 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Neal Raskin
Date: 2008-10-17 00:05
Has anyone tried the new barrel from Buffet based on Phil Muncy's design? It is supposed to be an improvement upon the Moenning style barrel.
I supposed I will have to try them both since I'm looking to upgrade my barrel.
www.youtube.com/nmraskin
www.musicedforall.com
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Author: Neal Raskin
Date: 2008-10-17 00:06
Oh, and here is a link to Muncy Winds site:
http://www.muncywinds.com/product.php?productid=857&cat=201&page=1
Cheers.
www.youtube.com/nmraskin
www.musicedforall.com
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Author: Claire Annette
Date: 2008-10-17 00:33
As a matter of fact, I purchased one last month. After years of always pulling out just a smidge at the barrel because I always ran sharp, I don't have to make an adjustment. My sound is more in-tune and focused that my original Buffet barrel.
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2008-10-17 01:01
I am using a 65 mm Muncy barrel. I got it a while back, when I was playing a different clarinet, and at that time, the bore dimension made it a challenge to keep in tune with my group. When I upgraded to an older R13, I found that after warming up, I really need a slightly longer barrel, say a 66 . The sound quality, though, is excellent. It sounds great with both pf the mouthpieces I use: a Walter Grabner K13 and a Greg Smith Chedeville 1+.
Jeff
“Everyone discovers their own way of destroying themselves, and some people choose the clarinet.” Kalman Opperman, 1919-2010
"A drummer is a musician's best friend."
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Author: Lynn
Date: 2008-10-17 01:03
I purchased a set of Phil Muncy's barrels for both my A and Bb instruments on the recommendation and advice of my teacher, Steve Girko. Steve plays the Muncy barrels. I'm normally not a "GAS" kind of guy, but I can tell you with absolutely no reservations that the Muncy barrels have made my playing far easier than anything I've ever considered as part of my setup. Intonation, throat tone clarity, response, and quality of sound are all enhanced by Phil's little goodies.
I'll even say it will be the best $150 you ever spent! (for anything, including objects that float, fly, or..........?)
Regards,
Lynn
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Author: BflatNH
Date: 2008-10-17 17:04
Thanks for the tip - that's close to my setup.
What range of notes has it most improved and how have they improved (e.g. less stuffy, easier attack, etc)? I'm looking to improve the throat and high altissimo, but not change my tuning, which is good.
Had you compared to Fobes or Bakun (or any other) barrels?
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Author: Grabnerwg
Date: 2008-10-17 22:44
I am a big fan of the Buffet/Muncy barrels. Both Phil and Pam Muncy are good friends and I see them at least once every year mostly at the University of Oklahoma Clarinet Symposium. I tried the Muncy barrels at the 2006 OU Symposium and found them equal to or better than anything else I have tried. I immediately bought two for my then aging clarinets. I noticed both a greater focus to the tone and improved intonation, especially in the throat tones.
Just so you know, I am not entirely impartial, since I now sell the barrels on my website. However, the reason I do is that they are a very superior and consistent product.
Walter Grabner
www.clarinetxpress.com
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Author: Ed
Date: 2008-10-17 23:59
"Had you compared to Fobes or Bakun (or any other) barrels?"
I have tried all of them. I like the Fobes a lot. They were the smoothest and most even across the range of the instrument. Response was very good and intonation was excellent. They were right on the money. Moennig barrels are also very nice and you can't go wrong with one. You might have to choose from a few as they do vary a little.
Post Edited (2022-01-15 22:36)
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Author: cxgreen48
Date: 2008-10-18 03:24
I recently bought a Ridenour Ivorolon barrel on "that auction site."
-The response is better and more even in registers than my regular wood barrel (the stock barrel).
-The tone quality improved in the upper registers and is a little more focused; usually, I sound a little brighter starting from clarion A and up, but the Ridenour barrel helped darken the sound in those notes.
-intonation was not significantly changed; I haven't done a thorough tuning test, but the twelths are slightly closer.
