Thoughts on Greenline clarinets

[Ed]

So it occurs to me while playing my 50+ year old clarinet that the greenline clarinets contain epoxy. What's their expected life versus wood?

 

[pete]

The oracle answers: http://www.woodenboatvb.com/vbulletin/u ... t-957.html

Seriously. There's a referenced paper in there that answers all your questions regarding the epoxy resin composite. If you can find the paper.

The somewhat more weasel-ly answer is that the composite is supposed to last at least 20 years and may last (just based on doing some Google searching on other epoxy/wood resins) 50 to 100 years.

From http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoar ... 7&t=218955:

The [new] Greenline clarinet is "... made of M'Pingo sawdust and a patented mixture of carbon fiber and epoxy glue that is heat-treated and placed in a press to give it the density of whole wood..."

Of course, their life expectancy can be MUCH shorter if you use the horn as an impromptu cricket bat ....

Actually, I'd really think that the usable lifetime of the horn would be in that 20 year mark just because of normal wear and tear.

Hey, I use my wife's 25-year-old Signet 100 and I call that good .

 

[Ed]

Does epoxy break down at a faster rate than wood? I would think so but like you said I would have to go and find the paper.

 

[pete]

From the responses in the threads mentioned (and I also Googled and found a longer one), it's not an appreciable difference.

 

[Steve]

so are you guys saying that at the 20 yr mark people can expect their greenline clarinets to start shedding chunks ?

that could be very depressing :cry:

and we can then expect for there to be no vintage/closet greenline clarinets

 

[pete]

No. Well ... maybe. As I said, the expected lifetime is "at least" 20 years, although 50 to 100 is possible.

Now, as I've mentioned a couple times, I've been out of the clarinet world for a few years. I see that there are three or four different R13s and there's the Tosca line, too. Where is the Greenline supposed to fall in ... line?

 

[Ed]

I always wonder about exposure to epoxy. Some people have pretty intense allergies to the stuff but I'm not sure how they fare if it is fully cured. I also don't buy the argument that the stuff is safe fully cured. But that's just me.

Like Pete I think that Buffet has managed to confuse us casual players with all of their offerings.

 

[eddierich]

I see that there are three or four different R13s and there's the Tosca line, too. Where is the Greenline supposed to fall in ... line?

Buffet has a Green Line option for all of its professional clarinets.

 

[Steve]

Like Pete I think that Buffet has managed to confuse us casual players with all of their offerings.

I've just ignored their greenline since it came out so i know very little about it. Wood all the way !! but i guess I should read up on it sometime.

 

[pete]

I went to three different websites and there was ... no difference in price between the Greenline and non-Greenline versions. I checked, randomly, Tosca (WWBW) and R13 (the other websites).

Interesting. I even went to a UK website.

 

[Gandalfe]

I had dinner with some professional musicians after the theater last night and they all agreed that the Greenline has epoxy, will last longer than wood, and doesn't expand/shrink like real wood. They seem to prefer the Greenline over the wood instruments.

From a number of music sites:

The R13 Greenline series of clarinets follows the same manufacturing process as the 100% grenadlla R13s. Thanks to the addition of carbon fibres, Green Line clarinets withstand variations in atmospheric conditions (temperature, humidity). The risk of cracking is therefore eliminated.

Created in 1994, the Greenline series of instruments has taken advantage of the excess wood remaining from the clarinet manufacturing process. This process of combining grenadilla powder with carbon fibers produces a clarinet that is greatly resistant to environmental change and helps to relieve stress on the African grenadilla wood population.

Body Construction: Grenadilla powder / Carbon Fiber / Epoxy Resin
Bore: 14.64 mm / Poly-cylindrical
Keys: 17 (Boehm)
Tone Holes: Undercut
Pads: Double fish skin.

FEATURES
Grenadilla powder / Carbon fiber body resists environmental change and will not crack.
Power forged silver keywork, preplated in copper and finished in nickle or silver.
Undercut tone holes to provide better tone and ease of response
Hand burnished polycylindrical bore offers better intonation.
Stainless steel rods and pivot screws.
Adjustable thumb rest for better comfort
Pivot screw with nylon locks to avoid excess play between keys.

You can read more here: http://www.washingtonmusic.com/inv.asp? ... ffet&n=968

 

[pete]

Mmm. "Greenline" = "'Tis good for the environment".

For what it's worth, I've always wanted Buffet to put out a plastic clarinet with the R13 bore. I'd buy one of those. Because it'd be in the sub-$700 range, probably.