 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: bennysuts
Date: 2018-11-30 09:15
Hi all,
does anyone have a list of correct key heights for a Selmer Low C bass, or if not Buffet?
Thanks in advance
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2018-11-30 14:02
You're more likely to find that info for Yamaha basses as both Selmer and Buffet are hardly consistent when it comes to ventings and don't tend to give anything away.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: jdbassplayer
Date: 2018-11-30 15:51
Vent as high as you can go. My 1954 low C Selmer has the lower keys vented close to 3/8".
-Jdbassplayer
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2018-12-02 02:17
Yeah - more venting is always better than too little.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2018-12-06 13:22
Only the other day I saw an '80s C series bass to low C which had been 'overhauled' about two years back. Badly. Action was sluggish, speaker mechanism not functioning well, the pads were too thick and still had some of the original pads in places, still had some key corks and felts from when it was new which should have ALL been changed, so the owner was ripped off big time.
The ventings were all low, so this bass which should roar, hissed and kicked like anything unless you played it with a 1.5 reed. This bass should sing - I let the owner play my Buffet which spoke much clearer as I've gone over it and reset all the ventings for that reason.
Not for the first time I've seen basses 'overhauled' and the pads were too thick and ventings set too low. It annoys me immensely when people work on basses with a total lack of understanding.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2018-12-06 21:28
Here's Yamaha's recommended ventings for their low C bass (in millimetres) which is a good starting point:
Lower joint:
Low C (bell key) - (6)
Low C# - (9-11)
Low D - (7-8)
Low Eb - 6
E/B - 5.5
F#/C# - 4.8
F/C - 4.3
Ab/Eb - 4
RH3 - 11
RH2 - 5
RH1 - depends on RH2
B/F# (RH3 'sliver' key) - 3.7
Top Joint:
C#/G# - 4.3
Eb/Bb (LH3 'sliver' key') - 3.2
LH3 - 6.2
LH2 - depends on LH3
LH1 - depends on thumb key
LH thumb - 4.2
Side Eb/Bb key - 3.4
Side F# - 3.6
Lower (Bb) trill key - 3.4
Upper (C) trill key - 4
Lower speaker vent - 3
Upper speaker vent (crook key) 4
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2018-12-11 13:04)
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Author: bennysuts
Date: 2018-12-11 00:59
amazing Chris, thankyou!
just to clarify, should it be RH1 etc for the bottom joint?
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2018-12-11 13:03
Yeabennysuts wrote:
> amazing Chris, thankyou!
> just to clarify, should it be RH1 etc for the bottom joint?
Yeah - I'm always getting left and right mixed up. I've corrected it.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Julian ibiza
Date: 2022-10-20 00:15
I would just like to point out to avoid any mistake , that the Yamaha chart of venting heights is for their bass ONLY and cannot be applied to other bass's . venting heights on the lower joints Ab/Eb to low C chain can't be altered individually , nor can the chain's relative differences in venting heights be altered . They must ALL be vented up or down TOGETHER . As for the prospect of increasing venting here ,when this chain is open its curved lifter arms lie agains the lower joint with a little felt between ,so to increase venting would mean they have to drop lower , at leat in the case of the low C in the bell lifter arm ,where bending isn't going to work ! There is a similar proplem in the lifter linkages between the left and right hand spatula keys . Not much wiggle room for significant venting increase .Basically venting heights of the bottom joint are very much built into a bass's particular design. The venting height differences that exist within the C chain are the default of the differing closing velocities produced by the differing hing points and levering ratios of the various mechanisms that close this chain e.g. the differing vent heights here are the mechanical reciprocals of the simultaneous closing .
Julian Griffiths
Tel. 34 696 798 853
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2022-10-20 10:44
It worked fine for me and the owners are more than happy with the results, so I'm not going to change what I do. Even with Selmer's factory set-up, the ventings have plenty of room for improvement, ie. more venting and the keywork allows for that.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Julian ibiza
Date: 2022-10-21 10:43
Well if you did in fact set a Selmer's venting to the Yamaha specs then I can only offer you my sencerest apologies Chis . I would have thought that impossible .....my mistake !
Julian Griffiths
Tel. 34 696 798 853
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2022-10-22 18:47
I probably set them to a shade more in some places as more venting is always better than less. Who wants to play an instrument that wheezes?
Do remember you can always bend keywork where you need to in order to achieve the desired ventings.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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