 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2011-09-15 12:36
I read past threads and thought about this, but wondering if maybe there is something I didn't consider or thought of.
In general, I'm interested in a contrabass clarinet. I possibly have a chance to do some work in exchange for a Bundy contra alto clarinet. I already have a low C bass clarinet, so the contra alto will give me two tones lower (concert Gb). It's not a lot but still interesting.
I don't know if getting those extra two tones is important enough to use often, especially carrying both instruments (I doubt I'll take just the contra but who knows). It's possible I will want that lower range sometimes. Obviously only I can know (hopfully) how important those two extra tones are for me.......
I know some people use a contra alto for reading parts of other instruments and/or transposing. I won't do that and it's not a consideration or advanage I will have with the cotnra alto. This use for it is useless to me.
One more thing, the case is the long annoying one. Does the Bundy contra alto seperate in the middle so I can use a different case (probably one made especially)?
Thanks
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2011-09-15 13:11
Nitai,
If you check over on Sax On The Web in the "Doublers - Clarinet" section there is currently a discussion of contra-alto clarinet cases.
Permit me to repeat here what I wrote there: The Bundy/Selmer-USA contra-alto does come apart in the middle; there is a slip joint (no cork) clamped by a metal ring which is tightened by a hex socket screw. So what I've done is gutted a tenor sax case, and used slabs of dense foam to make a two-layer case for the two halves of the body; and I keep a small Allen (hex) wrench in the case for assembly/disassembly. It's easy.
Although as you point out the contra-alto only adds two lower notes relative to a low-C bass, it has a deeper and more powerful sound down there, so it is useful. And although not important to you, I've personally made good use of the instrument's ability to play concert-pitch bass clef parts by pretending they're in treble clef and adding three sharps.
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2011-09-15 13:12
AFAIK the two joints are semi-permanently attached. They can be separated for repairs but usually stay together and are secured with a brace.
(similar as my metal Leblanc CAC)
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Ben
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2011-09-15 13:15
Sir Ben, I rarely disagree with you, but in this case.....Please see my post just above yours, I think I beat you to the 'send' button by about 3 seconds!
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2011-09-15 13:43
Disagree about what? In my ears, "clamped by a metal ring which is tightened by a hex socket screw" does sound like "semi-permanently attached", ie you need suitable tools to assemble and disassemble the joints.
If the manufacturer intended this to be done by the user, then there would be a corked tenon etc, no?
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Ben
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Author: William Hughes ★2017
Date: 2011-09-15 14:12
I play a Bundy contra-alto adjusted by Dave Spiegelthal almost ten years ago and still performing like a champ. (The instrument, not necessarily the player.)
I know you don't want to play other parts (bari sax, bassoon, string bass, etc.), but the fact is there isn't much written specifically for the contra-alto. I play whatever they put in front of me.
My solution for the heavy and awkward case has been a gig bag made for the contra-alto. As long as I can be certain that I will be in control of the instrument, it works well. The manufacturer is still around I believe. I found him through that auction site.
Good luck if you decide to join the contra corps.
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2011-09-15 14:14
But it takes all of 5 seconds to loosen the clamp screw to disassemble the joints, at which point the operation is no different than what one would do with any other large clarinet having two bridge keys. Remember that the "manufacturer intended" this instrument to be used by schoolkids, who tend to be clumsy or careless or inexperienced or any combination of the three. If used by a responsible adult such as Nitai, there is absolutely no reason not to separate the joints. The tool costs about a dollar (for a good one.
I can assure you it is much easier to lug the beast around in a tenor sax-sized case than in the original long case.
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2011-09-15 15:26
>>I can assure you it is much easier to lug the beast around in a tenor sax-sized case than in the original long case.
>>
I'm sure you're right, but for those of us who are vertically challenged, there's another consideration: Taking a contra-alto apart at the center joint and then re-assembling it are so awkward that there's a real danger of damaging the instrument. Short people need to make sure to try disassembling and re-assembling in the conditions where we're likely to have to do it, before making a decision about that case.
I'm 5'2" tall and have small hands. I can barely reach all the keys and the mouthpiece at the same time to play the beast. My Bundy contra-alto has the sturdy long case and I prefer it. Before I bought this contra, I tried another one (Selmer) that came in the more conventional type of case and realized that I'm just too small to deal with it.
On the long case, the handle is located in the center, giving good balance. Maneuvering the long case is a hassle, true, especially around corners and up and down stairs, but that's a lot less of a hassle for me than taking the instrument apart and putting it back together.
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: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2011-09-15 17:30
I guess I have no trouble handling the large pieces, lately I've been playing a friend's metal Leblanc contrabass a couple of times a month, his is the straight model and I have to assemble the two body joint pieces each time -- and they are considerably longer and heavier than the plastic Bundy contra-alto joint segments. I'm not tall either, 5'8" (and shrinking every year, no doubt).
