 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: super20dan
Date: 2021-07-14 01:40
got a new toy from ebay. a working bundy mazzeo system clarinet for 15$! not a complete horn missing bell and barrel. i have many extras so it now complete and playing. will take a while to get used to using the mazzeo fingerings.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2021-07-14 02:21
I've fancied getting a lower joint of a full Mazzeo model Selmer CT to go with my CT full Boehm as that has the LH low Eb key on it.
I like the simple lines of Mazzeo bells as they don't have the wider lip on them - either a straight-sided truncated cone or with slightly curved sides. I have a Mazzeo bell which I use on my full Boehm Series 9 A clarinet as that weighs far less than the original bell with the metal bell ring, as well as reinforced it with a carbon fibre band as the wood is very thin and could easily crack under the weight of the clarinet if it lands heavily on its stand.
I don't know if Bundy Mazzeo bells were the same as regular Bundy bells, only moulded or machined without the bell lip. Maybe you could get a regular Bundy bell and machine off the lip to make it look like a Mazzeo one.
The real problem with them is you can't keep any fingers down to resonate open G, throat G# and throat A or in preparation for interval leaps to the upper register as that will open up the lower trill key and give you other notes than the ones you want. Open G with fingers from LH2 to RH3 held down will give an A instead, so you have to play open G as a fully open G with all fingers off.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: super20dan
Date: 2021-07-14 05:28
after playing it a while i can tell you the mazzeo fingerings are in no way intuitive to a bohem system player of 55 years . and i learned oboe once
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Author: Ed
Date: 2021-07-14 17:50
I believe that these have a mechanism to disable so you don't have to use this all the time?
I did know players who used the Mazzeo system professionally. It does take time, but there are some interesting advantages. Good luck and have fun
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2021-07-14 19:31
Hi All,
If you are a person who keeps your right hand down for some notes when going down and then back up over the break, you will get a throat Bb when fingering the A key. Also, I believe that only certain production models had the "clutch" mechanism to deactivate the Mazzeo mechanism.
HRL
PS I have the pleasure of having a playing lesson on the mechanism from Rosario Mazzeo in Chicago in the early 1970s at the Selmer booth during the Midwest Band Clinic. He was a real salesman as well as a great player.
Post Edited (2021-07-15 04:05)
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Author: seabreeze
Date: 2021-07-14 21:13
The Bundy Mazzeos I tried around 1966-7 had distinctive bells with 1) no metal rim at the bottom, 2) a different, sort of streamlined or aerodynamic shape, and 3) thinner walls than normal. I can't recall whether these features were for prototypes or carried over into mass production. I was not impressed by the quality of the throat Bb but the "long" B (A=440) did seem clear. focused and fuzz-free, perhaps owing to the singularity of the bell design. Visually, the Mazzeo bells were so unusual that once having seen one, you would immediately recognize the design, even from a distance, when seen again, without having to look for the logo stamp.
Post Edited (2021-07-14 21:13)
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Author: seabreeze
Date: 2021-07-14 23:58
The description, "the bell is extremely thin and delicate" is exactly as I remember it, even in the plastic Bundy version.
Post Edited (2021-07-15 00:05)
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Author: Ed
Date: 2021-07-15 01:01
I am not sure how much thinner it may be than a typical bell. Certainly the lack of flare and ring at the bottom makes it seem that way. I am not sure what the dimensions are of a standard bell in comparison. It has been years since I saw a Mazzeo instrument.
It is interesting that there were a number of various alternate or experimental systems out there over the years. There were those by Romero, Mazzeo, Marchi, McIntyre as well as the options for full Boehm or variations with 6 rings or articulated and trill keys. In old Selmer catalogues from the 70s there were various options. I am not aware if there are any variations available today other than LH Eb keys or resonance keys for the low notes.
For some of them (especially the Marchi) it seems like it might be a nightmare to adjust and regulate compared to the standard clarinet. I am content with the relative simplicity!
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2021-07-15 02:29
Attachment: P2230001.JPG (590k)
The wood on my Mazzeo bell is only around 3mm thick around the bell flare and definitely feels fragile, hence the reason why I carbon fibre banded it.
While other Selmer bells will get that thin towards the flare, they don't remain that thin as the bell lip is pretty thick and also have the added protection of a solid nickel silver bell ring.
Attachment showing CT, Series 9 and Mazzeo bells. Excuse the blurry photo as that's autofocus deciding not to focus.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2021-07-15 02:34)
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Author: super20dan
Date: 2021-07-15 02:36
mine did nt come with the distinctive bell as i got only the upper and lower joint for my 15$. i agree the Bb isnt as good as expected but b natural and c are pretty clear. no the mechanism cant be clicked on and off on the bundy model but could be on the upper models i read. i am not very impressed so far and am frankly suprised this gizmo ever made it to market. maybe it will grow on my as i get more used to this way of alt fingerings of a few notes. its hard to teach an old dog new tricks at this stage of the game. crossing the break is something i mastered long ago. well for what this cost me i am gratefull to have a playing horn at all.
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Author: seabreeze
Date: 2021-07-15 04:27
super20dan,
The minimalist bell may be the best and most innovative part of this design. With any other bell, you don't have a Mazzeo clarinet, just a mismatched hybrid. Sometimes fragility is worth putting up with because it carries unexpected good qualities with it. In ligatures for example, some players still like the thin gauge Bay metal ones even though they crush and crumple easily. I love the sound and response on a Harrison ligature but but it is prone to split apart under pressure from the screws. The Rico H model ligature copies the Harrison design and beefs up the metal over the reed, but the sound and response are just not as good.
Post Edited (2021-07-15 04:28)
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