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Topics - gkern

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1
All about Clarinets / Nifty, comfortable thumb saddle
« on: September 13, 2016, 11:11:55 AM »
Hi all - Phil sent me this thumb rest the other day.

I really like it, it has found a home on my main horn, the L7.  Perfect fit on both the thumb and round clarinet, best thumb rest I have ever used.  Phil told me these are only available on special order from the maker.

So what do y'all think of the one you received?  Let us know, please.  See attached photos, a little blurry, but my photography skills about equal to my clarinet skill.

2
All about Clarinets / D'Addario Reserve mouthpiece for vintage clarinet
« on: May 27, 2015, 11:53:48 AM »
I recently acquired a 1949 Leblanc 176 (one of Vytas Krass' "diamonds in the rough") and had been using a Portnoy BP02 mouthpiece with fair results.  Not entirely happy, I bought a D'Addario (formerly Rico) Reserve X0 to try on it.  The bores match nicely, and, except for D below the staff being slightly sharp, plays virtually spot on from C below the staff to high C, with a nicely focused tone.

So if you are having trouble finding a mouthpiece for your vintage small bore horn, give these a try.  Just a note - my Reserve X05 does not do quite as well on the horn, so tip opening is a factor also.

3
All about Clarinets / If you could only keep one clarinet, which one would it be?
« on: November 17, 2014, 03:44:50 PM »
As I look at my stack of clarinets, some of which are rarely played, I wonder:  If I could only have one, which of these would it be?

The SML King Marigaux would be hard to part with as would the Selmer Centered Tone, and I am really attached to the Penzel Muellers, and the Conn 16 like Kenny Davern played, and, and, and.  Well, you get the drift.

So which one of yours would you keep?

4
All about Clarinets / Golden Oldies
« on: August 23, 2014, 08:36:23 AM »
Saw a post on one of the other forums some years ago from Vytas Krass (whom I admire for his knowledge of clarinets) about the really good vintage clarinets.

According to Vytas, the SML King Marigaux 350 is “The Stradivarius of clarinets\".

Other “Diamonds in the Rough” are:
Buffet R13, 1955-56 s/n 50xxx-51xxx
Selmer BT, CT, Series 9
Leblanc 176, Symphonie 3
R. Malerne “Professional”
Couesnon “Monopole”
Penzel-Mueller “Super Brilliante”
Conn “444N”
Boosey & Hawkes “Imperial 926”, “1010”
Kohlert, LP models from 1930s
Thibouville Freres “Concert”

Anybody have any of these horns, or thoughts about their faves?

5
All about Clarinets / Just for kicks
« on: June 13, 2014, 07:45:06 PM »
A while back, I saw an upturned metal bell for a Bb clarinet on freebay.  Just wondering, would a bell for an Alto clarinet fit a Bb soprano?  And how far out of tune would this make it? :huh:

6
All about Clarinets / Rico Reserve mouthpiece
« on: April 08, 2014, 11:29:54 AM »
I have a collection of vintage mouthpieces, and I try to match them up to my old clarinets, usually can find a good match.

I thought that a Portnoy BP02 was just about perfect for my SML King Marigaux; but I bought a new Rico Reserve 05 a week or two ago, put it on the SML, and, WOW!  The Rico was responsive, almost non-resistant, had a fantastic tone, and slipped into altissimo like it was greased!  So the Portnoy goes back into the drawer, or, it might find a home on the PM Soloist, pretty good bore match there too.

Got the Rico on Amazon, about $85 - a lot less that the original intro price of around $200...

7
All about Clarinets / Trading Post - Must log in
« on: February 12, 2014, 12:22:25 PM »
Just a note - I see that there are very few views on the trading post.

Members must log in to have access to this area of the forum, so sign in - don\'t just be a lurker!  There are some neat instruments listed already.

8
All about Clarinets / Conn 16 - Kenny Davern
« on: October 03, 2013, 09:06:00 PM »
Kenny Davern, one of my favorite jazz clarinetists, was playing a plastic Conn 16 in this clip - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgyqnmJUpvM&list=PL952397F8C48FC528 - and, around the same time, recorded a CD - \"Smiles\", using the Conn 16 and a Vandoren 5JB mouthpiece.

Well, I bought a Conn 16 on eBay, stuck my 5JB on it - and guess what?  I don\'t sound at all like Kenny!  Has anyone else had this same problem?

9
All about Clarinets / Why no posts
« on: October 03, 2013, 06:46:38 PM »
No posts for 3 days - is the forum working? :huh:

10
All about Clarinets / Henry Gunckel
« on: September 07, 2013, 08:37:08 PM »
Has anyone heard of a Henry Gunckel clarinet?  I bought a Bb and C (Alberts) at an estate sale today, and don\'t know what I\'m going to do with them...

Stupidly thought the C was an eefer, which I want. :s

11
All about Clarinets / Just wondering
« on: February 26, 2013, 12:00:14 PM »
Does anyone know what clarinet Ross Gorman used in the debut of Rhapsody in Blue in 1924?  I\'m guessing Selmer or Wurlitzer.  And, who was the clarinetist in the 1946 movie?

Yeah, I\'m a Rhapsody in Blue freak...

12
All about Clarinets / Homemade humidistat?
« on: January 31, 2013, 07:42:46 PM »
I saw on The Curious Clarinetist that you can make a \"humidistat\" by drilling a few holes in a plastic medicine container and putting a damp cosmetic sponge inside.

I am trying to get the same effect by punching a few holes in a baggy and placing a wet sponge inside, then rolling the baggy loosely around the sponge.

Any thoughts?  :huh:

I am tired of my horns \"cracking up\" in these dry Missouri winters.

13
All about Clarinets / Ugly crack
« on: January 09, 2013, 01:35:02 PM »
It was ugly; I had been playing my PM Brilliante for a while, and looked at it, and saw an ugly crack, going through a tone hole in the top of the upper joint.  It did not go all the way through to the bore, but was there nonetheless.  My tech said it was a temperature difference between the outside and the inside with my hot breath.  He said to hold the upper joint in my hands to warm it up for a while before playing.  The horn is kept by my desk along with the others and was not subjected to any temperature or humidity changes. :huh:

Any thoughts?

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