 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: SteveG_CT
Date: 2010-11-15 22:39
I recently acquired an old A clarinet that was appears to have been tuned at A=435Hz. The instrument in question is a GH Huller and is full boehm with all of the extras including the low Eb extension. Just above the bell tenon is inscribed "870", which based on my limited knowledge of old German instruments means that it was designed for the old European standard pitch of A=435Hz.
Does anyone have experience trying to tune one of these to a more modern A=440? It seems to me that a difference of 20 cents might be correctable with a different barrel/mouthpiece combination without causing major intonation problems.
Thanks,
Steve
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2010-11-15 23:39
Should be do-able. I've actually had the opposite problem, making older European (French and German) instruments tuned to somewhere in the 442 to 445Hz range play down at US-standard A-440.
You might try using a German (or German-style Vandoren) mouthpiece with your Huller, as these mouthpieces tend to have less chamber volume and thus raise the pitch somewhat. In conjunction with a shorter barrel everything should be just dandy.
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Author: SteveG_CT
Date: 2010-11-15 23:51
Thanks Dave. It had a 68mm barrel on it when I bought it so just dropping down to a more standard 66 mm might do the trick. I'll have to experiment after I replace a couple of pads and get it in somewhat playable condition. Interestingly it has a very large bore (~0.600") which is contrary to everything I've ever heard about German clarinets.
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2010-11-16 01:38
That is a large bore (approaching the World Record bore of the B&H 1010s at .603"), but I remember reading somewhere that there was a period when Oehler-system clarinets (from at least one maker, I don't remember whom) were made with large bores.
I suspect that 68mm barrel is both non-original and way longer than the original barrel. Every Oehler-system clarinet I've seen (and I own two of them) actually have longer upper joints and SHORTER barrels than typical Boehm-system clarinets.
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Author: SteveG_CT
Date: 2010-11-16 02:37
I can tell that the barrel is definitely not original as it is marked by a different maker. I agree about the original barrel being much shorter. My only other German clarinet (an old Albert system) uses a 54mm barrel so I might start there.
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Author: SteveG_CT
Date: 2010-11-22 06:50
Just an update, I played around with it a bit this weekend and it seems to play pretty well using an oddball 63.5mm barrel I had laying around. The intonation seems surprisingly decent. Not perfect but definitely workable.
Sadly it appears that the clarinet was the victim of an extremely substandard overhaul at some point in the past. Most of the pads look nearly new but the key heights are completely out to lunch and the instrument really isn't playable with the current setup. Looks like it'll be going on the shelf and waiting until I have some extra cash for a proper overhaul.
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2010-11-22 07:32
>> Most of the pads look nearly new but the key heights are completely out to lunch and the instrument really isn't playable with the current setup. Looks like it'll be going on the shelf and waiting until I have some extra cash for a proper overhaul. <<
If key heights is the only problem then it's relatively fast to fix and a new overhaul is not needed. Unfortunately (IME) pads looking new is no guarantee that the instruments plays at all and usually the main problem with a bad overhaul is a lot of mehcanical issues still left.
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