 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Stephen Froehlich
Date: 2001-10-01 19:25
OK the nmbers first:
Selmer:
Signature Bb: .575"
Model 37 Bass: .920"
Buffet:
R-13 Bb: .577"? Polycylindrical
R-13 Bass: No Info
LeBlanc:
Opus Bb: .575"
400 Bass: .945
By the way, why are they lacquering the paperclip contrabasses black now?
Yamaha: no info online, not even on their Japanese site
In summary, from the limited info available, while the Bb's seem to be converging on a standard, the basses still vary widely, even though they are nowhere near double the bore diameter of the Bb's. In my experiences, the LeBlanc is definitely the smallest bored Bass I regularly encounter. The Buffet basses honestly seem to be somewhat of a Selmer knockoff (not that that's a bad starting point), so I would expect a similar bore. The Yamaha is somewhere in the middle.
Why is there still such debate on the optimal Bass bore compared to the Bb's? I know most of us prefer bigger bore basses for their projection and tone quality. Why is this?
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Author: David Spiegelthal
Date: 2001-10-01 22:23
I don't understand your post: You say Leblanc is small at .945, although the Selmer is at .920? Also, I believe the Yamaha bore is advertised in one of the mail-order catalogs at around .920 or so. And a crude measurement on my Kohlert came up around .935. This makes the Leblanc the largest (not smallest) bore of the instruments we (semi-) know up to this point. But I don't think you can make any blanket statement about "large-bore = better projection and tone quality". I think quite a few more factors are involved. I've found most of the older Leblancs and Noblet basses to play very stuffy, but I think that has to do with their lack of tonehole undercutting. And although the Selmer bores seem to be on the small side of the range, some of the finest-sounding players I've heard were playing on Selmer basses.
Let's gather more facts before we jump to conclusions.
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Author: Graham Golden
Date: 2001-10-02 00:12
does selmer undercut their bass clarinet tone holes? i dont remember them advertising they do. on the small side there is the AMATI which measures in at .905" i believe buffet is about 23.?? mm. dont quote me on that one.
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Author: Graham Golden
Date: 2001-10-02 00:18
also keep in mind the uniformity in soprano clarinet bores exists in the French makers. if you check out some other manufacturer sites, german, british, to some extent Italian etc you will find that they are not all .574,5,7,etc,
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Author: Mike Harrelson
Date: 2001-10-02 02:36
Does a bass clarinet NEED undercut tone holes? Didn't undercut tone holes come into play after the soprano bore started to get smaller? With the bass having such a larger bore does it need undercut tone holes (other than specific note tuning or to make a particular instrument less "stuffy")?
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Author: Stephen Froehlich
Date: 2001-10-02 13:17
I admit - I can't count. Personally, I've noticed that the LeBlancs have the most "Clarinet-like" tone of the basses. I guest the "purest" or the "least reedy". I've never heard an Amati. When I was shopping, it was explained that the Amatis come from the German school and not so much the French school.
If the Buffets are 23-24mm, then that's anywhere within the above range.
I guess the double register key system with a very high top register key and the lower register key being used for B,C,C#,D is kind of a first step. I sincerely doubt I would seriously consder a bass without this system (I generally refer to it as a double bridge key). As I remember, the LeBlancs don't have this system but just a different throat vent key.
As for undercut tone holes - I believe that they reduce turbulence at open keyholes. There has to be some reason that this is the first thing C. Bay does when he customizes a bass or makes one of his hybrids. By the way, do any of you have any experience with these, what are they like?
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2001-10-02 15:31
My modest acquaintance with basses, 3 LeBlancs, a Linton, 2 Conns and my favorite, a 30's model Selmer low Eb, repairs to a few more, and test playing of Buffet and Selmer low C's, still wanting to try several of the Yamahas, IMHO the Selmer has the best combination of bore size[s?] and double register keying. I'll measure mine to add to the above. Don
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Author: graham
Date: 2001-10-02 16:31
I can't cope with imperial measurements where clarients are concerned. My Chabot bass measures (crudely using ruler) at 24 mm. I think that is what the Leblanc is from memory.
Undercutting was introduced long before the very narrow modern clarinets were introduced. Early 20th C clarients of 14.9 to 15 mm can have dramatically undercut tone holes, as mine do.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2001-10-02 19:26
Graham, the conversion factor , mm per inch, is 25.4 [1 meter= 39.37 "] so your 24 mm = .9449 " . I measured my Selmer 31/32 low Eb, bot of UJ .905-.910, bot of LJ .910 [essentially cylindrical] , it has the most resonant chalameau of any I've played!! My Conn wood [482N] w: DRK [1950's I believe] was .925, not as good chal!! Will check the Linton. Dave , can you add to these? Don
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