Seems like a REALLY good deal for only $42.50!!
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Author: Keith P
Date: 2008-10-18 07:15
I tried one at convention earlier this year and I enjoyed it very much; although this was on the floor in a noisy environment, but I could tell it was a good barrel. I usually play on a moennig barrel that has been reamed out a little bit to match an older original moennig barrel. In relation to my barrel, it was slightly more free blowing but I could not accurately evaluate intonation or tone. The muncy barrels I have hard in third person tended to lack the vibrance that I usually hear from really good moennig barrels.
Best of luck!
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Author: Alseg
Date: 2008-10-18 13:28
Keith P stated......."that has been reamed out a little bit to match an older original moennig barrel. "
This points out the occasional need for customizing, or at least having an ongoing dialogue with the artisan. This need can even occur later, as the bore changes over time.
Disclaimer: I make and sell custom handmade barrels.
Former creator of CUSTOM CLARINET TUNING BARRELS by DR. ALLAN SEGAL
-Where the Sound Matters Most(tm)-
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Author: JamesOrlandoGarcia
Date: 2011-10-07 19:05
I remember when Muncy Winds came to Brevard in 2005 with more clarinet gear than you can think of. I remember most of the clarinetists being set on purchasing another maker's high end barrels in the 200 plus segment but when we tried the synthetic muncy barrels we were blown away at how fantastic they were.
Even though we were very much so attracted to the exotic woods and trendiness of the other barrels. Most of us left with our plain looking synthetic Muncys and were thrilled with the way they played.
I have since purchased Buffet Muncy barrels from Walter Grabner and many people I know have switched to Muncy for their Eb, Bb and A needs. Now only if I could find a new Bb clarinet worthy of my Muncy barrels......
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2011-10-07 19:12
I've tried them. They are very good. Right now I pretty much only use what I can get for free through my band, and they had moennig barrels in stock. But the Muncy barrels I tried were excellent and I intend to order some next year.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: salzo
Date: 2011-10-07 19:14
Does anyone know how the internal dimensions differ between the Muncy and Moennig barrels?
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Author: Wes
Date: 2011-10-07 21:01
I plan to try the Muncy/Buffet barrels soon. Pam Muncy gave me a great deal on a new register tube for my Buffet A clarinet.
Good luck in Moorhead! I'm a graduate of Moorhead High School and my ancestors were pioneers there. Does the high school still own that great Buescher bass saxophone?
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Author: TianL
Date: 2011-10-07 21:04
isn't the muncy also reverse tapered but not as steep as moenning?
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2011-10-08 03:43
TianL wrote:
> isn't the muncy also reverse tapered but not as steep as
> moenning?
What I've always wondered, is weren't these different barrels made for different designs of clarinets? I mean, Moennig was made for clarinets in a certain time period, and Muncy is made for clarinets being put out today. So would it make sense to use one barrel for an older clarinet and the other for a newer one? Slightly off topic.....maybe....
US Army Japan Band
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2011-10-08 12:55
Alexi -
Moennig had a more or less standard barrel design, which he created for the pre-R13 Buffet. However, the devil is in the details. He didn't simply make a barrel. He roughed it out and then tweaked it to work best for the particular customer's clarinet, mouthpiece and way of blowing, with the customer sitting in the workshop testing each adjustment.
I'm reasonably sure that the basic design changed when the R13 was introduced, but the custom work was more important.
Kalmen Opperman did the same kind of work for me many times, and the improvements were huge.
When I brought a pair of restored 1908 Buffets to him for barrels, he said that they required a different length than an R13 and a significantly different bore. (Fortunately, the same barrel worked on both the Bb and the A.)
Also, the bore is not the only thing. According to Guy Chadash, Moennig made his barrels with a deep upper socket, so that there was a gap between the end of the mouthpiece tenon and bottom of the barrel socket. If the tenon length and the socket depth are the same, the barrel doesn't work with Moennig's original taper. The difference between Buffet's Moennig and Chadash barrels is that the Chadash is adjusted to have no gap, yet play in tune because the bore taper is different. See http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=248924&t=247956 and http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=20&i=289&t=289.
