Author: OneWatt
Date: 2021-02-16 01:29
An UPDATE for those still interested...
I spoke with Les Silver Pres/CEO at RS Berkeley (he gave me his # in reply to my email seeking guidance). He and his on-site repair tech were extremely patient. Kudos for their efforts and concern in making things work for me.
Bottom line: Having produced this (USA-made) barrel for decades, they claim its dimensional tolerances are extremely tight and consistent. Other than putting thick cork on my clarinet(s') tenons - which I'm not inclined to do given their fresh plump condition - they suggested I put either low-tack painters masking tape (typically blue) or a ring of paper (i.e., Chris P's suggestion above) inside the Berkeley barrel to snug things up. And yeah, avoid electrical tape as the adhesive can get everywhere over time.
Well, the painters tape solution has worked nicely. Two layers of 2.875" strips have seemed to do the trick. I'm guessing it'll hold up reasonably well against condensation since it's made to stand up to wet paint.
@BethGraham - Happy to reveal where I bought it... Yup, that online auction site (though not an auction, just a US$97 price tag + some funky 4-reed holder tossed in for good measure). And the seller is the same outfit (in Berkeley, NJ) that owns/operates RS Berkeley, i.e., Les Silver.
As for the Berkeley adjustable barrel itself, I must say it feels solid and reasonably well designed. Notwithstanding my diameter issue, its tooling seems precise enough - no wiggle room in opening/closing the length, which feels smooth and even.
And as for tuning effect (i.e., the whole purpose!) it does a wonderful job of going way too far sharp or way too far flat .... and each extreme invites all of the internal tuning challenges one might expect from a clarinet. Somewhere in the middle area lies my sweet spot given the rest of my setup. I'd guess it's around 64mm or so.
Regardless, having checked with my Pederson strobe tuner, I can easily dial in a lovely 440 on the Ridenour 576bc - which sounds lovely with our nicely tuned concert grand piano and accompaniment mp3s I've created for backing tracks. I don't have to overly firm up my embouchure beyond the comfortable degree to produce a tone I like.
Speaking of tone... truthfully I can't tell much difference between this aluminum barrel and the (hard rubber) barrels that come stock with my 576. Perhaps there's the slightest increase in brightness, but it's subtle enough that it could just be my imagination. In other words, not an issue for me at all.
As such, I'll praise Les Silver/RS Berkeley for their genuine interest in customer satisfaction. Time will tell, but I expect to get good use out of this adjustable barrel. Hopefully some of this is of interest to others who come across this post in the future.
[I've got no financial interest/connection with these folks.]
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The Clarinet BBoard
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