 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: johnwesley
Date: 2021-07-10 08:21
Anyone use one of these? I'm thinking of getting one for my Leblanc LL, but not sure of it's compatibility. Also whether these custom barrels actually make a sound difference or just look cool. I suppose if it doesn't work on the LL I could try it on my soon to arrive Dynamique. Anyway, do these Backun barrels add anything to the sound? JW
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2021-07-10 17:27
I'm not sure "compatibility" is the issue, unless the LL's tenon is too different from other brands to get the barrel on with minor adjustments.
When I tried a lot of Backun barrels, including 2 or 3 fatboys, a few years ago, they did make a difference in the sound. But I decided I preferred the OE barrels my instruments came with.
BTW, when I tried them, they were not identified as being for Bb or A clarinet. When I asked about it (expecting different bore sizes for each) I was told to try them on both my Bb and A and simply judge the result of each barrel on each clarinet.
Karl
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Author: johnwesley
Date: 2021-07-10 18:58
Thanks kdk. Interesting you didn't get a straight answer from Backun on Bb or A. I suppose you could try a toilet paper tube as well and decide for yourself. Doesn't say much for their customer service.
I have noticed a Korean company is marketing barrels and bells too, and the price is a whole lot less than Backun. Maybe I'll give theirs a try.
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Author: Leonard Alterman
Date: 2021-07-10 19:01
I have the Backun Traditional barrel and a backun bell and I can tell quite a difference on my plastic clarinet.
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2021-07-10 22:33
johnwesley wrote:
> Thanks kdk. Interesting you didn't get a straight answer from
> Backun on Bb or A. I suppose you could try a toilet paper tube
> as well and decide for yourself. Doesn't say much for their
> customer service.
I don't think it was - I'm pretty sure it wasn't - a Customer Service issue. It seemed to be a decision by Morrie or someone else in the design area not to designate them. When I measured the bores they were not consistent. I had 12 barrels, as I remember, and very few if any of them had the same bore measurements. So, if the difference between an A barrel and a Bb barrel is in the bore size and/or shape, they truly weren't meant to be dedicated to one or the other.
That said, Morrie Backun's products always had, at least when I was trying them, a certain quality of tone that I think you either like or don't. Each to his own taste.
To go back to your original post, any aftermarket barrel, Backun's included, will probably change the tone character at least slightly of your mouthpiece and instrument combination, at least to your own ears. That's why it's important to know what you want a new barrel (or any piece of equipment) to do. Just wanting something that sounds different may be counterproductive or confusing.
Karl
Karl
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Author: NOLA Ken
Date: 2021-07-12 00:32
There are two models of Fat Boy barrels appropriate for older Leblancs - the Standard and the Large Bore models. Being mindful of the the inconsistancy problem Karl pointed out, FYI here is the response I received from Backun customer service when I made an inquiry about fitting a Backun Fat Boy to my Leblanc Classic II.
""I have asked my production team this question and received the following response:
"For a Standard Fatboy the Mouthpiece side is 0.585 Upper Joint side is 0.578
For the Oversized Bore Fatboy the Mouthpiece side is 0.589 Upper Joint side is 0.581 . . . ""
The differences as stated to me seem almost insignificantly small to me. Nevertheless, I have found that the Standard and "oversized bore" (listed as "Standard Large Bore" on their web site) do yield different results on my Leblancs. I have several of their barrels in both models. I have a Leblanc Symphonie 3 that the Standard Fat boy makes absolutely sing. The Large Bore Fat Boy solved the tuning problems on my chronically recalcitrant Leblanc Classic II (which I'm told should have approximately the same bore as your LL but which actually measures at 15mm). The Standard Fat Boy didn't work as well ao well on the Classic II. Your issue may turn out to be that the bore of your LL falls right between these two instruments. So I don't know how much you can generalize from my experience.
I have recently tried Fat Boys on my Pete Fountain model (similar to your Dynamique) and found that the Large Bore model works adequately (I'm still assessing whether or not I like the sound), but that the Standard model just sounds somewhat thin in comparison.
I did go through several barrels before finding the correct length and model for each instrument, and went through several mouthpieces to find what I like best. Lots of experimentation - and $$ - before good results. I agree with Karl that they do tend to change the sound you experience. I love the sound of the Symphonie 3 with the Fat Boy. Although they have solved problems with my larger bore instruments and blend very well in concert band, I'm still uncertain if I like the sound as much. That's very much a personal thing. Don't know whether any of this helps.
As an aside, I found I did not like the MoBa barrels on my older Leblancs at all.
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Author: johnwesley
Date: 2021-07-12 07:35
Hey NOLA Ken.....Thanks for the post. A lot to process, but mostly sounds like spending a lot of $$ chasing a sound that may or may not provide the "perfect" sound. Maybe the barrels that came with the Leblancs are the ones that best match the horns. I would also guess that those barrels and bells sold on ebay and made in China and Korea are probably a lesser quality controlled than those from Backun.
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