more modern stuff.
Peter Cigleris
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Tobin
Date: 2008-04-03 02:34
Apologies Peter, I "lost it in the translation" (which I'm sure mean a reading error of mine!)
James
Gnothi Seauton
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: bill28099
Date: 2008-04-03 15:29
OK, here are my comments on the Lyrique Basset Clarinet as well as those of my teacher who played it for 15 or 20 minutes the other day. I've delayed making comments because this is my one and only experience with a basset clarinet and wanted input from others.
First of all the thumb and pinky finger keying is no more obnoxious then that of my Selmer #9 basset horn. Is it as nice as that of a low C Buffet bass, probably not but.......at least RH Eb and D are not reversed. I now have three harmony clarinets each with different keying of the low notes, how pinky.
For my short fat old fingers I find the location of the thumb key to be awkward. Of those who have played the horn negative comments are running 50-50 on the matter. However, I can't reach the LH Eb/Ab lever on my bass either and should get a touch plate made. An easy modification fixed the basset's thumb key for my hands.
When the horn was first delivered bell B, C and C# were very resistive. The horn was returned and worked on and is now acceptable.
The left hand pinky finger keys are very close together and C/F gets bent if you are not careful, specially in shipping.
My teacher says this is the best in tune A clarinet he has ever played and gives it a thumbs up for intonation. He gave it a thumbs up on price too and is considering buying one for himself.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Chris P
Date: 2008-04-03 16:15
"Chris my basset as you may well know is not the standard layout you find on the instruments produced today. I don't know who overhauled it a few years back, it might have been John. Mine has the Eb key like a full boehm and the three other keys for D, C# and C fo the thumb. For me this is fime playing Mozart and Sussmayer. It my be a bit tricky for the more modern stuff."
Is your basset a converted Series 9? I remember seeing one of these down in Worthing being worked on when Paul was down this way a few years back. I think the low C extention was done by Brian Ackerman on this basset and has a vent hole above the tenon for low C instead of having low C issue from the bell as on most bassets.
I had a D-series (10S) basset clarinet in the late '80s, but sold it back in 1993 (along with my other Selmer harmony clarinets from the same D-series era).
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: asweenie
Date: 2008-04-03 21:00
What is the tone of the instrument like and how easy is it to play in comparison to the likes of an r13 or equivalent? I mean, does it take a lot more effort to get a nice sound?
Also, from the image on the website it looks like it does have a LH Eb/Ab key?
What is the order of the two extra RH keys? Is it Eb beside the B/E key and D beside the C/F key and how do you get the C# and C? Is it combination of the thumb key and pinky-keys?
Sorry for all the questions!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Chris P
Date: 2008-04-03 21:23
If I remember rightly, on Leblancs (and I presume the Lyrique is the same) the order of the RH pinky cluster is:
(upper row) Ab/Eb - F/C - low C#/Db
(bottom row) F#/C# - E/B - low Eb
The LH cluster/lever order is:
(bottom row) C#/G# - F/C - low D
(upper row) E/B lever - F#/C# lever
And low C is the thumb key.
-
On Buffets I think it's (if they use the same keywork configuration as their Prestige basset horns and low C basses):
(RH)
Ab/Eb - F/C - low D
F#/C# - E/B - low Eb
(LH)
C#/G# - F/C - low D
E/B - F#/C#
- Ab/Eb
(thumb)
low C#/Db
low C
Selmer 10S:
Ab/Eb - F/C - low Eb
F#/C# - E/B - low C#/Db
C#/G# - F/C/low C - low D
E/B - F#/C#
low Eb - Ab/Eb
(thumb)
low D
low C
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: bill28099
Date: 2008-04-03 23:28
On the Lyrique Basset Chris P has the right hand OK, same a Leblanc. The left hand hand cluster is as follows:
Bottom Row
F/C - Low D
Upper Row
E/B - F#/C#
A great teacher gives you answers to questions
you don't even know you should ask.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Chris P
Date: 2008-04-04 09:00
I'm including the top joint C#/G# key as part of the LH pinky cluster (as it is when the clarinet is assembled).
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
