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What is your Clarinet setup ?

[]I agree. Did you get it directly from Amati, or did you get some dealer's "try & buy & 77x rejected" instrument? (my main gripe with try and buy services)[/i]

It had been tried once before (from WWBW), but the pad issue was with the original setup.
 
SOTSDO said:
The way to buy a quality metal clarinet is to look for a Selmer with at least some of the "extra" keys on them. These were only produced in "pro quality" (with the "fluted" barrel), and are readily found on eBay on any given day or week. It's probably the best way to avoid the "junk" clarinet trap when purchasing a metal horn. Unfortunately, the one key that is most useful out of the extras is the extra Eb lever, and it is normally missing on all but the relatively rare "full Boehm" horns.
I did a search on "selmer metal clarinet" and searched titles and descriptions. Nothing. Completed items? Two in the past month. One had the fluted barrel. The other had a hole in one of the tenons, a la the Centered Tone. One was $660 and one was $870. That's a bit rich for my blood. And rather uncommon.
 
Gandalfe said:
tictactux said:
lucky who has straw men placed strategically around the globe.
Friends are good that way. I've been able to find out of public domain music arrangements that way too. :cool:
BTB, I've mentioned before that my wife has relatives in Germany ....
 
The hole in the tenon is for the articulated G#, one of the features of these higher end Selmer metal clarinets. (The tone hole passes through the normal tenon location.) That's a good thing rather than a bad thing.

The prices are reflective of the relative value of these to other metal horns; i.e., worth a hell of a lot more.
 
SOTSDO said:
The hole in the tenon is for the articulated G#, one of the features of these higher end Selmer metal clarinets. (The tone hole passes through the normal tenon location.) That's a good thing rather than a bad thing.

The prices are reflective of the relative value of these to other metal horns; i.e., worth a hell of a lot more.
/me: Nods fifth-level agreement to both -- although I really do think that 90% of my squeaking issues were with that simular hole on my CT.

However, the point is that you can probably find a much nicer non-metal pro vintage clarinet for a lot cheaper. I think most of the folks that have gone on the internet now know that the Selmer name carries a good pricetag :).
 
I agree with that completely. These horns are more for those interested in the somewhat arcane history of the clarinet, not for someone who's looking to come up with their one-and-only, day to day clarinet. If for no other reason, the use of a metal clarinet (no matter how good or perfect it might be) in any "serious" setting (i.e., classical or art music) will leave the player open to gentle mocking at the least, and out and out ridicule in some circumstances.

And, as I've said before, it's a lot easier to maintain a clarinet made of wood (as far as cosmetic and odor issues are concerned than it is one made of metal, no matter how careful the "maintainee" is. Most metal clarinets have acquired "old saxophone stink" on a permanent basis, and no matter what you do it's gong to be there. (It hides in the tubing joints, primarily.)

Another factor not commonly realized is that joint corks on metal horns are a "critical path" item. Since the horn's walls are so thin, there's not much of a rebate that can be "cut" into the metal to accept a joint cork. You have to have well installed corks with robust joints made during the installation, and you have to take care to keep them properly lubricated, or you soon have a horn that won't play at all.
 
In the last forty five years, I've had to play a contra clarinet precisely sixteen times - with virtually all of them being Broadway show performances for money. Unless there's some gelt, in it for me, you won't find me wrapping my fingers around one anytime soon.

Now, an Oehler bass clarinet, either in wood or in metal - well, that's a different matter.
 
pete said:
Hey! I played a Bb contra during my senior year of HS. Leblanc paperclip.
I hope to get my Leblanc Paris contrabass clarinet (aka the paperclip) back from the shop next week. I already have a Walter Grabner mouthpiece for it too. If I can get it to voice properly which out the need to speed years on that skill, I'll be playing it this Summer and Fall. Pete, how hard was it to play and how was the intonation on the one you played?
 
The intonation was very decent. I had the stock hard-rubber Leblanc mouthpiece.

The major problem I had was that the lower brace on the horn (I wanna call it bell-to-body, but it's the brace that connects the lower "joint" to the joint that goes down to low C -- the pictures I've seen of the newer Leblancs have more braces and in different places) kept breaking. It broke three or four times in the year I had it (and was broken when I got it) -- and I'm easy on my instruments. When it was intact, the horn played pretty decent. When it was broken, it was ... challenging to impossible. The Bb to C "break" was also a bit difficult even when the brace was fixed.

Hey, I played EXTREME altissimo on the horn (OK, I only knew fingerings up to F#) for kicks. Yes, the high notes were a bit challenging to play in decent tune. I hear there are some false fingerings that might be more suitable, but I don't think there's much need to worry about it. I do find it somewhat amusing that it's easier for me to hit the altissimo on CB or bass clarinet than on a Bb or Eb soprano.

The amusing thing is that the FASTER you play, the more unstable the horn is. Remember, I'm 6'1" and have been since jr. high. I had to crank that stand (peg) to the top and it wiggled a LOT if my fingers were flyin'. I think the 3rd clarinet players were afraid I'd kill 'em all during the end of "A Christmas Festival" or Holst's "Folk Song Suite".

It was enjoyable to play. The bass sax had a more powerful and louder sound, but the CB clarinet had MUCH better intonation and had a sound that, well, filled the room and insinuated itself into your consciousness. But it was a sound to FEEL more than hear.

I actually didn't care for the low C. I found the additional keywork cumbersome, especially considering I rarely used it.

I think you're going to do well with the horn. I was a somewhat better than average bari player when I switched to the CB and had only played the bari for about 3 years, so it's not like I had overwhelming lung power.
 
breaking my own rule of having only 3 (well 4) clarinets I've recently added to my stable a Buffet A and a Buffet Full Boehm clarinet. These are both the Master Bore (pre R13) models. I've decided to add one more to the lineup, a 1966 model R13. After that my clarinet lineup should be complete ...

Though a Selmer Series 9 would be nice .. and an Eaton Elite ... and ....
 
I was talking to one of my brothers today and he was lamenting about having five electric guitars. I said, "oh I have three baris" and he said that's close and then I said "and I have five tenors and five altos and one soprano". He started laughing and said he felt better about the five guitars. :emoji_smile:
 
I didn't tell him about the three clarinets, one oboe, and one flute or the bass guitar and the acoustic guitar.

When you include the piano I'm expecting my son to ask to play drums or a trumpet since I don't have those.
 
I have a Conn 424. I use a slant sig Otto link 3 * , or a Tonalin 2*.
Today I received a Pedler clarinet that I bought on Ebay to get the mpc.
It's a Personaline L4. Has anyone used a Personaline on clarinet before ?
I've heard good things about the sax mpc's, but almost nothing about the clarinet versions.
 
I didn't tell him about the three clarinets, one oboe, and one flute or the bass guitar and the acoustic guitar.

When you include the piano I'm expecting my son to ask to play drums or a trumpet since I don't have those.

i've got a flute, 2 cellos, Yamaha P90 piano upright, my saxes .. luckily I don't include 'shop' clarinets that are inline for overhauls then sell otherwise i'd have a ton .... :)
 
You guys make me feel deprived with your piles of instruments. When I played regularly I only had my one instrument. Actually I remember people in High School that had to use the schools db clarinet because they didn't have one of their own!

Joe
dbclarinets are still my favorite!
 
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