Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2019-09-08 02:44
In any case, I think the recent discussions about barrels and compatibility have tended to mystify the issues too much. There are a number of design features that barrel designers have added to the basic clarinet barrel over the past few decades - some are now ringless, some have non-standard outer shapes (like Backun's "fatboy") that are intended to influence the resonance and, therefore, the sound. Barrels are now made of different materials from the old blackwood barrels that matched what the instruments were made of. But these changes have little to do, it seems to me, with what barrel will go with what instrument, or compatibility.
Going back to the main issue of "compatibility," you're really talking about the entry and exit bore sizes and the transition from one to the other inside the barrel. The two dimensions, to the extent that it actually matters, were designed by the OEM to complement (not match) the entry bore of the clarinet's upper joint and the exit bore of a "typical" mouthpiece. The inside shape (hourglass or a straight taper, which depends on how it is machined), and what the end dimensions are really define the extent to which a barrel is compatible with the instrument it was designed for.
But if the barrel is made of a material that can be tooled, any barrel that is smaller-bored than the original design can be hand reamed by a good technician to match the original spec. So, if you have an OEM barrel, go to a local repair shop and ask the repair person to pick a barrel out of his collection that's narrower-bored than the one you have. Then have him ream it to match your barrel's bore and cut it shorter by a millimeter.
Or, if there isn't a good shop near you, get in touch with one of the people who advertise barrels here (Segal, Grabner, Fobes, etc.). If you still have your old clarinet, temporarily use the barrel from that (if it fits the 10's tenon). Send the barrel maker your 66.5mm as a model and ask him to make a 65mm or 65.5mm barrel with the same entry and exit bore specs.
For my money, I'd ask to have a hard rubber lining inserted to ensure stability.
The alternative, I think, is to just start ordering barrels from all the manufacturers you can think of until you run into one that works. Sooner or later you'll score. With any luck it will be one of the first ones you try.
Karl
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The Clarinet BBoard
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