 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: SteveG_CT
Date: 2013-06-14 19:07
Interesting. It looks very much like an alto clarinet that has been given a straight bell and barrel. Also looks like it would be very awkward to play.
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Author: cigleris
Date: 2013-06-14 19:28
I always understood that the tenor clarinet is the basset horn. This looks like a straight basset horn. Great playing by Alex!
Peter Cigleris
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Author: Barry Vincent
Date: 2013-06-14 22:11
Could it be a high Alto in G. (one tone lower than the A)
Does seem to be a type of Boehm system.
Amati Klarslice make a G Alto Simple system for the Greek/Turkish folk music clarinetists.
The bell is a bit like that of the F Alto Oboe (Cor Anglais)
Love the amplification. Wonderful rich sound.
Skyfacer
Post Edited (2013-06-14 22:22)
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Author: donald
Date: 2013-06-15 04:29
Steve Fox has a Boehm system G clarinet for sale 2nd hand on his website if anyone is interested (not sure if this breaks rules, advertising this fact).
dn
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Author: kenfox
Date: 2013-06-15 04:40
Bohlen-Pierce tenor clarinet. The instrument uses the Bohlen-Pierce scale and was manufactured by Stephen Fox, Toronto. Another link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8Dimhs_GX8
Like the sound too!
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Author: DougR
Date: 2013-06-15 05:41
Here's the link to Alex Kimu's website with a picture of the tenor clarinet HE plays, which evidently is manufactured by Gimata (no, I never heard of them either)...or is going to be perhaps (apparently in the prototype stage)...and lacks the metal neck and bell of the Fox tenor clarinet; who knows these 2 "tenor clarinets" are even in the same key? Gimata does make Albert system clarinets, and possibly has experience in the ethnic clarinet marketplace...I hope they get a full production run going; can you imagine Eddie Daniels on one of these?
http://www.alexsimu.nl/ASIMU/SiMusic.html
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Author: Chris_C ★2017
Date: 2013-06-15 09:35
I've come across (very) old British military band parts labelled "tenor clarinet in Eflat". I deduce, therefore, that what we now call the alto has sometimes been called "tenor". Or have I misunderstood?
Chris
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Author: cigleris
Date: 2013-06-15 10:14
That would make sense Chris as the alto was invented to replace the basset horn as it seems no one could play it in the mid 19C.
Peter Cigleris
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Author: donald
Date: 2013-06-15 11:03
@kenfox
Well, yes Steve Fox DOES make Bohlen-Pierce clarinets (tuned to this unique scale), BUT
my post is correct.
There is a Boehm System Clarinet in G, built for a customer who played it for one year and then decided to stay with the albert/simple system keywork (i believe that's the story). It is on the sfox website under "instruments for immediate sale".
Exactly why you would just assume my post was incorrect is a mystery, but i am right, sorry.
dn
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2013-06-15 11:53
The Fox "instruments for immediate sale" page isn't linked to his home page, so it may be obsolete. You can see it at http://www.sfoxclarinets.com/immediate.html.
I've inquired several times about these instruments, but he doesn't seem to interested in selling them.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2013-06-15 15:33
I inquired today about one of his instruments for sale and got an immediate response.
Tony F.
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Author: DougR
Date: 2013-06-15 17:08
Attachment: Gimata tenor clarinet.png (133k)
I was just a/b-ing pictures of the Fox tenor vs the Gimata tenor on Alex's website, and it seems to me there's LOTS more clarinet (in terms of overall length) with the Gimata tenor; I suppose it could be pitched in Eb, like an alto clarinet, but more probably in C an octave below the C clarinet (which makes a little more logical sense, frankly; also, for all those who use C clarinets in ethnic and/or Balkan music, this would be a fun alternative horn to have).
Let me see if I can attach the pic on the website:
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Author: HANGARDUDE
Date: 2013-06-15 17:10
I speculate it's a G basset. A 'typical' G clarinet cannot go that that low, only to concert B2. But this goes down to the G below that.
