 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: WhitePlainsDave
Date: 2017-06-19 03:44
Okay..what's the 411 on this?
Is it worth it in not only the sound you get, but its ability to alieve you of all but one barrel between your "A" and Beefer?
Is this the greatest barrel since sliced bread, the greatest ADJUSTABLE barrel since sliced bread, or neither?
If it sounds nicer, might it be a feature perhaps only exploitable by the best of players, like the [type of] Ishmori ligature one might play?
http://www.paulus-schuler.de/index.php?Itemid=71
I'm seeing more pros using this. I'm wondering if it's because of the ease of tuning, the sound, both, etc.
Strangely, I couldn't find too much on the bboard about this.
And funny, these guys seem to sell one for a Bb R13, and an "A" R13....or maybe not (they're both the same price)?
http://www.innoledy.com/clarinet_supp-barrels_zoom.html
I'd love to read the patent, which I can neither find online, nor do I speak German. I wonder what, if anything it covers in addition to the telescoping mechanism.
Post Edited (2017-06-19 06:11)
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2017-06-19 05:02
Buffet A and Bb clarinets have different bore diameters -- and thus different barrels.
I played three or four different Zoom barrels while helping a colleague make their choice -- and the barrel is worth investigating -- there are many attributes to like. Blake Arrington is the (only?) US distributor.
I currently use Wojtek Komsta's barrels on my horns. The inner dimension of the barrel (with the taper) is modular, and can be changed out. Obviously not the same as a telescoping Zoom barrel, but a remarkable concept in and of itself!
James
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: WhitePlainsDave
Date: 2017-06-19 06:23
http://www.jbawoodwinds.com/zoombarrel
Did you try the.....
"It is available with a
Delrin upper and Grenadilla lower section,
as well as
the Delrin on the upper and lower,"
or both?
Can you describe in narrative form how it maintains a continuous bore in every length? Or what the silver versus the black tuning dial indicates about the item?
Thanks James
Post Edited (2017-06-19 06:24)
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Author: Klose ★2017
Date: 2017-06-19 07:49
I use P & S barrel exclusively for a quite long time. To me, I don't believe that one barrel model will be suitable for both A and B, like many manufactures claim, if the original barrels are not interchangeable. I like P & S barrel simply because it is very convenient for tuning but not for any improvement of sound. It is hard to describe the mechanic inside, you need to open one to have a look.
Post Edited (2017-06-19 07:51)
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2017-06-20 10:35
>> Is this the greatest barrel since sliced bread, the greatest ADJUSTABLE barrel since sliced bread, or neither? <<
I don't remember other adjustable barrels but this one doesn't rotate while lengthening and shortening which is nice. As far as tone I've actually only tried it on a Selmer... although the model most similar to Buffet... and it worked fine. Slightly different in the same as any barrel can be different.
>> these guys seem to sell one for a Bb R13, and an "A" R13 <<
I don't know if they are the same or not other than length. The P&S is available in a few different lengths AFAIK. Unless the bore is cylindrical, the bore must vary by length (only by a tiny amount), either by making the parts a little shorter (diameter at end will change) or using a slightly different taper to keep ends the same diameters.
>> Can you describe in narrative form how it maintains a continuous bore in every length? <<
It doesn't, but it creates a much smaller diameter gap because it uses a sleeve for the bore. The slot becomes only as wide as this sleeve as opposed to the tenon diameter which is larger. whether that's important or not...
>> Or what the silver versus the black tuning dial indicates about the item? <<
The photo looks like the "silver" one has the wood part and the black one is all plastic (though hard to be sure from a photo). Maybe this is a coincidence or a differentiating design decision. I've only tried the "silver" one which also had the wood part. BTW from what I remember the metal part is made of aluminium, not sure if plated or not (so probably not silver other than colour... unless it's silver plated).
