Peter Eaton Clarinets
- Thread starter jim24
- Start date
A friend of mine bought one a few years ago. But he is an Albert System player (an 1887 Buffet) and just couldn't get wrapped around the Boehm. I think he still has the Eaton. I've talked to him about it but never saw it nor heard it. DAVE
I play an Eaton clarinet.
Eaton have two models. I have the International, which is more similar to French instrument. According to Eaton, it still has a slightly bigger bore than most other French clarinets, but not as big as the English bore model.
When I first tried it it was the usual slight but mostly insignificant changes in feel of the keys, but it was small and after a week or two I got used to it completely and forgot about it.
It has a mechnism for the lowest pads that is slightly different than most French clarinets which makes one adjustment easier but another adjustment slightly harder. But not very significant anyway. Also the bell and barrel look a little different than most clarinets. Other than that it's pretty much exactly like other clarinets.
When I first tried it it was the usual slight but mostly insignificant changes in feel of the keys, but it was small and after a week or two I got used to it completely and forgot about it.
It has a mechnism for the lowest pads that is slightly different than most French clarinets which makes one adjustment easier but another adjustment slightly harder. But not very significant anyway. Also the bell and barrel look a little different than most clarinets. Other than that it's pretty much exactly like other clarinets.
I absolutely love the Eaton clarinets.
If I could afford an Elite I would buy one !!
I couldn't fit the International, ergonomics-wise, but then I loved the tonal qualities of the Elite.
I was lucky in that a customer sent me an International, an Elite, and a 1010 to improve their tone and make them as top notch as possible.
What I found is excellent quality with the Eatons. Excellent silver plating and everything else (except the weird sponge rubber pads).
Here is some information (pics, etc) on an International
http://www.clarinetperfection.com/galleryclar/EatonInt.htm
and Elite
http://www.clarinetperfection.com/galleryclar/EatonElite.htm
If I could afford an Elite I would buy one !!
I couldn't fit the International, ergonomics-wise, but then I loved the tonal qualities of the Elite.
I was lucky in that a customer sent me an International, an Elite, and a 1010 to improve their tone and make them as top notch as possible.
What I found is excellent quality with the Eatons. Excellent silver plating and everything else (except the weird sponge rubber pads).
Here is some information (pics, etc) on an International
http://www.clarinetperfection.com/galleryclar/EatonInt.htm
and Elite
http://www.clarinetperfection.com/galleryclar/EatonElite.htm
I think it's likely that if someone doesn't like the ergonomics of the Eaton then they probably don't like the ergonomics of most clarinets. It's pretty similar to most other clarinets really. Some people maybe have more unusual shape hands so ergonomics are sometimes more important for them. I think anyone with relatively normal size and shape hands wouldn't have a problem with the Eaton and also with most other clarinets, or the other option is they are unlucky that they can't adjust to slight changes
If I remember right, you wrote once that you have unusual shape/size hand, maybe with short fingers, right?
What was wrong with their tone that it needed improving? Or did you just mean fix the mechanics, leaks, key heights, etc. which affected the feel and tone? Mine doesn't have anything that needs to be improved in with the tone. For me it is the best tone.
I agree with all of this and also about these pads. But I'm not annoyed enough to bother to change them. Though you can buy Eaton clarinets also with leather pads.
I have small hands and short fingers. Plus the bones in my hands and wrists are fuzed thus I have a hard time stretching here and there. I had a very hard time with the international as, if i recall correcly, the toneholes on hte RH are abnormally far apart. we're not talking much, but enough to cause me a big issue.
Each clarinet I play I normally compare to my clarinets. I also check thumb position which, for my size hands, greatly affects how well I can move around the keys, plus the TH spacing and the location of the spatula keys. Which, they all look the same, but vary in height away from the body, and some are rotated more to ether way or may be closer or farther away from the 3rd tonehole.
for me, each clarinet is an interesting test. buffet R13s used to cause me pinky issues which is why i avoided them for so long. Which is the reason I played Noblets for so long .. keywork was easy for my hands. I added 1/4 inch cork to the thumbrest which pivoted my hand and allowed my 3rd finger to stay on the TH when i had to stretch for the spatula keys!!
