 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: rtaylor
Date: 2014-02-09 21:23
Hi,,
Does anyone here have resent experience with the Antigua Backun Clarinets? The Kessler Music site says that the most current model have
some design changes.
Quote from their site:
"New model features more refined bore, improved tone hole undercutting and improved performance throughout."
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2014-02-10 03:51
I have a student-level Antigua, about a year old. I bought it recently and find that for me it's almost unplayable because of the length of the left hand long pinkie keys. They're about half an inch too long and make it very difficult to accurately place the left hand ring finger without fouling them. I cannot imagine why they made it so.
Tony F.
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2014-02-10 05:22
Check with Ton Puwalski. He plays one and also sells them at Clarinet Gourmet.
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."
Post Edited (2014-02-13 01:20)
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Author: rtaylor
Date: 2014-02-10 06:18
Tony,
Do you have the Backun model or another Antigua model?
Rob
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2014-02-10 17:46
Hi Rob,
I can't find any model designation on it. Apart from the key length issue it plays surprisingly well with very good tuning. Putting it beside any other clarinet and the l/h long keys are so disproportionatley long it's difficult to see what the makers were thinking of.
Tony F.
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2014-02-10 15:45
Tony F,
If you like that clarinet, it's very easy for a technician to remove key material if you feel its necessary. Not to easy to add material, but taking away is possible. An option.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2014-02-10 15:56
Hi Alexi,
Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately it's not going to be as easy as it might appear. It's not just a matter of removing some metal from the touchpieces, they are actually quite short and there's not really enough of a pad to remove metal from. I'd have to actually cut a section out of the lever arms, hard-solder or braze them and then reprofile the arms. For the value of the instrument it's probably not worth the effort.
Tony F.
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