 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2011-11-12 11:41
Is ebony (the Diospyros genus) more dense and stronger than grenadilla (Dalbergia melanoxylon)?
I realise clarinets, mouthpieces and other woodwind instruments have been made from ebony in the past (and still are, but they're usually reproduction instruments and recorders), but is it a suitable timber to use for modern woodwinds and have any Boehm system clarinets been made from ebony recently?
How does it compare as a material with grenadilla in terms of workability and durability?
Questions, questions ...
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
Independent Woodwind Repairer
Single and Double Reed Specialist
Oboes, Clarinets and Saxes
NOT A MEMBER OF N.A.M.I.R.
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2011-11-13 00:58)
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Author: Alseg
Date: 2011-11-12 15:46
First of all, let's clear up a common misconception:
The "Grenadilla" used to make clarinets is actually African Blackwood.
If you went to a woodworkers' store, the grenadilla that you would obtain is lighter in color and less dense than "m'pingo" (African Blackwood).
Nonetheless, we persist in refering to clarinet material as grenadilla, so we are stuck with the nomenclature.
Ebony is more like m'pingo, but it is very dense and a more difficult material with which to work. It blunts turning tools more readily than does mpingo.
Hope that this answered your question.
Former creator of CUSTOM CLARINET TUNING BARRELS by DR. ALLAN SEGAL
-Where the Sound Matters Most(tm)-
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2011-11-12 17:42
... also, you can get thermal expansion data for ebony, but not m'pingo/blackwood.
Bob Phillips
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Author: Alseg
Date: 2011-11-12 20:59
Ken, I believe some very old models were true ebony.
I have seen mouthpieces in true ebony.
To my knowledge, no maker is working in ebony now. I made some barrels of ebony early on. None recently.
Former creator of CUSTOM CLARINET TUNING BARRELS by DR. ALLAN SEGAL
-Where the Sound Matters Most(tm)-
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Author: Barry Vincent
Date: 2011-11-12 23:53
The lighter and less dense granadilla that Alseg mentioned is often of Indonesian origin. Lots of it around in specialized wood turning shop supplies of exotic wood.
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