It was a consensus to me and my customers that those spongy foam rubber pads deadened the tone a bit. But it's up to each individual player for their own ideologies. they sealed great as they're foam and adjust to uneven installs. But also give a squishy feel, et all. I may have adjusted heights etc but that particular set of eatons/1010s was a long time ago.
but as i said, I love the Eatons non-the-less
Each clarinet I play I normally compare to my clarinets. I also check thumb position which, for my size hands, greatly affects how well I can move around the keys, plus the TH spacing and the location of the spatula keys. Which, they all look the same, but vary in height away from the body, and some are rotated more to ether way or may be closer or farther away from the 3rd tonehole.
for me, each clarinet is an interesting test. buffet R13s used to cause me pinky issues which is why i avoided them for so long. Which is the reason I played Noblets for so long .. keywork was easy for my hands. I added 1/4 inch cork to the thumbrest which pivoted my hand and allowed my 3rd finger to stay on the TH when i had to stretch for the spatula keys!!
It was a consensus to me and my customers that those spongy foam rubber pads deadened the tone a bit. But it's up to each individual player for their own ideologies. they sealed great as they're foam and adjust to uneven installs. But also give a squishy feel, et all. I may have adjusted heights etc but that particular set of eatons/1010s was a long time ago.
but as i said, I love the Eatons non-the-less
Since you have unusual shape hands then I can see why it is uncomfortable. Especailly since Buffet R13 is also uncomfortable for you, and that is the most standard model which very few have problems with.
R13 is the most standard here so this is what I compare with:
The left hand rings and holes are very similar, almost exactly the same. Right hand rings are also almost the same. But the distance from right hand to left hand is slightly more on the Eaton (from top ring to bottom ring there are a few mms difference). Right hand trill keys are 1 or 2 mms lower on the Eaton. Left pinky levers are lower and closer to the G# key on the Eaton. Right pinky keys are a little further down from third right hand finger on the Eaton. The throat keys feel a bit closer on the Eaton (maybe not so much the G#, but the A). The register key feels a little different from the "tear" part being more curved.
As far as the pads I agree they are a bit squishy. I don't prefer this but it doesn't bother me enough to change them all. But they are also quieter than any other type of pad I've ever tried (which is possibly almost every type available). However this is not necessarily an advantage, and actually I like and prefer the "noise" from other pads like bladder pads. But this is also not significant enough to change them. They don't deaden the tone on my clarinet. I actually changed some pads at the top and all notes up to that point don't sound any different than before or any better than other notes in the area that has the original pads.
I forgot to mention another thing. The Eaton has stepped left pinky levers as opposed to pins. IME the pins don't break often but this way there is nothing to break. I also think the steps give a lisghtly better feel, also for the right pinky keys. Stepped levers sometimes rattle when pressing the right pinky keys. The nice thing about the Eaton is the levers have a specific balance of weight so they don't rattle in playing position (unless you play with the clarinet close to horizontal).
R13 is the most standard here so this is what I compare with:
The left hand rings and holes are very similar, almost exactly the same. Right hand rings are also almost the same. But the distance from right hand to left hand is slightly more on the Eaton (from top ring to bottom ring there are a few mms difference). Right hand trill keys are 1 or 2 mms lower on the Eaton. Left pinky levers are lower and closer to the G# key on the Eaton. Right pinky keys are a little further down from third right hand finger on the Eaton. The throat keys feel a bit closer on the Eaton (maybe not so much the G#, but the A). The register key feels a little different from the "tear" part being more curved.
As far as the pads I agree they are a bit squishy. I don't prefer this but it doesn't bother me enough to change them all. But they are also quieter than any other type of pad I've ever tried (which is possibly almost every type available). However this is not necessarily an advantage, and actually I like and prefer the "noise" from other pads like bladder pads. But this is also not significant enough to change them. They don't deaden the tone on my clarinet. I actually changed some pads at the top and all notes up to that point don't sound any different than before or any better than other notes in the area that has the original pads.
I forgot to mention another thing. The Eaton has stepped left pinky levers as opposed to pins. IME the pins don't break often but this way there is nothing to break. I also think the steps give a lisghtly better feel, also for the right pinky keys. Stepped levers sometimes rattle when pressing the right pinky keys. The nice thing about the Eaton is the levers have a specific balance of weight so they don't rattle in playing position (unless you play with the clarinet close to horizontal).