Matter of fact, Lelia, you may have actually seen me lugging my contra-alto in the tenor sax case when we crossed paths at ClarinetFest at UMd a few years back -- I was playing it in the massed adult clarinet choir.
Whatever. I was just providing an option.
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2011-09-15 21:54
David Spiegelthal wrote:
> Whatever. I was just providing an option.
So was I. :-)
I just meant to suggest that the manufacturer might not have intended the instrument to be assembled and disassembled each time, hence the "deterring" screwed clamp. I'm sure Nitai and a lot of others can deal with that, I just didn't mean to give the kiddies some ideas, nor can I make any guess about the longevity of that specific kind of joint.
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Ben
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2011-09-16 00:04
Aha, me apologies for misunderstanding, Herr Ben! As for longevity of the joint, I would not be at all concerned about that (speaking as a mechanical engineer). One might put a real small dab of petroleum jelly (or even cork grease) on the plastic tenon once in a while, but I've been playing my contra-alto for years and haven't had any problems nor need for maintenance.
Finally, as an iconoclast and inveterate tinkerer, I really couldn't care less what the manufacturer intended, inasmuch as manufacturers (in any industry) are motivated by just two things: immediate profit from the maximum number of sales of their items, and minimizing customer complaints (or, worse, lawsuits). Since the Bundy contra-alto has two bridge keys to line up to assemble the joints, I think it's safe to conclude that, rather than blow their budget (and reputation) fixing or replacing bent/broken bridge keys, Selmer-USA chooses to lock the joint -- ease of carrying or storing the case be damned!
But you and I (and the other humble readers of the BB) are smarter than that, and more careful than the kiddies --- so we shouldn't be constrained by the narrow box the manufacturer has created (understandably) for his product.
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Author: Ebclarinet1
Date: 2011-09-16 02:36
I just bought a Selmer rosewood contra alto and the case I got was built by Selmer USA. It is a very neat case and I'm betting that you could order one. It is about the same length as my Buffet Prestige bass to low C case. The two rosewood joints are put in the case one over the other in compartments. They fit perfectly. So Nitai this might be a solution for you not wanting the longer, clunkier case.
One thing that is quite different is that the contra alto has a quite different sound than the bass. Much bigger sound and it really growls. Probably the wqider bore and much bigger bell to project the sound.
In the concert band I am getting quite a few parts although I also play alto and bass, so that I play what is most needed. Some of the parts are NOT exciting though and i usually play one of the other parts as they're more important in terms of parts covered.
Eefer guy
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Author: buedsma
Date: 2011-09-16 11:29
i'm going to attach wheels to the contra-alto case , and then i can stack my other instrument cases on top of the contra-altocase . Makes for easy transportation of all my stuff at once
Size (lenght ) will still be a problem .Depends on your type of car.
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2011-09-16 12:03
> Size (lenght ) will still be a problem .Depends on your type of car.
A hearse is inherently suited for transporting oblong cases.
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Ben
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2011-09-16 12:50
budesma wrote,
>i'm going to attach wheels to the contra-alto case , and then i can stack my other instrument cases on top of the contra-altocase . Makes for easy transportation of all my stuff at once
>
Sounds like a good idea! I've thought about putting wheels on the end of my contra case. Might still do it. The case isn't pristine to begin with -- some previous owner patched it up with duct tape, among other things. Been meaning to do something about that for, uh, about five years. Any day now. Modifying an original Bundy case isn't going to outrage the Antiques Roadshow guys anyway. In a hundred years, it'll be a "period restoration" instead of vandalism. Or not. I'll be too dead to care. But a pair of wheels at one end and a handle at the other end would be handy.
David Spiegelthal wrote,
>>Matter of fact, Lelia, you may have actually seen me lugging my contra-alto in the tenor sax case when we crossed paths at ClarinetFest at UMd a few years back -- I was playing it in the massed adult clarinet choir.>>
I do remember meeting you at the Clarinet Fest (and did we run into each other again at an International Saxophone Symposium?) but can't remember whether or not you had the case with you.
5'8" is a whole lot taller than 5'2". Your wingspan is enough longer than mine to make all the difference in disassembling and re-assembling a contra! I wanted to learn trombone back in the day and quickly discovered that my arms aren't long enough to reach all the positions. Phooey.
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
Post Edited (2011-09-16 12:57)
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2011-09-16 14:17
Seems that replacing the case wouldn't be that difficult, at worst having a local bag/case maker to make one. Disassembling the screw with the key wouldn't be an issue.
So advantages for me seem to be two tones (four notes) lower and possibly a bit easier to control for faster playing etc. in that range because the same range is higher (no thumb). So it's borderline.
Thanks.
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