As far as I know only Steve Fox makes G bassets, and other maker who might offer such a horn on a custom basis is Martin Foag. Foag has made bizarre custom instruments before(http://www.musik-foag.de/frameset.htm), probably Kimu's horn is another Foag creation?
Josh
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Author: DougR
Date: 2013-06-15 17:41
Well, it turns out I mis-read the name of the clarinet manufacturer (there are 2 spellings on Alex's website, which didn't help). It's GIRNATA, and in doing a search I came across a thread mentioning G clarinets on the Ethnic Clarinet B'board (didn't think to look there originally, don't know why).
Here's the thread
http://test.woodwind.org/oboe/BBoard/read.html?f=2&i=1522&t=1522&v=f
Here's the link to the Girmata distributor in Turkey (nothing about the 'tenor clarinet,' though):
http://www.hubb.com.tr/eng/urunler.php
And here's a website for a Turkish clarinet maker (one-man operation, apparently) who says he made a clarinet for Woody Allen (this is kind of off-topic, I just found it interesting)
http://www.klarnetustasi.net/eng/basindabiz.html
None of the above particularly sheds any more light on the exact nature of the beast in question, perhaps, but it's made an interesting Saturday afternoon so far.
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Author: Ed
Date: 2013-06-16 01:27
Quote:
Sounds very nasal like a bad alto.
Is there any other kind?
;-)
(sorry, I couldn't resist a straight line like that!)
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Author: alto gether
Date: 2013-06-16 18:52
Ed said:
Quote:
Sounds very nasal like a bad alto.
Is there any other kind?
Sure.
(Truly witty sarcastic remarks pre-deleted in the interests of amity. I've made jokes that fell flat too.)
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Author: Paula S
Date: 2013-06-16 19:43
I've been playing Eb alto since April and I really love the challenge! Playing Eb soprano as well probably leaves people in a quandry as to which to mock first: The 'shrieking stick' or the 'wounded moose'![[happy]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smiley12.gif) .
Actually I have had no adverse comments at all ;-) Alex's tenor playing sound great. I have been playing this piece on Eb alto lately which I love and this guy makes a great job of it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=em3e4nPdjDM
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2013-06-16 21:01
<http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/download.html?1,3205/Gimata tenor clarinet.png>
The keywork looks like it's either been adapted from or based on that of a Bundy alto.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Etude
Date: 2013-06-21 20:48
I bet glissing on that instrument would be a real blast and sound even cooler, but I think it would break my thumb off first...
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Author: Barry Vincent
Date: 2013-06-21 22:37
When I see the Bb 'Bass' Clarinet all I see is a Clarinet pitched in the Tenor tonality. Exactly the same as the tonality of the Bb Tenor Saxophone.
A major 9th lower than C above middle C. This makes the Bb 'Bass' the real Tenor Clarinet.
Just because it goes way down lower than the Bb Tenor Saxophone doesn't make it a Bass.
That would be paramount to referring to the Sopranos (C. Bb, A ) as Alto clarinets just because their compass goes down into the Alto range.
The basic rule is , the tonality of a wind instrument is determined by the sounding of one note (C above middle C ) not by it's range (compass)
So here is the way way the Clarinets should be described as to tonality.
Ab Piccolo
Eb and (D) Sopranino
C, Bb and A. Soprano
G, F and Eb. Alto.
(C), Bb and (A) Tenor
Eb Bass
Bb Contra Bass
Now we know where the 'missing' Bb Tenor is.
Basically it's all to do with the 'Occam's Razor' principle.
Keep it simple. In the case of Clarinet tonalities , don't complicate things
by mixing up the Tenor pitch instrument with the Bass.
You see the same sort of mix up with the brass instruments
You can't get a more basic and simple classification than the above approach but the Bb Tenor Clarinet has been called the Bb Bass for so long now it's never going to be called the Tenor.
