 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Bill
Date: 2000-08-23 14:52
Still in search of a good Penzel-Mueller clarinet (!), I got a "Brilliante" and had it cleaned and repadded. I am a great lover of clarinets, especially off-the-beaten-path stuff and older stuff. God forgive me, but I really dislike the way this clarinet plays!!!!!! Does anyone play these "Brilliante" clarinets? The bore is a bit wider than an R-13 (pinky finger test) and there is little/no undercutting of tone holes. The clarinet is beautifully built, with the best-looking wood and plated keywork I have ever seen, but the sound is one-dimensional, inflexible, and shrill. Everything I've read about P.-M. indicates they were good instrument builders. Unfortunately, I've never played a clarinet I've liked less (this includes a Noblet 45 and a B&H 2-20). Tech question: Could it be the very tight "springing" of the keywork? The guy who overhauled it set the keys much too tight. HELP!!! Mayday!!!!
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Author: David Spiegelthal
Date: 2000-08-23 15:26
The key heights being set too low would tend to male the clarinet play stuffy, and possibly create some intonation problems, but shouldn't really affect the basic tone quality. If the horn sounds shrill and hard, then it's probably a fundamental characteristic of your particular instrument's bore dimensions and tone hole placements and dimensions. Even undercutting the tone holes would not really solve the shrillness. Have you tried a number of different mouthpieces? (Pardon me for asking, you probably have, but we often overlook the obvious.) I've restored a couple of P-Ms (neither was the Brilliante model, however), and neither one seemed harsh or shrill to my ear. But as has been stated before on this list, there can be large variations in sound and response between clarinets of the same make and model, not to mention between clarinets of different makes. So it's possible you've simply got one of the statistically-inevitable 'not-so-good' clarinets that happens to be a P-M. Again, before you condemn the clarinet and banish it to the pawn shop, please try a whole bunch of different mouthpieces (and reeds, too!).
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2000-08-23 16:38
I can mainly echo Dave's well-put advice. I have [now] only one PM, a 20/7 Full Boehm, and gave another one to a good cl-teacher friend. Both played well, the given-away [earlier ser # ] was quite bright as I recall. I had and sold [after work-up] an Empire? model 17/6 which I liked, mellow-to-bright [didnt plan the rhyme!], a good friend has another PM which he is pleased with! I would only suggest checking the mp/barrel/upper joint diameters [by pinky is OK] for close matching, if diff. it might cause problems of several types. Luck, Don
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Author: Bill
Date: 2000-08-23 18:22
My main complaint with the instrument is its lack of response (no ppp) and complete resistance to shaping the tones. As luck would have it >:O I did have a couple of mouthpieces at hand to try with it. The clarinet came with two barrels (and a screwdriver that I believe is original), a really well-put-together package. In a way, I feel like it really should sound great but just needs a more intuitive (or musically adroit) tech to bring out its best. I usually play for about an hour before the embouchure shows signs of giving out; during my trial paly with this clarinet, I was weary after 15 minutes.
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Author: ron b.
Date: 2000-08-24 07:36
I'd have those pads carefully and methodically checked again. And, I'd question WHY the action is so tight :| Doesn't need to be - and you don't like it that way. The tech is supposed to accomodate YOU... That horn should practically play itself for you now, if everything's working as it should after cleaning and padding.
In other words, Bill, I wouldn't be too quick to blame the instrument. P-M Brilliantes aren't bad horns. Techs, on the other hand, have their 'off' days (just like the rest of us:) Most reputable techs don't mind at all doing re-checks until the instrument plays right for you.
ron b.
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Author: Lelia
Date: 2000-08-24 16:56
How interesting! -- I recently bought a P-M Brillante at a flea market. It needs absolutely everything. The tenon corks are falling apart, the pads are shot, the wood looks and feels horribly dry, most of the key corks are off: a mess. But I don't see any real damage. Mine's got *3* barrels! I think they're all originals, because they're in their own little fitted spaces. They're radically different shapes and lengths. The shortest is a tuning barrel. I wonder if this is a convertible, meant to be played as either an A or a Bb. Does anybody know if P-M made such a thing? If so, it probably won't play in tune as either one, but I'm curious to find out. Mine also has that screwdriver, with its own space and hold-down. Great-looking package, as you say -- except for being totally filthy, with a case that smells like an alligator swamp. I'm very curious to hear what it sounds like.
One other suggestion on that shrill sound and blow-your-brains-out resistance: a tiny pad leak can cause exactly those problems. It's surprising how much of a leak a clarinet can have and still play. If you go over the whole clarinet with a leak light, in a dark room, you can see a difference between the soft glow that normally will shine through the pads and the much brighter sliver of light that indicates a leak.
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Author: Willie
Date: 2000-08-25 04:23
Don't forget to check the corks at the tenons also. I've seen some that looked great (like new) and appeared to fit tight but leaked enough to cause stuffyness, and in one case no sound at all. Try taping the joints and then play it. If you don't want tape on it, just goop it up with a little extra cork gease.
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Author: Dee
Date: 2000-08-25 23:20
If the springs are too stiff, you should go right back to the technician and get them adjusted to your liking. Incorrect spring tension makes any clarinet a bear to play well.
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