Muncy's barrels probably work better than standard Buffet barrels, which have a cylindrical bore, but that's a long way from a custom-tweaked barrel.
Ken Shaw
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2011-10-08 20:54
Ken Shaw wrote:
> Alexi -
>
> Moennig had a more or less standard barrel design, which he
> created for the pre-R13 Buffet. However, the devil is in the
> details. He didn't simply make a barrel. He roughed it out
> and then tweaked it to work best for the particular customer's
> clarinet, mouthpiece and way of blowing, with the customer
> sitting in the workshop testing each adjustment.
>
>
> Ken Shaw
That makes a lot of sense on the craftsman side. Get a template that works, so you just have to tweak it when someone shows up. Sorta like taking a mouthpiece "blank" and tailoring it to customers. Pretty cool.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
Post Edited (2011-10-08 20:55)
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Author: Elkwoman46
Date: 2011-10-08 21:34
Pardon my ignorance, but I certainly understand why the length of a barrel would affect everything on a clarinet, but what makes a barrel different from another brand? I can understand density of it and thickness of it, but what are the basics for understanding all of this better? Is it like taking a wooden barrel and changing the tone on a plastic model by incorporating it there on?
Are are you basically talking about wooden barrels on wooden clarinets...if so, what is it that makes it so different (not talking about the length change).
Thanks so much. I really want to know better about this.
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Author: SteveG_CT
Date: 2011-10-08 23:22
Elkwoman46 wrote:
> Pardon my ignorance, but I certainly understand why the length
> of a barrel would affect everything on a clarinet, but what
> makes a barrel different from another brand? I can understand
> density of it and thickness of it, but what are the basics for
> understanding all of this better? Is it like taking a wooden
> barrel and changing the tone on a plastic model by
> incorporating it there on?
> Are are you basically talking about wooden barrels on wooden
> clarinets...if so, what is it that makes it so different (not
> talking about the length change).
> Thanks so much. I really want to know better about this.
There is more to barrels than just their length and the material they are made from. The primary difference between barrels is the configuration of the bore. Many aftermarket barrels employ various configurations of tapered, reverse-tapered, or otherwise non-standard bore designs.
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2011-10-09 02:17
Steved said:
"There is more to barrels than just their length and the material they are made from. The primary difference between barrels is the configuration of the bore. Many aftermarket barrels employ various configurations of tapered, reverse-tapered, or otherwise non-standard bore designs."
These differences are designed into the aftermarket barrelsto correct perceived flaws in the design of the original barrel/instrument,or to make it more usable with certain mouthpieces.
Jeff
“Everyone discovers their own way of destroying themselves, and some people choose the clarinet.” Kalman Opperman, 1919-2010
"A drummer is a musician's best friend."
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Author: Elkwoman46
Date: 2011-10-09 16:27
Thanks so much for the clarifications. I really appreciate them so very much.
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Author: gwie
Date: 2011-10-10 05:05
Muncy's synthetic diamond barrels are just stellar.
I replaced the stock barrel on a student's R-13 greenline with a Muncy and it just sprang to life. The difference in the feel and sound was unbelievable.
Best $70 we ever spent on an instrument!
G.
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Author: shmuelyosef
Date: 2017-04-13 04:05
I just tried a couple of Muncy barrels on several clarinets.
They have a similar taper but smaller bore taper than typical "Moennig" bores...e.g
Accubore "Moennig" 66mm measures
TOP (mpc) 14.97mm
BOT (joint) 14.74mm
The Muncy 65mm measures:
TOP 14.84mm
BOT 14.63mm
Both are pretty linear tapers (measured with bore gauges)...the Muncy has a little trick at one end, but it's subtle.
they played well on an older Leblanc that I have, but did not work well on any of my older Selmers (Series 9, CT) but were interesting on my Selmer Artys (modern) which has a very narrow bore cylindrical stock barrel.
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