----- Original Message -----

From: Peter Gentry

To: NewBassClarinetGrou p@yahoogroups. com

Sent: Saturday, June 27, 2009 4:46 AM

Subject: RE: [NewBassClarinetGro up] Tyros technical problem

 

I have a Vandoren B45 mpc which has a tip opening of about 2mm or about 1/16” in old money. I have no means of accurate measurement.

Maybe my description of the tone was lacking somewhat. It can be thin the best I can come up with is the sort of sound you might get by vibrating a string with a tin can as resonator. There is an instrument that does this looks a tad like a sax attached to a cello finger board it produces a raw unmusical sound.

It is hard to get much colour out of the clarion although skilled players on expensive kit can sound superb. Is my problem kit based or is it my embouchure? I realise it is an impossible question I just wonder what I could expect from an aged Bundy that is 20 cents sharp in all registers – I can get in “tune” with the swan neck and mpc pulled out to the absolute limit and almost totally relaxed embouchure but cannot sustain the airflow for very long. The wave form is very saw toothed in some ranges and sinusoidal in only one.

It looks like there has been a repair at the bottom joint. The tip of the eflat key is 5/16” proud of the actuating beam (ie I could pull the bell out by 5/16” and still operate the eflat key) – is this more than normal?

Thanks for replies not many bass clarinets about in this neck of the woods.

regards
Peter Gentry

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From: NewBassClarinetGrou p@yahoogroups. com [mailto:NewBassClar inetGroup@ yahoogroups. com] On Behalf Of revbhouse@yahoo. com
Sent: 27 June 2009 02:32
To: NewBassClarinetGrou p@yahoogroups. com
Subject: Re: [NewBassClarinetGro up] Tyros technical problem

sorry about that! I found stock/ student mpcs to have small tip openings, resulting in weak weak upper register playing,  my current fave is a selmer H, huge opening, but easy to play, with tremendous body throughout the range of the inst........ IMHO    brad houser

sent from my glitchy iPhone 

On Jun 24, 2009, at 3:07 PM, "Peter Gentry" <peter.gentry@ sunscales. co.uk> wrote:

Hello

I have been playing on a very second hand Bundy for a little while learning to live with the thin tone in the upper registers and the clanky long note keywork after years playing on a Buffet Soprano but I have one issue that is hard to resolve The problem is changing register downward from say “clarion” D to low G. The low G takes about a second to sound after some interesting harmonics. Is this a leak problem (nothing obvious) or a soft reed (softish vandoren 3) problem or maybe a combination. Usually OK if tongued and not legato. Any suggestions gratefully received

regards
Peter Gentry

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From: NewBassClarinetGrou p@yahoogroups. com [mailto:NewBassClar inetGroup@ yahoogroups. com] On Behalf Of Bobby Mac
Sent: 23 June 2009 09:34
To: NewBassClarinetGrou p@yahoogroups. com
Subject: [NewBassClarinetGro up] update on the YCL 221II

Ok last night was the first rehersal with the new Yamaha. I can say it is lighter than the Beuscher that I have been playing for years. the small case was really nice also. The only thing I noticed after the first rehersal was that right after a 15 minute break when I went to tume up, the octave key pad was slightly sticky. Other than that it was a really nice sounding horn.
I was using the Yamaha mouthpiece that came with it for lastnights rehersal on a soft Bari reed. Over the weekend I will swap back to the Garrett mouthpiece and see how it sounds.

So far So good.

Bobby