 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: john gibson
Date: 2001-08-15 18:16
Sort of an off the wall question...but how can you tell if a clarinet is ebony or grenadilla? AND...when did manufacturers stop using ebony and start using grenadilla? Thanks....
john
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2001-08-15 18:31
John -
As far as I know, grenadilla has been universally used for over 100 years. The eBay descriptions of ebony and rosewood are simply wrong. I've seen a Buffet high-pitch C clarinet from the early part of the 20th century that looked like it was made of rosewood, but it may have been unstained grenadilla.
Before grenadilla, in the mid to late 19th century, I've read that the wood of choice was cocus, followed by rosewood.
Al Rice and Dan Deitch on the Early Clarinet list can tell you much more. Dan has a website at http://www.danieldeitch.com/.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Dee
Date: 2001-08-15 22:04
Early clarinets were made from a variety of materials such as the already mentioned cocus, boxwood and other materials. Once Africa was explored, grenadilla (which actually encompasses several species) became the universal choice. Ebony has seldom been used and was never very common. Almost all descriptions that state ebony are in error.
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Author: Mark Pinner
Date: 2001-08-16 07:41
Now for the definitive answer!
Most clarinets of the more modern vintage are made out of a wood going by the romantic title of Dalbergia melanoxylon. As with any botanical species the common name can be confusing or even wrong.
Dalbergia melanoxylon has three common names 1) African Ebony 2) Grenadilla 3) African Blackwood so in other words they are all the same thing.
Clarinets have been made out of many things over the years. The next most common wood used in more modern times is known as Rosewood and is of the same genus Dalbergia but the species may either be nigra or retusa (also known as Cocobolo) a la Hammerschmidt and other European makers.
The most common material in the antique varietes of clarinets is Boxwood or Buxus sempervirens which was and is widely used for other winds such as recorders and bagpipe chanters. Fruitwoods such as pear and apple have been used as has maple.
The more enigmatic Cocus wood has also been widely used but is now extinct and its botanical name escapes me at this moment although I can look it up easily.
Hope this has been of some help but e mail me if you want more info.
Regards Mark
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Author: mw
Date: 2001-08-16 15:15
Ken, THANKS for the Link. Deitch has some beautiful instruments. mw
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