 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Anonymoose
Date: 2023-08-21 01:54
Hi all,
Something just occurred to me during my practice. Would it be possible to mix the joints of different clarinets? Ie a r13 upper joint and rc lower joint?
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2023-08-21 03:02
Anything's possible - there's no harm in trying it provided the tenons and sockets fit well and the keywork all lines up correctly.
What's the worst that can happen?
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: super20dan
Date: 2023-08-21 04:15
i have a cheap plastic clarinet thats part bundy and the lower joint is unidentified. but it plays ok. i got it in a package deal and didnt notice it was a half breed for a while
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Author: ruben
Date: 2023-08-21 09:25
Interesting idea! I've never tried, but I will. It usually doesnt work because the tenons and sockets don't work or the correspondence keys. Maybe a hybrid instrument would be really good.
rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com
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Author: donald
Date: 2023-08-21 10:33
When Frank Cohen visited NZ and played the Mozart Concerto (with a wind octet) he played his "Franken-clarinet", an A clarinet that was the result of two mixed joints (I THINK an R13 Vintage top joint and an RC lower joint, but I can't remember). So YES, this can/does sometimes work.
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2023-08-21 10:52
There is a sort of a custom here that some people do this. It started with one particular player (a Buffet endorser, who as far as I know actually never did this himself) and some of his students and his students' students chose specific sections from different clarinets, or had him do that, when choosing a clarinet at Buffet in France. Of those I've seen, the sections were always from the R13, RC, R13/RC Prestige and Festival models.
I mean I've seen it a few times but it's overall a minuscule amount compared with "non-mixed" clarinets. Even those who had this same player choose a clarinet, most weren't "mixed".
I'm not sure if this is standard for Buffet to let you do this.
Post Edited (2023-08-22 08:16)
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Author: Hunter_100
Date: 2023-08-21 17:34
I think I read somewhere that the RC and R13 were mainly different in the lower joint section, so if you put an R13 lower on an RC it might make it play like an R13 more, and if you put an RC lower on an R13, it should be more RC'ish.
Also, isn't this a common thing to do to A clarinets to convert them to Basset clarinets, that is switching out the lower joint instead of buying a dedicated Basset clarinet?
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Author: JohnP
Date: 2023-08-21 20:32
Some people from the UK might know who Ted Planas was. He once told he had been playing in the Wembley Ice Show when the guy sitting next to him complained that something was wrong with his clarinet and it wasn’t playing in tune. Ted had a quick look and saw immediately that the joints were mixed up, he had one joint from the Bb and one from the A. Ted’s colleague seemed totally devastated, when Ted asked why he was so upset he admitted to being not so worried about playing the Wembley Ice Show but he’d lent what he thought was his A clarinet to a pupil to do the Mozart Concerto!
John
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Author: donald
Date: 2023-08-23 17:39
Great story from Ted Planas (I've heard it before, can't remember where). I've had a few encounters with the A/Bb joints getting mixed up.
- Rehearsal before a Beethoven Trio concert, frantic worry and stress "clarinet out of tune, what's wrong? pad fallen out etc?????" (joints mixed up, in the end worked it out after a long anxious 45sec)
- Playing Acting Principal with an orchestra in the South Island of NZ, told that I'd have to "nurse" the 2nd clarinet as he was a bit green, it was his first professional gig. 2nd clarinet RIDICULOUSLY OUT OF TUNE in Dvorak New World Symph... he didn't appear to even notice. I was astounded- not only did he not notice, how was it actually possible to play with the bad intonation he had?
Turned out he'd borrowed a pair of clarinet, as he didn't have an A clarinet, and mixed up the joints, then brought (what he thought was) the A clarinet to rehearsal and left the other bits at home. I had to work this all out for him, and it made for a LONG evening.
- I actually performed a contemporary piece by a pseudynym "Winslow Leach" (quick google on that is fun) that asked for the player to use A clarinet top joint and Bb bottom joint, then during the course of the piece swap them around WHILE PLAYING so you ended with the Bb top joint and the A bottom. What fun fun fun on the autobahn.
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Author: ACCA
Date: 2023-08-23 23:46
the title of this thread had me thinking it would be about smoking roll-your-owns with 2 or more controlled* substances inside
*well not controlled in some places!
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Author: ruben
Date: 2023-08-24 00:34
ACCA: Great minds think alike! I thought the same thing. ...and I haven't the excuse of being young!
rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com
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Author: johnwesley
Date: 2023-08-25 06:39
I was in Berkeley CA from 1965 to 1974 as a teenager and early 20s. It was not uncommon to have mixed joints. Music sure sounded better back then.
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Author: 245264ycl
Date: 2023-08-26 07:08
I’d only object if sold mismatched sections without prior knowledge.
That happened to me when I unwittingly bought 3/4s of a Pruefer. The chalumeau section had neither a brand name nor a serial number stamped on it. The case saw a new life with me while all parts of the horn are resting comfortably in my “atelier” awaiting their use at some point in the future.
The second next time that sort of thing happened, I promptly contacted the seller in France. I bought an SML Strasser, its entry level model online, from her. All looked and sounded fine, until I noticed main sections had mismatched S/Ns. Fearing, I guess, that she’d be poorly rated on the sale, she refunded me the purchase price and let me keep clarinet. Nice of her to do so.
I’ve been very lucky in deals with sellers from France, so much so that I thought that I’d see what the outcome would be in dealing with a manufacturer there. About 10 years ago, I sent a good friend to Van Doren’s main address in Paris (56 rue Lepic, is what a line of their reeds is name). I told he could try dumpster-diving for rejects there for me.
Instead, he rang the doorbell at the front door. In the 45 minutes or so inside he saw black and white photos, heard of past glories of the company and what lay ahead of it. Then, before leaving he was offered an array of gifts.There were pens and pencils, t-shirts and the only items that he brought back that I still have. Pictured here is the pair of Fabulustre “genuine jewellers’’ polishing cloth.
polishing cloths that I’ll probably keep until they’re “worn to shreds”.
Onto the original reason for posting. I reacted to the name Planas mentioned by someone preceding me on the original topic. I’ll be brief, then terminate.
Mr. Planas is likely someone featured among many in a mid-‘80s BBC documentary on the bass saxophone. I find it great! I’ll try to add the link to it here, as I try to complete this post.
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Author: 245264ycl
Date: 2023-08-26 16:35
N.B.Ref. 56 rue: Got the “.got the T-short…” It was the T that went to shreds.
BTw I failed to point out that there is a very discreet VanD logo at top on the red side. Here is a photo of it:
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