 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: GenericClarinet129
Date: 2025-02-01 02:33
Hello everybody,
It was April 1st, 2023 when Backun released, for only one day, the Infinité Barrel: a new innovation that they claimed could transform a regular Bb clarinet into a C, Eb, A, and bass. Along with it came a Youtube Short, a demonstration of the amazing new contraption played by Corrado Giuffredi. It seemed too good to be true, and it was. The entire thing had been an elaborate April Fool's Day prank, or so we thought. Even though the barrel clearly does not change the key of the instrument, Corrado has continued to use it as one can see in the videos of his performances. So this begs the question: What really is the Infinité Barrel? Is it Backun's rendition of the adjustable barrel? When will it become available to the public?
Any speculations or definite answers are appreciated.
Thanks!
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Author: David H. Kinder
Date: 2025-02-01 02:41
There was another thread about a Backun Eb clarinet that was made for a Backun artist and isn't for sale on their site.
I can only *assume* (I hate that word) that it is a custom prototype that has yet to be announced for regular production.
Ridenour AureA Bb clarinet
Ridenour Homage mouthpiece
Vandoren Optimum Silver ligature (plate 1)
Vandoren #3 reeds
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Author: RBlack
Date: 2025-02-01 04:40
I’m pretty sure it’s just a normal barrel, but with a gold ring on it. I can only assume he’s continued using it because it looks cool, and/or the added weight of the metal changes the resonance in a way he likes.
Just my speculation.
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Author: A.Nori
Date: 2025-02-01 11:18
Corrado Giuffredi continues to use the Backun prototype barrel.
In addition to the barrel he uses now, he once used a blue barrel in the shape of a lumiere. That one was never released in the end, but it had the CG logo on it and looked like an interesting barrel.
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Author: symphony1010
Date: 2025-02-01 13:32
I'm a great believer in sticking with the clarinet maker's barrels, especially when they were made from the same piece of wood as the rest of the instrument.
I never felt quite the same about Buffet mouthpieces!
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2025-02-01 21:37
symphony1010 wrote:
"I'm a great believer in sticking with the clarinet maker's barrels, especially when they were made from the same piece of wood as the rest of the instrument."
Tell us another myth while you're at it.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: symphony1010
Date: 2025-02-01 21:50
My instruments are R13 Prestige from 1987. This information was told to me by Dave James, then the chief technician at Boosey and Hawkes when they had ownership of Buffet.
I arrived at Regent St. first thing on a Monday morning - the 24 instruments were arranged on stands with the barrels in place and I was told not to mix the barrels. The only place they could have been swapped out was back in France as nobody else had tried them until I did.
As I'm sure you know these instruments are unstained and it is certainly apparent on my A instrument that the bell is from the same wood as the lower joint. Obviously I can't be 100% certain re the barrels but it was what I was told.
Are you able to disprove it?
In any case, the use of 3rd party barrels and bells is something many others do with little knowledge of specs and thereby tuning implications.
Post Edited (2025-02-01 22:07)
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2025-02-01 23:24
You should never believe anything you're told as you've been told you a right porky there! Buffet barrels and top joints were reamed out whilst together to get the expansion in the top joint and barrel matching which is why you were most likely told not to mix and match them back then. That may not be the case now and seeing some recent high end Buffets, it's highly doubtful they're still done like that.
I've never seen a single Buffet, B&H, Selmer, Howarth or any other clarinet - new or used, where every joint was machined from the one same billet with perfectly matching grain as the grain pattern never matches on them - not even on unstained Buffet Prestiges.
It's impossible and incredibly wasteful if you think the large billet used to get the large diameter of the bell flare is machined down to the diameter of the joints and a defect was discovered. All the joints are made from separate billets of the appropriate dimensions and the barrels would often be made from the same or shorter length billets or offcuts of defective joint billets.
If there's a worm hole or a split or decay found somewhere on a billet early on, that would render it useless as an entire body joint (although that doesn't stop some makers using defective billets as I've seen with many clarinets, even Peter Eaton ones) and they can lop off a piece without defects in it to make a clarinet barrel or oboe tenon covers or some trinkets.
I can prove it as I worked for Howarth for long enough to see none of their instruments (oboes, cors, d'amores and their clarinets) are made from the same single billet, as well as it being patently obvious when looking at the grain pattern of any wooden clarinet as it'll never match even when taking into account the tenons. High end instruments will have joints chosen for the best grain and colour match, but still aren't all made from the one same billet from barrel though to bell.
The billets arrive from the supplier all precut to the specific dimensions used by the various companies for the joints of their instruments and packed up in any order. Not even Buffet use a single billet for their low C basses now and you can see where two pieces are spliced together, both outside (with the decorative band machined around the join) and the join line visible in the bore. I've got a Prestige low C bass from 2000 which still has a single piece lower joint, but it's full of filled in defects.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: RBlack
Date: 2025-02-02 02:55
My early 1980s r13 I can see that the barrel and upper joint were made from the same piece of wood. There’s 1 particularly prominent grain that continues across them. But that’s my only instrument where I have any degree of confidence about matching wood.
Backun used to make a deal about selling a Bb and A set made from the same billet (for an extra fee of course $$$) but I’m not sure if they still do.
I’m also quite certain these days Buffet just grab a barrel out of a giant bucket full of them to toss in with each clarinet, no particular care or thought used.
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