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Re: JJBabbitt blanks

Author: donald
Date: 2015-03-07 05:40

For a while "Music services" (since sold, changed names) was the only source in USA of Zinner blanks unless you got them en mass directly from Zinner. They also sold a stock Babbit clarinet blank that was deliberately "undersized". The bore was narrow, the sidewalls quite close, the entry had a big step and the rails quite thin (so they'd potentially widen when the facing was opened up). This was all deliberate- so that you could actually adjust it to the dimensions you wanted.
I can't comment on the window DS, it's many years since I inspected one of these blanks.
Some people refaced them, and (as many do with the stock Zinner blanks- which suit this treatment) adjusted "non facing dimensions" as little as possible, leaving the impression that Babbit blanks were sharp, stuffy, and with thin rails. Well, they WERE if you didn't know how to adjust the bore/rails etc
that's all I know
I recall a respected mouthpiece maker sitting before me and producing a very nice sounding mouthpiece (more ring in the lower reg than most of the Zinner variations we see) from a Babbit blank... in.... ummm that must have been 1996 and he had to work on the whole thing- ream out the bore, measure and adjust sidewalls etc
dn

Post Edited (2015-03-07 08:24)

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