The Clarinet BBoard

The Clarinet BBoard The C4 standard

New Topic | Go to Top | Go to Topic | Search | Help/Rules | Smileys/Notes | Log In

Previous Message | Next Message

Re: Grenadilla quality

Author: WhitePlainsDave
Date: 2017-07-15 20:25

"Dave you mention epoxy as the binder for the grenadilla. Realizing there are acrylic blended/modified epoxies (think commercial paint from Benjamin Moore), I wonder if what Buffet isn't using isn't more a poly vinyl concoction. "

While I am sure that some chemist might disagree with me, citing the bonding differences and characteristics of Carbon and Hydrogen molecules in epoxy versus plastic versus other Hydrocarbons, IMHO Buffet is making very solid "plastic" clarinets in their Greenline models, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Adding Grenadilla pixie dust was IMHO not only a way to create perception that they are loyal to their wood clarinet making roots, but a fine way to repurpose wood shavings that quite literally served the sole purpose prior of fueling Buffet's winter heating needs.

And if the filler had been from the bin of the industrial wood chipper that made dust out of a few of the dead limbs on my property, I wonder how much different the Greenline clarinet would have sounded.

"I mention all this to express perhaps Ridenour should bring to market a super high end rubber horn."

Sounds good. A left pinky Eb lever maybe..but the silver keys...sadly, they'd tarnish like nobody's business given the high sulfur content of the rubber the instrument is made out of.

"But it would move him into a higher $$$ market."

And possible interfere with his underdog status. I think the Ridenours and Backuns may have a bit of a "Hatfield and Mccoys" relationship that makes Tom not want to sell (speaking in metaphors) pretty cocobolo that morhps out of shape affecting keys and intonation.

But maybe.

"And the end consumer would feel they received something special, not just utilitarian."

Perhaps. The operative word being "feel." But would they actually get something special.

Funny, no matter how you slice it, the clarinet is an acoustical compromise born in part of, even constructed with dimensionally stable material, the nature of a register of 12ths, where that same fixed register key plays double duty in also voicing the throat Bb.

Reply To Message | Avail. Forums | Flat View

Newer Topic | Older Topic

Topics