 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: kdk
Date: 2013-06-17 13:10
A probably naive post from an American player who is not very familiar with non-French European instruments:
A friend sent me a link to a YouTube video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZQprUXwFs8&feature=youtube_gdata_player) showing the process of producing W. Schreiber clarinets. I noticed several points that have aroused my curiosity.
When I tried to answer some of my own questions by going to the company's website, I found myself being redirected to Buffet's website - apparently Schreiber is a part of the "Buffet Group" (although the relationship may be more recent than the video). I could find very little about the Schreiber line.
(1) How are Schreiber clarinets ranked by European players?
(2) The URL at the end of the video takes you to the Buffet site. The actual Schreiber web page I reached through the Buffet site shows 4 Schreiber clarinet models (plus bassoon and contrabassoon) - a German student model and "professional" models described as German, Austrian and Oehler. But the clarinets being made in the video are Boehm system clarinets. Can anyone point me to information about these Boehm instruments by Schreiber?
(3) Where are W. Schreiber clarinets made? All the captions were tri-lingual - English, French and German. The logo at the end says "Made in Germany." But the shirts and aprons (see my next question) and the inscriptions on some of the pictured equipment are in English.
(4) Many of the workers are wearing shirts or aprons with the logo "York-Brass at its best." What is York, and what is its relationship to Schreiber and to Buffet?
(5) Technical question: the clarinets in the video are made with a wrap-around register key, but it doesn't come all the way around to the front - the vent hole seems to be approximately above the throat G# tone hole, not over the throat A hole as I've seen on old French instruments with wrap-arounds. Is the placement a question of more efficient leverage or simply style? Do any other clarinets being made today have wrap-around register keys?
Not planning a purchase, I just became curious about all of this as I watched the video.
Karl
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2013-06-17 13:42
Buffet B10, B12 and E11 clarinets were made by Schreiber for Buffet, so check them over to see their build quality. Speaking to some German players, their clarinets (and oboes) are mostly student level instruments but they do produce pro level bassoons (Schreiber are best known for their bassoons).
The wrap-around speaker key is as seen on modern German/Oehler system clarinets and doesn't go all the way round the front as it did on older simple/Albert systems and some earlier Boehm systems. This goes some way to prevent condensation blocking the speaker tube, but it can still happen.
York were part of the group of affiliated manufacturers with Schreiber - they made the instruments to replace the Besson Sovereign line of brass instruments after production of them stopped in the UK (at the B&H factory off Edgware Rd. in North London). I've lost track of the various changes since the split of the B&H group as things keep changing.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2013-06-17 21:07)
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Author: kdk
Date: 2013-06-17 14:59
Interesting. They seem now to be an actual Buffet subsidiary, rather than an independent company making clarinets for Buffet. Do you know when that merger/sale happened? Have they discontinued their Boehm model labeled Schreiber since the video was made (it seems as though the video predates the merger)?
Karl
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2013-06-17 15:39
Schreiber started manufacturing Buffet student model (Evette) clarinets around 1978 or 1979. Buffet purchased Schreiber-Keilwerth in 2010.
Best regards,
jnk
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Author: donald
Date: 2013-06-17 20:57
A good friend of mine apprenticed as an instrument maker with Schreiber in the 1990's. One of his tutors was Francois Kloc, and late 90's/early 2000's he worked helping build a Bass clarinet for Jochen Seggelke that was a prototype for the current Schwenk und Seggelke Bass. His final "test" was to make himself a Bassoon, which he was allowed to keep. Some of my pro bassoon playing friends have tried this instrument and consider it of high quality (though not as good as their Heckels!)
dn
(not sure of exact dates, seeing my friend tonight so might update post later to make it more accurate)
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Author: Barry Vincent
Date: 2013-06-17 22:49
One of my 'knock-about' Clarinets is a W.Schreiber 6010s. Here is my review of it.
REVIEW Schreiber 6010 Bb Clarinet.(17 Keys / 6 Rings)
Recently got my new Schreiber 6010 Clarinet from Sax & Woodwind of Camperdown NSW. The cost of this instrument was $Aus595.($US522) and it will be used as another of my 'knock-about instruments for outdoor use ect. It was ready to play, straight out of the case, no adjustments required. The serial # is 411426 and is entirely made in Germany. It is apparently a German made (Buffet) B12 with certain German features such as a wrap-around speaker key and possibly some sort of German bore.
