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1
All about Clarinets / I can play a 2 now, up from a 1.5 woohoo.
« Last post by kurth83 on December 03, 2023, 07:44:41 PM »
Been right about 3.5 months since I started playing.  My technical skills continue to improve at a very satisfying rate.  I'm currently about 2/3 through sight reading the Klose cover to cover (at whatever speeds work, so very slow tempos).  Already read through several other easier method books (Rubank has about 4, and I did a few trumpet ones) to get me ready for the Klose.  Klose was a genius, lots of wonderful stuff in that book.

After about 3 months on a 1.5 (BD5 mpc), and repeated attempts to switch to a 2, it finally seems to have worked, I feel no less endurance on the 2 (every previous attempt the 2 wiped me out).  Everything else works better now.  Tone and volume is improved across the board, altissimo is easier (a lot easier), and the instrument is much less prone to squeak.  I don't hate the sound of the throat tones anywhere near as much.  Course I'm getting better at producing tone too.

My tone is now significantly better than the last chair in our local amateur concert band, I'll take what victories I can get haha. :-)

I think am also a really loud player too, (I can go soft easily enough), but as a trumpet player, putting a lot of air into it is easy for me and feels more natural.  I really like that I can get a fairly decent dynamic range out of it and I feel it is important to practice tone production at all dynamic ranges.  The 2 increased the max loudness nicely but I can still go super soft like a clarinet should. :-)

The CSVR is wonderful of course too, it has plenty of projection.

I am however still flat - even with a really short barrel - was hoping the 2 would correct that.

I am going to retry to find a teacher in january, a good one in our area is expected to have some spots open up then.
2
Make and Model lists and research / Re: Old Wooden Clarinet - Buffet K489
« Last post by Squeaky on December 03, 2023, 05:19:08 PM »
I'd be excited, too, to have a nice Evette & Schaeffer (E&S) clarinet in my hands.  The early K-series E&S clarinets, such as yours, are highly regarded by some clarinetists.

Please, have it serviced regularly--and preferably by a technician who specializes in Buffet clarinets.  You'll pay extra, but unless you have a poor specimen of this model, you shouldn't have to buy him a better clarinet unless he decides to study at the collegiate level.

Judging by the condition of the bell logo and overall graininess of the wood, the clarinet appears to be in need of oiling.

And..it should go without saying that this clarinet as nice as yours should never be used for marching band.
3
Make and Model lists and research / Re: Old Wooden Clarinet - Buffet K489
« Last post by ksuderman on December 03, 2023, 11:52:08 AM »
The folks at Clarinet Perfection asked me for some better pictures and identified it as an Evette-Schaeffer model - and that serial number tracks to circa 1951. So, I guess that makes is more of a "family heirloom" than a "priceless work of art" (which is good, considering how we've treated this thing...).

Okay - back to practicing "Nicholas Variations" with my kid and wondering how my emboucher got so weak in only 38 years...

Thanks!
Keith
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Make and Model lists and research / Old Wooden Clarinet - Buffet K489
« Last post by ksuderman on December 03, 2023, 03:52:40 AM »
Good Morning,
My eleven-year-old just started playing bassoon, and I wanted to do more than just tell him to practice - so I pulled out my old plastic clarinet. The corks were dried out and had fallen off, so I wrapped the joints in athletic tape and coated them in chapstick. It was a little rough...

But yesterday, I got a fantastic surprise. My sister found what our family calls the "old wooden clarinet" and sent it to me. My parents bought it for me circa 1982, used, for either $225 or $250. When my niece started playing clarinet, my Mom had it refurbished for her to play (but not in marching band!!). When she stopped playing, it got lost for several years. Anyway, it arrived yesterday, and it is an amazing improvement over the old plastic one. I don't ever remember being this excited about the clarinet in high school!

Now I'm trying to identify it. It seems to be stamped Buffet Crampon, Paris France, serial number K489. https://www.woodwindforum.com/clarinetperfection/snbuffet-serial-numbers/ indicates that's an 1896 model. Is there any chance I'm reading that right??

Thanks in advance,
Keith

5
Make and Model lists and research / Re: Leblanc clarinet
« Last post by Squeaky on December 02, 2023, 03:32:44 PM »
Hi, John:

It would be helpful if you could post a picture of your clarinet.  LeBlanc used more than one series of serial numbers.

The profile you see on the badge is that of Leon LeBlanc.  It appears on music folios, case badges, neck strap sliders and many other woodwind-related items from LeBlanc.
6
The Clarinet Cafe / If "El Mariachi" were a clarinet player...
« Last post by mechanic on December 01, 2023, 02:56:57 PM »
Or - When the case is more robust that the CSO that came in it.
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All about Clarinets / Re: Recommended mouthpiece upgrade?
« Last post by philpedler on November 28, 2023, 03:09:37 PM »
I have happily used a Vandoren BD5 for some years. If you experience flatness, I bet it will be around the throat tones E and Eb. (The E can be raised by the addition of the Eb key, but that is a bother.)
With the right reed, the throat tones should not be too flat with the BD5. And they only tend to be flat when playing loud.

I was going to suggest a Chedeville mouthpiece. There must be a new owner for that brand, and he is charging $350 per mouthpiece. I have two Chedeville mouthpieces that I like from the period when the name was owned by Dr's Products. The cost was much lower back then. And those mouthpieces seem not to be flat in the lower throat tones.

Wow, all those pages with advice on clarinetpages.net are way out of date!

I liked Windsong's suggestion: In looking for a Chedeville mouthpiece just now, I saw that some used ones are available for decent prices.
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Trading Post / Re: Good stuff on ebay
« Last post by Windsong on November 27, 2023, 07:42:15 PM »
No kidding!?  Well, that is really good.
10
Trading Post / Re: Flute-shaped antique IVORY BC 'Clarinet'
« Last post by mechanic on November 27, 2023, 05:50:25 PM »
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