 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Kruzi
Date: 2007-01-28 02:35
Hello!
Yesterday I saw someone play an older german system clarinet with a bell probably made of hard rubber or some other plastic material. The rest of the instrument body was made of wood. I know that putting plastic bells on wooden clarinets had been quite common in the past. But what was the reason for material mixes of this kind? Does it change the clarinets`tone in any way?
Greetings,
Kruzi
Take what you`ve got and make the best of it!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2007-01-28 03:04
I think it was done for economy of manufacture -- making a clarinet bell requires a large chunk of wood and a lot of machining work, and since it's the least acoustically-critical part of the instrument, it makes good engineering sense to make it out of other materials such as hard rubber or plastic. Some folks here on the BB claim to be able to hear the difference in materials, but I can't.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: stevesklar
Date: 2007-01-28 15:50
As David said, it was for economical reasons.
I was told that, for instance, Noblet (in the 60s/70s) would put a plastic bell and/or barrel on an insrument to be able to sell it at a lower price and fill in a "price void" for students.
Such as the Noblet 27 - which was a 40, just with a plastic bell
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2007-01-28 16:02
My Amati - marketed as "student" horn is the same as the intermediate, with the exception of the bell (which is plastic on mine, wood on the intermediate). Plus a $60-ish different price tag.
--
Ben
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: BobD
Date: 2007-01-28 17:41
My first clarinet in 1939 was wood with hard rubber bell and bbl.
Bob Draznik
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Kruzi
Date: 2007-02-01 21:54
Thanks for the info:-)
@BobD: excuse me for asking this probably dumb question, but what does "bbl." mean ?
Kruzi
Take what you`ve got and make the best of it!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Chris P
Date: 2007-02-01 22:22
You'll also find on a lot of older clarinets (especially student German system and simple system ones) will have bells made of a different wood (rosewood or similar) and painted black to match the rest of the clarinet - which is also painted black, not unlike the Schreiber-built Buffet clarinets and oboes that are on sale right now, except the current Schreibers are all grenadilla, though they're painted black so all the joints match in colour.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Kruzi
Date: 2007-02-01 22:43
I don`t know much about Schreiber clarinets except that most serious teachers here in Germany don`t recommend the german system clarinets from Schreiber to their students because of intonation issues and poor built quality. Which clarinet models from Buffet are made by Schreiber?
Take what you`ve got and make the best of it!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: BobD
Date: 2007-02-02 14:14
"bbl"= barrel. You got me thinking if that's a standard abbr. or something I dug up years ago.
Bob Draznik
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2007-02-02 14:19
"bbl" has been used forever in the automotive world as an abbreviation for "barrel", as in "2-bbl. carburetor".
Schreiber used to make the plastic or bottom-of-the-line wood clarinets for Buffet, formerly under the Evette & Schaeffer name but more recently as B11 or whatever they call it these days. Basically, if it's a Buffet product but is stamped "made in Germany", then it was made by Schreiber.
I don't like their clarinets either, but their mouthpieces are not too bad for mass-produced items, and I've heard their bassoons are OK.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: stevesklar
Date: 2007-02-03 12:04
"bbl" has been used forever in the automotive world as an abbreviation for "barrel", as in "2-bbl. carburetor".
So we're essentially Revving up our clarinets with different barrels ? =-)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Chris P
Date: 2007-02-03 12:36
Schreiber-built Buffet clarinets:
B10 (plastic student model, utilitarian design),
B12 (plastic student model),
B13 (as above w/LH Ab/Eb lever),
E10 (wooden body, plastic barrel and bell),
E11 (all wooden),
E12 (all wooden w/LH Ab/Eb lever).
Also the student Buffet oboes are made by Schreiber and have the 'Duralast' (plastic) lined bore.
If it doesn't say 'Made In France' under the logo, it ain't French.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
