 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2024-09-05 22:10
... HAS to be Leblanc.
While most makes copied Buffet's keywork to a large degree, Leblanc went their own way on their classic models - LL, L7, L27, LX, Dynamic-H, Pete Fountain, etc., etc. before the early '90s when the Concerto and Opus were launched which went back to using offset side and trill keys.
Leblanc keywork of this type was mostly all separately mounted on their own sets of pillars and built like a tank - there's no risk of the notoriously bendy RH F/C touchpiece bending and throwing the crow's foot linkage out of adjustment (a common problem with Buffets and others) when it's soldered so close to the key barrel.
Added to that the inline side and trill keys which meant the toneholes could be moved above the centre line of the bore to help reduce condensation running into them, but that can still happen regardless as condensation seems to defy logic and will clog up throat G# and A toneholes as well as speaker bushes mounted on the top side of the instrument.
The only downside I can think of with this design are the relatively short flat springs on the side and trill keys as well as the general weight because of the chunky keywork which some players may find too heavy for them.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: m1964
Date: 2024-09-06 04:41
I feel that the needle springs used by Buffet allow for "crisper" keys response/movement comparing to the springs used by Leblanc.
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Author: ruben
Date: 2024-09-06 09:37
Another good side to the Leblancs were that repair people told me they were easy to repair.
rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com
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Author: Kalashnikirby
Date: 2024-09-06 11:33
Leblancs have an overall nice build quality. Somewhat "rougher" than Buffet, IMHO, but they keep going. If you look at old, beaten up altos, the Leblanc will come out on top (IMHO).
Also, that forked ab/eb on basses. At first you think it's nonsense, but it does make your life easier at times!
Best regards
Christian
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Author: crazyclari
Date: 2024-09-06 15:44
If you look back to the basset horns from the early 70s the current six key left and right little finger key layout is pretty much the current layout.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2024-09-07 22:58
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Has to be said, that is one great big A hole! Quite possibly the biggest A hole of all time.
The throat A tonehole on the LL is about as large as is humanly possible on a soprano clarinet. I forget what diameter it is, but it's much larger than the throat A tonehole on a Selmer CT.
In the last photo I added a Howarth style adjusting screw to the LH F/C key foot which makes light work of removing any double action in the linkage and thus creating a nice snappy feel. As there's hardly much travel, a nylon tipped adjusting screw works a treat and doesn't create any noise. I've been fitting this adjusting screw pip to many clarinets solely for that purpose.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2024-09-07 23:06)
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Author: graham
Date: 2024-09-07 23:26
What about the Howarth design of the side B flat key, opening higher up the front side of the bore to reduce bubbles? Was that worthwhile?
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2024-09-07 23:39
Yes - it sets the tonehole around the top side of the instrument to help reduce condensation from collecting in it.
Added to that is the long Bb clutch whereby an adjusting screw made adjusting your long Bb a doddle instead of bending keywork (or sanding corks down if that's your thing). Only the other day I had an S1 come in where the owner was complaining about a knocking he could feel just after LH2 was closed. Turns out the long Bb linkage cork was missing and the adjusting screw had been screwed in to compensate, but the stopper cork on the underside of the linkage was making contact with and sticking to the surface of the top joint just above the tenon as it was contaminated with cork grease, then releasing and causing the delayed knocking sensation.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2024-09-08 02:30)
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2024-09-08 18:47
>> Yes - it sets the tonehole around the top side of the instrument to help reduce condensation from collecting in it. <<
Supposedly it does, and it might help somewhat, but I found it doesn't make a significant difference (not specifically the Howarth which I haven't seen, but other clarinets with the same design).
Water often collects in even much higher tone holes like throat A and G#, or the register tube sticking inside the bore. It seems to be mostly the condensation forming there rather than water running inside the bore that is the main cause of the clogging and bubbling.
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Author: Micke Isotalo ★2017
Date: 2024-09-11 13:01
Chris, it's such a delight seeing more or less "worn out" instruments handed over to you, turning out from your care as no less than factory fresh! Your re-guilding of the logos is especially impressive, nicely crowning such a sense. 
In my ignorance, I've until now considered the Leblanc side and trill keys with their angular shapes as just less elegant, compared to the more "wave-like" shape on most other clarinets - concluding Leblanc had chosen just a simpler and cheaper manufacturing technique. Now at last I understand the real reason behind it, as an attempt reducing bubbling in these tone holes.
It certainly is a richness to the clarinet community when manufacturers aren't just copying each others designs, but are brave enough applying innovations. However, among the current biggest makers, only Buffet seem to be brave enough in this regard - e.g. considering their low F correction key (despite its character of only a "half solution", with its tonehole placed below instead of above the low F tonehole). Only after Buffet had introduced it, Yamaha and Selmer eventually followed suite. Thankfully also some smaller makers, such as Backun, are showing similar courage.
Post Edited (2024-09-11 21:59)
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2024-09-11 20:23
Selmer were fitting an automatic low F correction mechanism to their Recital clarinets back in the '80s and a similar mechanism was also seen on some Buffet Elites - some Elites also used a longer lower joint so E/B issued from the lowest tonehole instead of directly from the bell. If you closed off that tonehole with your right knee, you'd get a low Eb just like on full Boehms.
I've only seen a couple of Toscas and a Divine and can't say I'm impressed with the build quality and finishing on them, considering their relatively high price.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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