 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: sinkdraiN
Date: 2002-10-21 12:53
Oddly I have a R13 barrel from an A clarinet. I tried it on my plastic yamaha and it played so much better than the click barrel i was using. My question is will the fact that its an A clarinet barrel hurt my intonation? Is the barrel the same for a Bb clarinet and an A clarinet?
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Author: Mark Charette, Webmaster
Date: 2002-10-21 13:23
sinkdraiN wrote:
>
> Oddly I have a R13 barrel from an A clarinet. I tried it
> on my plastic yamaha and it played so much better than the
> click barrel i was using.
Not horribly surprising.
> My question is will the fact that
> its an A clarinet barrel hurt my intonation?
Only playing it with a tuner will tell you. If the intonation is good - great. If it isn't ... then you'll be looking for new barrels.
> Is the barrel the
> same for a Bb clarinet and an A clarinet?
The length is generally different (there are exceptions, however).
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2002-10-21 15:22
David Pino speaks of having accidentally (and very fortuitously) discovered a barrel which works marvelously well with both his A Clarinet and his B-flat clarinet, using the same mouthpiece -- with good intonation and all the other great stuff. It isn't something that can be found every day of the week, and if you tried really hard to discover one, you might drive yourself nuts trying to do it. But if that's what you have, do hang on to it. Those who play symphonic music say it is so much easier to exchange the MP and barrel combination from one Clarinet to another. For one thing, there is much less likelihood of dislodging the reed in its ligature. And yes, A clarinet barrels are generally a bit longer than Bb barrels.
Strange are the mystifying ways of the Universe.
Regards,
John
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2002-10-21 16:16
John -
On Buffets, counterintuitively, A clarinet barrels are usually about 1 mm. shorter than Bb barrels, with a slightly smaller bore.
I have a couple of barrels that work well on both instruments, but my "dedicated" barrels work better.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: sinkdraiN
Date: 2002-10-21 18:47
I really like the wood barrel ssound on that clarinet. I cant afford a good wood one yet. Im borrowing my brother's A. Thats how i have the barrel in the first place. I guess my best bet is to find a wood Bb barrel for it. I found a Bb selmer series 9 wood barrel for sale. Do you think it would be worth my while to use that instead.
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Author: Bob
Date: 2002-10-21 20:57
Interestingly I did the same thing just the other day. My appraisal,however, was that there was not much difference. More critical testing is in the offing..
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2002-10-22 04:31
Ken Shaw: Thanks for the input on Buffet instruments, A vs Bb, in the barrel department. I was aware that A-pich instrument barrels aren't always longer than their Bb counterparts (hence the comment "generally" in my post), but I was not aware that the "expected" situation is in fact just plain reversed on Buffets. Perhaps I should have checked with the Long Island Buffet Clarinet Repository (GBKantor, Conservator) for this information.
For that matter, I did something I hardly ever do: my comment was based on "common sense" (whatever that may be; Stephen Hawking says it is "just another term for the prejudices we grew up with") rather than personally observed reality. So for all I truly know, this situation may prevail across the board, although it is -- as you point out -- counterintuitive. I have just executed measurements on eleven Bb Clarinet barrels convenient to my computer position, and their lengths range between 58.5 mm (Richard Keilwerth "Top Sound" German System Clarinet) and 66 mm (same length on both a Vito V40 and a Normandy 4). The shortest Boehm instrument barrel is 59.5 mm, one of the two supplied with my Amati ACL 602 (the other is 60 mm).
My stable includes only a single A-pitch clarinet, which is absolutely and unconditionally contemptible. I just now returned from my garage workshop, where that item has been undergoing a far too slow transmogrification into a table lamp, which will doubtlessly increase its usefulness by several thousandfold. I have measured its barrel, which is composed of some indeterminate material bearing a striking resemblance to natural anthracite, at 62 mm. I nearly retch at the thought that measurement of this deplorable example of the instrument-crafters "art" might have any significance at all. I therefore solicit from contributors any freely-offered A-pitch clarinet barrel length measurements. Might be interesting, anyway.
Regards,
John
who owns not a single Buffet Clarinet of any pitch
but occasionally enjoys playing (rather poorly) his Buffet flute
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Author: Vytas
Date: 2002-10-22 13:37
JmcAulay,
Standard Buffet barrel for Bb 440HZ pitch clarinet is 66mm.
Standard Buffet barrel for A 440HZ pitch clarinet is 65mm.
Case is closed.
__________________________________________________
sinkdraiN,
Selmer series 9 barrel has big bore and it'll not match your instrument
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2002-10-22 15:22
Vytas: Thanks for your verification. To me the Buffet vs. Buffet case was closed by Ken Shaw's post. Although he and I do not always reach identical conclusions, when he states anything to be fact, I do not doubt the information. Right now, I'm more curious regarding the general run of factory-issue A-pitch Clarinet barrels. Do other suppliers shape barrels the same general way as Buffet, or do they not? Or perhaps no one else cares.
Regards,
John
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