 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: rgoldem
Date: 2019-11-17 18:30
I believe Legere Euro Cut reeds are great. They are consistent and have a very nice response but they play flat.
To compensate this effect I started to use a shorter barrel (61mm) and everything seems to be fine. However some people in this forum say that a shorter barrel ruins the scale of the instrument. This has not been my experience and I don´t see why this would be the case once A=440Hz.
Can anyone give me a better insight of this phenomena?
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2019-11-17 19:00
I freely admit that the Legere European cut Bb clarinet Reed tends to play LOWER. It may be a function plastic not being as quick to snap back as cane and thus the slower movement results in a lower pitch.
I experienced the tuning issue you describe from the other side of the equation. For twelve years I had played Wurlitzer Oehler system 100Cs that were built to play at A=445. This is a much larger pitch problem than many realize when you are talking about global pitch (entire comfortable center of pitch for the entire range). I wound up stretching the Wurlitzer to its lower limit with the longest barrel and pulling out. Still there were some irregularities that I had to live with.
The issue is that if you need to lengthen the overall tube, you by necessity need to lengthen the distance between the holes of each individual note. See an A clarinet for instance. In fact, Karl Leister owns two sets of clarinet for international travel, A=445 pair and an A=440 pair.
I have not had that sort of issue using a 62mm long barrel on my R13 for use with Legere, BUT one should be aware that the reverse tendency to the above example may be involved.
............Paul Aviles
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Author: rgoldem
Date: 2019-11-17 19:53
Your explanation certainly makes sense but there is another way of reasoning which is based on the fact that the horn was made to be played at a certain pitch level. In this case the distance between holes should be all right once this level is reached and this will be independent of the barrel lenght.
Please, correct me if I am wrong.
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Author: Kalashnikirby
Date: 2019-11-17 23:27
This issue seems way too complex for me to find an explanation. But I did notice that especially softer Legere Euros play extremely flat on certain mpcs, making the necessary 442Hz impossible to reach with my fairly short 63mm Zoom barrel. It would seem that (too) soft reeds cannot be played with the sufficient pressure and if one were to stiffen their embouchure, the reed would squeak or at least sound horrible.
Funny, there were times where I had to fully extend it and the RC I play on would still be barely flat enough, 440Hz would've never been possible.
Now I've settled for a Gleichweit B7-1 and a 3.25 (maybe 3 will work too) and I've got some leeway, that is to say, the barrel doesn't need to be extended beyond 1mm in any situation, but 2.75 would already play too flat! Ironically, I regretted buying a barrel this short in the first place, now I find myself lucky to have one.
Given the advantages of this setup, I've spent no thought on whether tone hole spacing is messed up by the short barrel setting or not. No doubt the Euro Cuts in particular have some sort of influence on your tuning (Paul's description makes sense, interesting thought!)
Best regards
Christian
Post Edited (2019-11-17 23:31)
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Author: Grabnerwg
Date: 2019-11-19 17:19
I find that a shorter barrel is not necessary. Here's the trick - play on the hardest strength that you can get a good tone on. I love the fluidity and smoothness of the 3 1/2 strength, but alas flat in the throat and altissimo. If I move up to a 3 3/4 or a 4, I no longer have intonation problems.
This is of course dependent on the tip opening of your of your mouthpiece. I find success with the Legere European cut is to use a very close tip. The mouthpiece that I am currently performing on has a .98 mm tip with a medium length facing. A #4 slaps right on there and plays beautifully with none of the intonation problems you are facing.
Walter Grabner
www.clarinetxpress.com
Grabner Hi Tech Clarinet Mouthpieces
Big blowout on Buffet R13 Bb's - while they last!!!!!
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Author: JJB
Date: 2019-11-19 21:24
I'm having the same problem Walter describes above. I'm using a Fobes CF+. With a Legere Euro 3.25, tone is clear and it's so nice/comfortable to play on...but my intonation is not good. Not totally stable but slightly flat all over and more so for throat and altissimo. Unfortunately I find the tone with a 3.5 slightly fuzzy and it requires more effort than I want, although the intonation is much improved. I've tried 2 of each strength with the same results.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2019-11-19 23:26
Interesting to contemplate that there may be a strength threshold for Legere European Signature Bb clarinet reeds to achieve the expected tuning. My reed strength is 3 1/4 at the moment on a 1.00mm tip opening and a 14.00mm facing length. Perhaps my short facing makes up for my inability to use harder strengths as described by Mr. Grabner.
.................Paul Aviles
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Author: Grabnerwg
Date: 2019-11-22 15:40
Yes, exactly, Paul. A shorter facing requires a less resistant reed. The 1.00 mm tip and 14.00mm length would make it hard to play with a reed much harder than 1 3 1/2.
Walter Grabner
www.clarinetxpress.com
Great prices on Buffet R13 Bb, nickel and silver
Walter Grabner
www.clarinetxpress.com
847-266-8644
Post Edited (2019-11-24 18:50)
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2019-11-22 21:22
In my experience I've found the throat notes to be on the flat side with Legere Signature Euro 3.25 when using a 67mm barrel and have since used a shorter barrel (65.5mm) which helps bring them up to pitch easier.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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