 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Karen
Date: 2001-07-18 20:00
I'm very familiar with the two standard systems, boehm and albert, however i have a question about the "McIntyre" system...
I have never heard of this, yet while searching through ebay drooling over all the clarinets i can't afford, i found an add for a McIntyre system clarinet that was "very rare" and the seller had "never seen before." I'm wondering if this is an actually legitimate system that is just rarely used, or if it was just a random custom made instrument.
the only difference i could see on the add photo was the throat tone keys in the upper joint. there was a row of tone holes and keys covering them that went right above where throat tone A holw usually is. it was rather odd...
Thanks for your help. i'm not interesting at all in buying this clarinet, just curious becuase I had never heard of it before. :-) Bye!
Karen
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Dee
Date: 2001-07-18 20:15
Yes the McIntyre was a legitimate system but it did not catch on. So only a few were made (I don't know the numbers). These do come up several times a year on eBay.
There was also a Mazzeo system that also never caught on. Selmer produced limited numbers of these. Again they show up on eBay several times a year.
In both cases, the instruments were discontinued due to the low level of sales. Neither is made today. From what I have read, both were solutions to the problem of the poor throat Bb and worked pretty well. Why they didn't catch on is a mystery.
There were even other systems but I haven't seen them for sale, just photos in some of our good books.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: David Pegel
Date: 2001-07-19 04:11
If it's not too much trouble, Karen, could you put the link to that particular clarinet on this site? I would like to see it.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: karen
Date: 2001-07-19 04:34
Here is the ebay posting. there is another McIntyre clarinet up for big now, but this one has a better photo
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1447925108
does anyone who is any bit familiar with this system know how the throat tones are accessed? i don't see any keys that would open the holes, unless they're for the thumb...
Karen
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2001-07-19 14:13
Karen -
On the McIntyre clarinet, you'll see four pads in a row above the open hole for your left index finger. The bottom one opens when you lift your thumb for open G.
The next pad up, for Ab, opens when you put down your left ring finger.
The next one, for A, opens when you put down your left middle finger. If your left ring finger is not already down, this also opens the Ab pad.
The top pad, for Bb, opens when you put down both your left middle and index fingers. (It can't be operated by just your left index finger, since then you would lose the usual fingering for F#.
There's a good thread at http://www.sneezy.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=37401&t=37389 .
I met Mr. McIntyre at a show many years ago. He was a great enthusiast and played pretty well on his instrument. However, the change in fingering was big enough that you really had to stop playing for a while until you learned it thoroughly, and so it never caught on. Also, the instruments themselves were not top-line quality.
They're a curiosity, and worth bidding on if you're a collector. Alex Music in New York has several that they have restored. However, they're not particularly rare or particularly good instruments.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Don Berger
Date: 2001-07-19 15:01
Dee and Ken have given you a good description of the McIntyre, Brymer and others give pics and fine commentary. Mine is ser # 5036, so depending on their numbering system [or that of the actual, licensed maker if "added in" ] there were quite a few made. Mine is in playing shape, but doesnt play well, and as with all of the variants on the Boehm , to "cure" the generally poor "pinch" Bb and other problems, like the Mazzeo [have a Bundy {simplified} rendition] the Stubbins [S-K etc] , and Christensen [have only the patents on it] they suffer from their individual mechanically-complex lack of development, cost and the big problem, Resistance to Change by clists in the period of 30's-70's. This lack of enthusiastic reception of innovation is evident in saxophone, oboe, bassoon and prob. in the brasses etc, manufacture. I have put the patent #s of all of these on the BB earlier but will do again on request. Any more ?s. Don
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
