Match Pitch barrel
- Thread starter Flyboy
- Start date
Match Pitch Barrels
Match Pitch. The affordable adjustable barrel. A perfect addition to any players gear. Perfect for marching, cold orchestra pits, and other unpredictable conditions. The affordable solution for clarinetists of all levels!
matchpitch.moe-bleichner.com
Not exactly a new thing.
Semi-waning: if you're picking up one of these barrels because you have an A=440hz instrument and the orchestra is playing at A=442hz or A=435hz, this will help you to adjust to those intonation standards, but it's not a slam-dunk. You really need a horn designed for those pitches and/or you need better ear training to compensate for that intonation and/or you also have to pull out at the joints and/or bell.
That being said, while the Click barrel has been around for at least 30 years, the folks that I knew that used them switched back to their clarinets' manufacturers' barrels. I never asked why. There are bunches of different brand name (Selmer and Buffet, mainly) and 3rd party barrels out there. I never played Bb clarinet enough to try them out. I'd love to hear a review.
I'm extremely optimistic about the world of 3D printing. I predict more cool things coming out in the next few years. 3D printing in metal is a thing, too.
Semi-waning: if you're picking up one of these barrels because you have an A=440hz instrument and the orchestra is playing at A=442hz or A=435hz, this will help you to adjust to those intonation standards, but it's not a slam-dunk. You really need a horn designed for those pitches and/or you need better ear training to compensate for that intonation and/or you also have to pull out at the joints and/or bell.
That being said, while the Click barrel has been around for at least 30 years, the folks that I knew that used them switched back to their clarinets' manufacturers' barrels. I never asked why. There are bunches of different brand name (Selmer and Buffet, mainly) and 3rd party barrels out there. I never played Bb clarinet enough to try them out. I'd love to hear a review.
I'm extremely optimistic about the world of 3D printing. I predict more cool things coming out in the next few years. 3D printing in metal is a thing, too.
They are a cool idea, but the bore also slides and the bore is not consistent from that.
There is either going to be an inner/outer sleeve in the bore or a crevice between the two opening halves. So this affects tuning, resistance and all that. It's good for an extreme situation where you are either really flat (really cold pit) or sharp (sitting in the sun) for instance.
I have a click barrel just in case of such an emergency ... which hasn't happened yet.
Buffet (a long time ago) also use to make an expandable barrel.
There is either going to be an inner/outer sleeve in the bore or a crevice between the two opening halves. So this affects tuning, resistance and all that. It's good for an extreme situation where you are either really flat (really cold pit) or sharp (sitting in the sun) for instance.
I have a click barrel just in case of such an emergency ... which hasn't happened yet.
Buffet (a long time ago) also use to make an expandable barrel.
I have a click barrel and have had several instances where it saved the day/night for me. I would never use it as a main barrel, but there is always one with me on every clarinet gig.
A few years ago I picked up a lovely full boehm Buffet from the golden era that was a wonderful instrument, except the original barrel was a tad out of pitch (bought from Italy) and everything off the shelf seemed unsatisfactory. I put on an OLD adjustable barrel (wood and metal) and gigged that while trying out everything available within a few hundred miles. One shop owner told me the adjustable sounded better than all the Buffet barrels he had in stock - and I agreed with him. I've no idea who the maker of the barrel is, I had it in a box for years and never bothered to try it out until this clarinet fell into my hands - no it isn't for sale either.
A few years ago I picked up a lovely full boehm Buffet from the golden era that was a wonderful instrument, except the original barrel was a tad out of pitch (bought from Italy) and everything off the shelf seemed unsatisfactory. I put on an OLD adjustable barrel (wood and metal) and gigged that while trying out everything available within a few hundred miles. One shop owner told me the adjustable sounded better than all the Buffet barrels he had in stock - and I agreed with him. I've no idea who the maker of the barrel is, I had it in a box for years and never bothered to try it out until this clarinet fell into my hands - no it isn't for sale either.
Since Covid began I have been on a mission to "resurrect" my high school clarinet. It's a Signet Soloist 100 with a "graft'd-in" receiver/ 1st tone hole on the bottom joint (a result of a drop in HS in the mid 70's).
I've repadded it, changed the tenon corks, etc., kinda like a home project.
Although the instrument seals well the intonation took a hit as the graft appears to be 2mm longer than it should be (attached: see the extra space on the key mechanism's bridge joining the upper/lower keys).
Noting the above I have needed a shorter barrel (than the original) to raise the pitch a bit on the notes that use the bottom joint, especially for the community bands that I play with every now and then.
Oh, and yes, those community bands have a tendency to play s-h-a-r-p.
I've found that a 63mm length works well.
I bought a set of three adjustable barrels (from China) on Ebay. The shortest one (unscrewed a bit) puts the Bb/A tuning notes where they should be but when I go above high C the tone is choked to death.
I tried a Rovner Proteus and it behaved the same way.
I tried an RS Berkeley metal adjustable - and while it works fairly well, it will not fit (too tight) in the warmer, more humid months.
I am now using an AccuBore barrel - and it shows promise!!
I've repadded it, changed the tenon corks, etc., kinda like a home project.
Although the instrument seals well the intonation took a hit as the graft appears to be 2mm longer than it should be (attached: see the extra space on the key mechanism's bridge joining the upper/lower keys).
Noting the above I have needed a shorter barrel (than the original) to raise the pitch a bit on the notes that use the bottom joint, especially for the community bands that I play with every now and then.
Oh, and yes, those community bands have a tendency to play s-h-a-r-p.
I've found that a 63mm length works well.
I bought a set of three adjustable barrels (from China) on Ebay. The shortest one (unscrewed a bit) puts the Bb/A tuning notes where they should be but when I go above high C the tone is choked to death.
I tried a Rovner Proteus and it behaved the same way.
I tried an RS Berkeley metal adjustable - and while it works fairly well, it will not fit (too tight) in the warmer, more humid months.
I am now using an AccuBore barrel - and it shows promise!!