Skyfacer
Post Edited (2013-06-22 03:28)
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Author: soybean
Date: 2013-06-26 01:28
Thanks Barry, that's very helpful.
~Dan
(Leblanc Bliss, Buffet R13 key of A, Yamaha 250 Bb)
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Author: AlexSimu
Date: 2013-08-01 11:25
Hello everybody,
I'm very thrilled to read such a long discussion.
First of all thank you very much for listening and being interested.
If you like to hear more of my Tenor clarinet you can listen on of the tracks from Anatolian Alchemy album with Arifa, here on sound cloud
http://snd.sc/16HPRcH
The instrument you see in the video is a prototype and the only one in the world.
You can think about it as a Tenor clarinet or as a Straight Alto clarinet. The instrument can be pitched in Eb or D.
I have two barrels which allow me to change the key.
Talking about classification of clarinets is not so simple.
Alto or Soprano instruments are not in Bb or Eb. Unlike the saxophone,flute or other woodwinds, clarinets are found nearly in all keys C, Bb, A, A, F, E, Eb, D and so on.
When I start playing the instrument in public I was calling it "Straight alto clarinet". Because the sound is considerably low, actually it plays lower then a tenor saxophone, most people and the audiences where not satisfied, commenting things like "this alto is very male and low" which made more sense to call it a Tenor. Afterwards every single musician and audience I came across agreed that Tenor Clarinet is a proper name.
All the clarinets feature a very high altissimo range, a good bass clarinet player can fool your ear make you think that he is playing soprano clarinet if you do not see it.
If anybody wants to call it in another way I sincerely do not mind, there can be a huge discussion also if we should call the clarinet a clarinet and not in another way, my self i prefer to focus on playing and composing music.
The low G clarinet sounds quite darker then an A or Bb or C soprano clarinet. I would think of calling alto clarinets
those pitched in G, Gb, F and E
calling Tenor clarinet instruments in Eb, D,Db, C
The instrument was made in Turkey in Izmir in 2012 at the Hubb clarinet factory by the clarinet builder Tayfun Demirok and the mouthpieces currently at the 4.0 version where made by Pomarico in Italy under my instructions and design. We had to fully redesign the chamber, tip opening and table to fit the instrument. For the reeds I use adapted bass clarinet reeds for the moment. A specialized reed will be developed soon.
I invite you listen more music and any questions you have you are highly welcomed to address them to me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jik0mh2tHjQ
kind regards
Alex
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Author: DougR
Date: 2013-08-01 18:26
Thanks, Alex, and your playing is absolutely wonderful. Do you know if there are plans for production of the model you're playing there?
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Author: beek4000
Date: 2014-04-18 01:17
This is a great thread. Thank you for your thoughtful contribution, Alex! Ironically, I saw a video of you performing on your tenor clarinet for the first time yesterday evening. I very much enjoyed the sound of the instrument as well as your skillful playing.
I recently converted to Eb alto clarinet. I play an Leblanc PARIS. While I am enjoying the instrument very much, I have begun to wonder what it would be like if my horn had a straight barrel and a straight bell. Does anyone know whether or not it might be possible to obtain a straight wooden barrel for an alto clarinet, one which would maintain the instrument's proper intonation.
P.S. The alto's a moose in the chalumeau, but much more like a loon in the clarion.
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Author: Wes
Date: 2014-04-18 01:59
To beek4000:
Consider making a straight neck for your Leblanc alto clarinet out of a piece of brass or copper pipe. Brass pipe is found in many diameters. I made a short neck for my Selmer basset horn out of common copper plumbing pipe fittings from the hardware store. It could be useful for playing a cold instrument which takes a very long time to warm up to A440 with the factory neck.
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Author: beek4000
Date: 2014-04-18 19:19
I appreciate your suggestion, Wes, but I am not mechanically adept enough to do this sort of modification. I'm just wondering whether or not someone out there has made or might be capable making a straight wooden barrel for my alto clarinet.
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