The thing that I notice when first handling the instrument in it's case is the weight of it. At first I thought that the case was empty, but it turns out that this clarinet is a light-weight instrument, weighing in at only 690g fully assembled (minus ligature and reed) This Clarinet is a plastic (ABS Resin) instrument with a matt finish giving it the appearance of ebony and it has silver plated key work . Silver plating on a plastic instrument ! Must be a European thing. Anyway the information states that the 6010 has Nickel Silver key work and Silver plating. The mechanism is of the lighter type that could be described as 'elegant'. No chunky key work here. I have already did a weeks playing on it and the key work is strong. But then I don't use heavy handed fingering. It has a wrap around speaker key which is an old idea. Looks rather 'sexy' . I have noticed that the resonate tube is about half a centimetre lower down the pipe than the other standard type and the bore intrusion is only about 2.5 mm. This is because it is extended further on the outside of the body. It is stated that there is improved intonation because of the special positioning of the register tube. This Clarinet does seem to play very well in tune across it's entire compass and goes to show that there has been considerable improvement in the making of plastic Clarinets in recent times. My own testing of the intonation is to play along with orchestral backing CDs. I have no trouble playing in tune with this instrument and no need to do any serious adjusting to play in tune, but I suspect that as this is a basic beginners Clarinet the intonation would be 'set'. A nice safe' Clarinet for beginners . It has a 15mm bore . It comes with one barrel (65mm) and is said to be tuned to A442. The usual student mouthpiece is supplied, a moulded plastic ESM.
One thing I have noticed however is that the lower joint flares suddenly about one centimetre just before the bell. It appears that the makers have done some sort of a German type bore. However, the bell has a very small (less than 1mm) flange and this results in the lower joint not matching up with the bell. When assembled and looking into the bell you can see a 'step-down of about 1 mm. This doesn't seem to have any effect on the intonation.
Back to the key work , one nice feature that I have noticed is that the right-hand E/B key is extended about 5mm further than the other keys of the right-hand 'pinkie' keys. I think this feature should be on all Clarinets. The 'crow's foot' is a bit on the thin side but has a nice layer of felt on it (for quietness) which adds to it's strength. As for the rest of the key work, as I mentioned before , it is elegantly made with nice roundish (spoon like) keys. No skimping of metal underneath either. It has a nicely made thumb rest with 4 adjustment positions. I assume that the elongated set screw is also for hooking on a neck strap for use by young players if necessary. This thumb-rest has no cork on it though but is nicely sculpted for the thumb.
There is one feature that is a disappointment however in that this Clarinet has inherited that stupid Buffet idea of using nylon pins for the left-hand E/B and F#/C# keys. Anyone who 'bangs' down on these keys is going to find later on that they may very well shear off , and then it's a major repair job , perhaps to replace them with metal pins and gold-beaters skin. They are being used to give 'quietness' to the action and it must be said that all the mechanism has a nice quiet action to it. The pads are of the double fish-skin type and seem to seal very well.
All up , this is an excellent Clarinet for beginners to start on , light weight with nicely sculpted ergonomic key work and the price will suit those on a tight budget but still want to have a well made Clarinet which is in tune with itself.
But Ebonite or wood it ain't . I have a lot of fun with these fantastic plastic Clarinets , in that I try to improve on the tonal quality of them. Not that a plastic Clarinet doesn't have a nice sound , they do , but it's kinda on the bright (lighter) side of things. How to get a 'darker' sound out of them and perhaps more projection as well ? Well, by matching these plastic Clarinets up with a higher quality mouthpiece and a better quality barrel , the results can be very interesting. I'm using a Vandoran B40 Lyra with one of Tom Ridenours fat Ebonite barrels on both this Clarinet and also the Jupiter 631 and I end up with a Clarinet that has a full bodied, lovely 'round' sound , good enough for most of the jobs that I do , such as weddings, quite often outdoors in all kinds of weather, and the usual play outs at retirement villages ect.
Welcome to the modern world of quality non wooden Clarinets.
Skyfacer
Post Edited (2013-06-18 02:22)
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Author: Steven Ocone
Date: 2013-06-18 11:11
This is from memory.
Buffet has been through a few ownerships in the last few years, mostly under the same umbrella as Schreiber, and recently for a short while totally separate. There have been Schreiber made Bufffet clarinets the entire time. The E-11 France was created at a time when the companies were separate.
Schreiber designed some new clarinets when they were separate including the one with the wrap around octave key and was marketing them in the US through Gemstone instruments
I believe Schreiber was headed for bankruptcy when Buffet bought the company.
Steve Ocone
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Author: Noqu
Date: 2013-06-20 18:32
In Germany, Schreiber clarinets are popular mid- to top range student instruments (comparable maybe to Yamaha), with prices ranging from 1000$ to about 5000$ - keep in mind that German system clarinets are usually more expensive than Boehm clarinets.
Regarding quality (and specifically, consistency), Schreiber enjoys a good reputation from what I have heard (I play one myself and am quite happy with it), but most people I know in Germany would rather turn to Wurlitzer, Dietz, Schwenk and Seggelke, Leitner and Kraus etc for a pro-level instrument.
noqu
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