 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2005-08-25 11:08
After reading what was mentioned on the Artie Shaw discussion, who else on here just finds this key gets in the way, or just has no use for it at all?
When I rebuilt my old Centered Tones I bushed all the toneholes with plastic down to the RH B/F# tonehole (as these were all chipped), but as far as the top joint cross Eb/Bb tonehole goes, I just left this blank (but still re-cut the bedplace) as I don't use this key, although I have the key in place, but bent the touch so it's central with the forked Eb/Bb vent key, and not getting in the way.
When it comes to selling this pair all I need to do is drill through the bottom of the bush, and as this hole is in line with the side Eb/Bb hole on Selmer CTs, the holes are exactly the same size (6mm on the Bb and 5.9 on the A).
I've taken this key off my Buffet Prestige bass as it really got in the way, not to mention it's of a horrible design having a huge, chunky casting as opposed to the smooth spatula the Leblancs have, and filled the tonehole with cork pads, the uper pillar hole with a sawn-off pillar, smoothed out and with a saw cut across the head so it can be taken out with a flat screwdriver, and the lower pillar has been replaced with an undrilled pillar to act as the C#/G# stopper.
As for my Vito Eb clarinet (not long now before I get my Buffet Eb up and running), there's no room for this key with my fat fingers, so I've done pretty much the same thing here as on my bass.
I just don't find this key practical to use, I've got at least three other ways of playing Eb/Bb more comfortably.
Maybe if I'd been brought up on a simple system I might use this key, but no - I've always been a Boehm player, and don't even use these keys on an Oehler system (Richard Keilwerth) I bought out of curiosity.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2005-08-25 13:05
C P - It seems that you are a fine cl "mechanic" as well as player, with the modifications you made. I have done some of those things, like plugging off the Eb/Bb tone hole fingered by the left ring finger, seldom used. Yes, there are almost too many options, but on my bass and alto, I do make much use of the "1 and 1" in pref. to the others, depending on the previous and following notes, I guess. Since I grew up on a Full B, still have 2, and a Leb Dyn 2 [poor man's P F, fork and artic], like Annie in "Get ----" , just do what comes Natcherly. Each has his/her own,I guess. Fun, Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2005-08-25 13:28
I was initially warned by several players not to be too dependent on all the bells and whistles the full boehms have, just in case I have to play a 17/6 in an emergency, but I thought it's a waste not to use them as that's what they're there for, and it's good to have the alternatives to get out of trouble rather than just treating them like a load of extra redundant keywork and weight.
But I do keep my full boehms in good order and keep a screwdriver in the case if anything should go awry, and so far I've never had any trouble (only a bent side Eb/Bb key during a rough channel crossing) - it's always other players coming to me to sort out their instruments for them!
I use every other gadget on full boehms except this cross key, and I could go without the artic. C#/G#, but I definitely can't go without the LH Ab/Eb or forked Eb/Bb - especially in the Polovtsian Dances solo among other solos.
I do like to use the low Eb as a Bb as well, it makes the 2nd movement of the Saint-Saens sonata a doddle (and a LH Eb is a must in this movement too, where you get Eb, Db and Ab in quick succession), and the concert Db version of 'Begin The Beguine' that one of the bands uses, where a held throat Bb hasn't got the clarity (though if I use my Centered Tone I use the side Bb 'trill' for this).
I do have a spare full boehm Leblanc LL Bb should my Series 9 get struck down, and I use this mainly for Big Band work as it has a brighter sound.
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Author: Terry Stibal
Date: 2005-08-25 17:14
I too like this addition for the equalization of the tone hole height across the entire horn. In the past, I didn't use it very much, but nowadays I find myself occasionally going the forked Eb route (and a little more frequently the forked Bb route). Not as valuable as the articulated C#, and certainly not as valuable as the LH Ab/Eb lever, but still worth having around.
leader of Houston's Sounds Of The South Dance Orchestra
info@sotsdo.com
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2005-08-25 17:40
My Selmer CTs (System N.6 Bb# N69xx, A#P10xx) have inline LH main action toneholes, but my newly refurbished Series 9 full boehm pair are very different from each other - the A is an 'S' series (S52xx) from the '60s which is very similar to the late CT models in terms of keywork, and the Bb is an 'A' series (A35xx) from the late '70s which is using Series 10 key pieces (probably due to the company being run by accountants by this time?), and finger/ring 3 is offset (like a standard 17/6 system) and sunk almost flush with the surface of the body.
And less pride was taken in it's construction, which sums up '70s workmanship, although it plays beautifully now.
It was originally finished poorly as the forked Eb ring (finger 3) wasn't even near the top of the chimney and hit the body (it still had the original pads when I bought it), so I had to make clearence for the ring arm for it to be comfortable.
I was lucky to find a new old stock Series 9* barrel on eBay (the A came with a 66mm 10s barrel), better still it was a 68mm one, not 67mm as they advertised. Bonus - I don't have to pull this one out to play in tune! I use the same barrel on both instruments.
I've got a standard 17/6 early CT (N84xx) which I repadded in leather, but I didn't have this one silver-plated like my others. I keep this as a loan instrument if someone needs one to use while I'm sorting their one out.
I didn't realise Selmer lined some of their barrels with ebonite - I just serviced a 10G and both barrels were lined. A nice feature I thought.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2005-08-25 17:50)
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