 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Silvericm
Date: 2012-04-11 06:26
Okay, so i'm a junior in high school. I'm Playing on a selmer signet special that has been over-hauled to be basically new. The wood looks brand new, the keys look brand new. The barrel that came with it obviously sucked so i have 4 backun barrels and a custom barrel from a clarinet maker in California. The current backun im using is a 65 milometer grenadilla traditional barrel, but it doesn't hug the top joint as i want it to (but it gets the best sound.. will this effect my tuning?). I also have a ringless backun, a fatboy, and a Moba (all 65.5 mm accept the traditional..). I'm Using a refaced selmer c* mouth piece (It has been refaced to be brighter, sorry i don't know the measurements but i can ask) and im using like 3 ligatures but my main ligature is a vandoren optimum. I also have a rovner versa, and a d.bonde leblanc. I would just like to get an opinion on my set up.. i've gotten so many and i just want to be steered in the right direction. I am currently 1st chair clarinet and i need to be sure i'm giving the best i can...
Nathan Beal
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2012-04-11 07:37
I think you're overcomplicating the issue. The Signet, in good condition, should perform adequately for what you want. Get hold of a tuner and a friend whose opinion you feel you can trust, then find a quiet place with good acoustics and experiment with your equipment until you and your friend are satisfied that the combination you end up with:
A. Plays in tune,
and
B. Sounds good.
Then, practise with that setup until you can make it sound the way you want it to. No doubt you'll make changes as you progress, but introduce them singly rather than in lumps. Too many variables just add complication.
Tony F.
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Author: William
Date: 2012-04-11 14:36
If it sounds good, it IS good. Quit worrying about the names and labels and just play what works best. We are all different and use equipment that suites our own needs best. What works for me may not work for you and you just have to do what we've all done--over and over--try everything that you can and hopefully, you'll find something that works.
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Author: kdk
Date: 2012-04-12 02:47
I agree with Tony - you're over-complicating things and introducing too many variables at once to be able to make any sense out of any of it.
First, you will know better than we if the traditional Backun that "doesn't hug the top joint" (does that mean it's too loose around the tenon or that it doesn't go all the way down snugly?) is affecting your tuning. Get your hands on a tuner and check.
You seem set on the C* mouthpiece, so that's a given for now. If the Backun 65mm traditional barrel is the best sounding one and it plays in tune, then stay with it for now. Using this equipment, test the ligatures you have and decide which produces the clearest sound and response. Pick one and you have your starting setup.
Now, play on it for awhile - a few days at least, better a couple of weeks. After you've settled on a setup you can use as a point of comparison you can go back and try swapping out either barrels or ligatures (but better not to change both at once - too confusing, too many possible combinations). Compare each swap to what you're already used to. If another among the barrels or the ligatures seems like an improvement, take both (the new candidate and the one you've been using) to a rehearsal and see if your impression is the same in an ensemble setting. Then, either go back to what you had or make the switch and play it for another period of time.
I find it works best if I'm comparing one item to another - which of two barrels (or ligatures or mouthpieces, etc.) do I like better? Then compare the better of the two to yet another - always eliminating one and keeping the other of the two. It can be really confusing to line up 6 of something and try to compare them all at once.
There's an important variable you haven't mentioned - the reed you're using to make your tests. It isn't important what reed (brand, model style, strength) you're using as long as it's comfortable, but be aware that even reeds from the same box will play (sound and respond) differently, which can add a variable to the mix that's hard to avoid. Try to repeat your comparisons using different playable reeds to see if your opinion is consistent for a variety of good reeds or not.
Just a few thoughts. Try to keep things as simple and binary as possible. Also, keep in mind that most of the difference you hear and feel in equipment carries no farther than a few feet away from you. The more comfortable you are when you play, the more relaxed you'll be and the better the result. There isn't necessarily an objectively "best" setup - the best one is the one that stays out of your way.
Karl
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Author: Ursa
Date: 2012-04-12 05:10
Karl's advice is spot-on. I own seven good, playable clarinets--and about two dozen mouthpieces, five ligatures, three aftermarket barrels, and an aftermarket bell to go with them. Changing one piece can and usually does affect the performance of another, so the process of evaluation has to be a slow and careful process to result in positive gains.
The best-playing clarinet in my collection, a Boosey & Hawkes 8-10, performs its very best with its stock barrel, bell, mouthpiece (refaced), and ligature. Sometimes the manufacturers get all these things right. Don't overlook that possibility as you test out gear with your Signet.
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Author: clonestar
Date: 2012-04-13 17:28
Nathan: Follow Karl's program. You'll arrive at an end product that will be most correct for you, and you'll know from your experience exactly how you got there. Good luck and keep tooting. 
Don
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