 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Kenton153
Date: 2016-02-24 22:49
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6y7igLfZ38
This is a video of buffets "new" bass clarinet. Even newer than the tosca.
This video is about a removavble extansion for a Low C bass clarinet. Choose between a low D or a Low C. Even more bridges keys, also down by peoples feet. I can only see this being a disaster. I am curious to hear what other people think. I have a feeling this will become one of those very short production instruments that nobody talks about 10 years from now. Maybe even a collecotrs item!!!
Chime in. Come one come all
Cheers
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Author: blazian
Date: 2016-02-25 01:17
I also don't see much of a point.
If the case is a little smaller, sure, fine. Note that with the removable extension it becomes the same length at the standard low Eb tenon. It would then fit into the "normal" case.
Buffet also has the perk of making all the lower joints the same and modifying some for low C. They can also use smaller pieces of wood rather than searching for long ones.
It's not the worst idea. Someone will find it useful, perhaps Buffet more so.
- Martin
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2016-02-25 01:53
So far I've built six (I think!) low-C extensions for bass clarinets. Two, including the latest, were removable (which made them an order of magnitude more complex and difficult to design and build). With the first removable extension I discovered that there was never any good reason to remove it; so eventually I bolted it on permanently. The only reason I built the latest extension to be removable was that, at the time I started the project, I didn't know what instrument I would use it on.
One of the toughest design issues I've had with making removable extensions was having to leave a swath of open real estate along the bottom centerline of the lower joint, to give clearance for a floor peg when using the original bell in "standard low-Eb" mode (i.e. extension not in use). So all the long rods for operating the extension had to go down the 'sides' of the lower joint, making everything more complicated and the key action less than optimum.
Having three bridge keys plus the original low-Eb lever to mate when assembling the extension to the lower joint sounds daunting, but turned out to be not nearly as bad as you might think. My solution, however, was nowhere near as clever and "idiot-proof" as Leblanc's brilliant triple-bridge-key arrangement for mating the two joints of their straight metal contrabass clarinet (an instrument for which I have great admiration).
All that said, if Buffet can do it right, more power to them -- but from a business case standpoint I'm not sure it's worth doing.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2016-02-25 04:41
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6y7igLfZ38
Best of both worlds in my opinion - sometimes in bands you don't often need the low C and the chairs in a lot of village halls and other rehearsal rooms and also some concert halls are usually too low for a low C bass if you're of a short stature, so this will make some things more practical for those that want it.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2016-02-25 07:36
Adding the low D (concert C) lets you play cello parts. Otherwise I don't know of a purpose.
Now if they would make a bass in C with a low C extension, you could play bass clef parts without transposing.
Ken Shaw
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Author: dorjepismo ★2017
Date: 2016-02-25 20:26
Haven't played one with a removable extension, but have played ones that went down to E and down to C, and the low notes seemed a little livelier on the former. If that's the case with the removable extension instruments, then it makes sense, because you don't need the C much, but when you need it, you need it.
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