Author: Bob Arney
Date: 2001-09-15 01:39
Ben, I got to thinking you might not find it under "springs" or some such on a search. So here it is. I nicked it off an earlier thread. Would Mark mind?
Bob A
RE: "New Bass Clarinet" Redux
Author: Dave Spiegelthal (---.orbital.com)
Date: 06-04-01 10:45
Bob and Steve,
Thanks to both of you for the good words. About the keywork: I do have a tendency (which I'll try to correct) to set up bass clarinet mechanisms rather on the stiff side, mainly because it's what I'm used to playing. Compared to most players, I probably use more finger pressure and more jaw pressure on the mouthpiece, so, for better or worse, that's how I tend to set up my bass clarinets. I realize now that this is not everyone's cup of tea, so I'll attempt to be more perceptive of the desires of my customers and set up their instruments accordingly (although in Steve's case, I actually set up the bass clarinet for my own use, and only months later decided to sell it).
Part of the problem with bass clarinets is that, if the lower stack is not sprung fairly stiff, it is possible to actually blow open the r.h. pinky low Ab/clarion Eb key, causing a nasty vibration (that sounds rather like a Bronx cheer). And if this key is set up stiff to prevent that undesirable opening, the other three r.h. pinky keys should probably be set fairly stiff also, to make their feel more consistent with the Ab/Eb key. An imbalance of tensions feels bad and makes it hard to play smoothly.
Another problem (which I've found at least with the Kohlert basses with their doubled toneholes for the low E/clarion C) is that the common key operating these two pads is quite heavy (in weight) and therefore needs to be stiffly spring to ensure that it opens when released.er thread:
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The Clarinet BBoard
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