 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Ursa
Date: 2014-04-01 20:58
Hey, is anyone aware of Full Boehm soprano clarinets made in materials other than wood? I have seen some Selmer metal FBs but I'd be more interested in a hard rubber or plastic instrument--if they've ever been made. Your insights, please...
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-04-01 21:48
I'd suspect they may have been made in ebonite (perhaps B&H made some ebonite Imperial full Boehms), but so far haven't seen any full Boehms that aren't either wood or metal.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2014-04-01 17:48)
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Author: Ursa
Date: 2014-04-01 22:05
Hmm...if you two gents haven't seen one, either, it's a good bet they just aren't out there.
Any suggestions for a metal job? The Selmers are reputed to be magnificent, but I'd wager that Bettoney and King made a few, too.
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Author: ThatPerfectReed
Date: 2014-04-02 00:01
Okay Ursa, you lobbed that one right over my strike zone.
I'll try to be brief. I'll fail.
Of course I'm sure you've seen or heard of plastic and ebonite clarinets, right?
Well, 50 years from now, may this bboard and all its participants be well, someone will ask:
"is anyone aware of Full Boehm soprano clarinets made in materials LIKE wood?"
Well, not that extreme, but almost.
You see while woods like coccobolo and rosewood aren't in as short supply as that used to make most wooden clarinets: grenadilla, these former woods generally don't machine as well (time and cracked wood = $) and make it hard to produce clarinets at a profit without charging high prices.
Sadly, grenadilla wood has been consumed so much faster than trees have been planted to replace it, that manufacturers will have to, I believe, and those in the know agree, find other materials to make clarinets out of. We need look no further than Buffet's promotion of its Greenline clarinets, which feature pulvarized grenadilla as material for making of the clarinet--Buffet's sourcing of this wood from that leftover from its grenadilla product line, and even their admission that this line was created to "ease the stress," as I paraphrase them, of grenadilla supplies.
IMHO, and that of other independent watchdog groups
http://test.woodwind.org/oboe/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=402334&t=402334 we're not so "fortunate" as to merely have "stress" on the grenadilla supplies available for instrument production.
Stress was what we had 30 or more years ago when people started to take notice that we're chopping down African Blacwood trees from which grenadilla is sourced, faster than we we're harvesting replacements.
It's a long story already covered well on this bboard. Let's get on to your question.
Ursa, Chris P knows this. I think he just forgot. From what I've read, he's too intelligent on things clarinet to have not known this. The other gentlemen I don't know from posts well enough to comment about, good, bad or indifferent--and I wish both prior posters the best.
But that said, YES. There is a company out there who is the leader IMHO, and again that of many players, in the production of hard rubber clarinets. Ridenour Clarinet Products.
http://www.ridenourclarinetproducts.com/ RCP.
The aforementioned post has more on them. Long story short, err, not so long, IMHO, they make high end beautifully sounding and playing hard rubber clarinets of incredible value and intonation, affordable no less. The company's principal is a legend in this business and personally finishes every clarinet. Hard rubber is dimensionally stable (temp and humdity affect it little, meaning it plays in tune and doesn't crack) and can be machined to such fine tolerances that IMHO nearly all RCP hard rubber clarinets are incredible consistantly good. If they weren't, they couldn't thrive on their direct sales "ship and try "policy. IMHO you don't have to try 6 to find the one you like, you just have to buy one.
People PAY this gentlemen to finish their non-Ridenour clarinets, and then sell them at a premium advertising this fact.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Buffet-Festival-A-Clarinet-Mint-Condition-Last-serviced-by-Tom-Ridenour-/231190593884?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35d408815c
One final thought. The notion that a clarinet need be made out of wood to sound good is something many clarinetists realize is not necessary true. In fact there are many who believe grenadilla is the material of choice because manufacturers found it easiest ($) and cheapest of all the woods to machine.
I could talk hours. It's already been said here before. Feel free to email with specific questions or post them here and I'll try to link you to posts rather than rehash.
Now in fairness, I applaud Buffets decision to recognize this wood problem. Many people with the money love their Greenlines.
I am sure other clarinet manufacturers are researching this problem. There are many fine clarinet makers other than Buffet and Ridenour. I would love to hear if anyone knows of other things going on in the industry as it, as a group, faces this pivotal point in picking its future materials to make its oboes and clarinets.
Disclaimer: I am not in any way affiliated with anyone in the music business.
Again, does anyone know what Selmer and Yamaha, and LeBlanc, not to mention the smaller outfits plan to do?
Post Edited (2014-04-02 00:29)
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Author: Wes
Date: 2014-04-01 22:25
Yes, I own a metal Silva Bet Bettony full Boehm clarinet that I bought in the 1980s from the son of a Long Beach musician. At the time, I had no idea of the value or rarity of it and was not very anxious to get it at the low price asked. It is quite a good instrument, but I've never played it in public. The serial number is S14XX.
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Author: cyclopathic
Date: 2014-04-02 12:37
Conn ebonite:
34N, 334N - Boehm 18/7 (extra ring for Eb-Bb LH3)
20N - Full Boehm 20/7 (extra ring + low Eb-Bb, rare)
never seen one in person
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Author: Ursa
Date: 2014-04-02 14:52
Cyclopathic: thanks, I'll keep an eye open for those. I once owned a hard rubber Pan American 58N that played nicely, but the keywork didn't fit my hands.
TPR: I'm well familiar with hard rubber instruments, and the outstanding products made and sold by the Ridenours. I own a Ridenour RCP-576BC clarinet, an Ivorolon barrel, and my lessons student is playing on a Ridenour Encore mouthpiece. If Tom made a Full Boehm Lyrique, I would've already bought one.
Additionally, I own three hard rubber Pruefer soprano clarinets, and a hard rubber Conn alto made by the Malerne works.
The whole point of this question: I play outdoors and in cold rehearsal halls that would ruin a wooden clarinet. I also have a bit of paralysis in my hands from a stroke and can use all the help from an instrument that I can get. Full Boehm to the rescue? Seems worth a shot to me.
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