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Author: Wes
Date: 2017-06-20 23:08
Yes, I own an adjustable no-name plastic barrel which is made of thin metal tubing sections sliding together. The bore surface is thus all metal, possibly nickle silver, with a very small step in it. A threaded and knurled ring at one end is used to change the length.
It fits my R13 Prestige clarinet perfectly, but I normally use the 66mm stock barrel as it is well in tune at A440 with that. For higher pitches to A443, I carry and use a stock 64mm Buffet R13 barrel, which sounds good as well.
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Author: clarinetfixer
Date: 2017-06-21 02:45
Yes, they have different bore configurations.
Unfortunately, me and the other 2 US distributors are waiting on supply from Germany. I've been waiting 6 months for a large order...crickets.
As to the bore dimensions, I've been special ordering specific measurements that I've found to work well on different clarinets (Buffet models, Selmer models, Yamaha models).
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Author: RLarm
Date: 2017-06-21 22:01
The zoom barrel is worth every dollar that I paid for it, around $235. If you are having problems getting it in the US just order it directly from Thoman.They will respond very fast and in English to Americans who only speak English. (I also fall into that category.) The whole ordering process took a little more than a week. It is better than any barrel that I have ever played (Moennig, Chadash, Backun, Ripas,etc.) When I used it on the Yamaha CSVR, Ripas and Toscas there was an extra degree of focus and energy that I IMMEDIATELY felt. It is so difficult to describe sound in words so the best thing is to try it yourself. You will be shocked in a very good way.One word of caution - I met a well known player who was playing in an orchestra where the principal had a zoom. He was constantly fiddling around with the length of the barrel that it drove the other non zoom player crazy!
P.S.: I heard that Steve Cohen is also a dealer. I think it is cheaper to get it directly through Thoman. However, you won't be able to try a bunch of them unless you plunk down a large downpayment. But maybe if you give it a try you can arrange some kind of deal with them. Whatever the case, it is the best barrel that I have ever used.
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Author: Micke Isotalo ★2017
Date: 2017-06-25 23:13
Just adding my personal experiences:
On my Wurlitzer Reform Boehm's it doesn't either improve or harm the sound. The latter is somewhat impressive though, since most non-original barrels that I have tried through the years has been negative to the sound.
When lowering the tuning it must be turned out longer compared to the pullout of a regular barrel, probably since the gap between a regular barrel and the upper joint tenon is missing and thus no added internal volume is created that way.
The throat tones gets just as flat as with a relatively shorter pullout of a regular barrel, when lowering the general tuning to the same level. An exemption may be mouthpieces that creates drastic flatness of the throat tones at the slightest pullout, as at least some mouthpieces with Austrian facings on German bore clarinets. In these cases the Zoom barrel may actually even out the scale a little bit. At least I have a feeling of that, but I just haven't made the effort to get solid evidence.
I didn't find any improvement in sound with a turned out Zoom barrel compared to a pulled out regular barrel - despite the claim that a maintained "wood-to-wood" contact between the barrel and upper joint would have such an effect.
My findings about sound are based on recordings of the entire chromatic scale of my clarinets (up to d#6) and then a comparison by a playback of short sections of these in instant succession with either the Zoom barrel or the regular Wurlitzer barrels.
Post Edited (2017-06-28 22:30)
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Author: WhitePlainsDave
Date: 2017-06-27 07:20
I tend to play flatter on Legere Euros--not uncommon in research I found on the bboard. I wonder if this barrel might be useful as a means of making pitch adjustments I experience on them, all while using this same barrel, made longer, when alternatively playing cane reeds.
..a Legere Euro believer, but not a complete convert from cane.....yet...
Post Edited (2017-06-27 07:42)
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Author: RLarm
Date: 2017-06-27 21:58
Yes you can play higher with the Zoom barrel. Now I should go back to my fixed length barrels and see if the euros will return to being flatter. Playing different brand barrels on a different brand clarinet is quite interesting. My CSVR actually sounds the best with a Ripa 66mm Bb barrel. One must be careful otherwise you will end up being totally confused.
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