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Re: Click barrel question

Author: allencole
Date: 2003-05-16 05:44

I have been using the Clickbarrel for years, and so has a close colleague. Neither of us would trade them for the world. While watching a film on the making of Ken Burns' PBS "Jazz" series, I noticed that the clarinet player in Wynton Marsalis' traditional jazz band was using the basic clickbarrel on their recordings for the Buddy Bolden segment.

That said, there are some intonation issues to deal with. I use a fairly flexible setup of a #4 reed and a .045" mpc, so lipping pitch is not a problem. If you have a high-stability setup such as a #5 reed on a .041" mpc, it might be more difficult to correct your pitch.

Even so, I have worked with the locking clickbarrel (same design as the international, I believe) and the regular clickbarrel. I currently favor the basic clickbarrel. It is a very open sound which helps tremendously in jazz situations (as does the Portnoy mpc), but still works well in higher-end community bands.

As for mechanical issues -- There is not much room to mill the socket of any Clickbarrel. If the fit is just too tight, I recommend investigating other options.

There is a metal adjustable barrel out there (I can't remember the brand)which seems to have a larger socket, more variation in length, and lots of room for milling if that is necessary. One possible downside is that its bore diameter might be more appropriate for a Selmer than a Buffet. Also, it is threaded and moves continuously--as opposed to clicking off the millimeters. I have had at least one complaint about the clicking when doing pit work.

I used to be insistent on having the locking clickbarrel, but the locking mechanism involves bending the plastic and I have never kept one for more than a year without it breaking. I bought my standard one in an emergency, and then decided that I liked its open sound and free blowing characteristics anyway.

Hope this helps.

Allen Cole

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